Pepperdine Hang Ten Willie the Wave Tee

To know Willie the Wave is to love him, and Pepperdine faithful have loved him through the high and low tides of his mascot life. The costumed mascot made his debut in 1952, as a floppy-“haired,” proto-Muppet creature with googly eyes. In 1972, the costume used a mane to better capture a wave’s crest; students referred to this Willie as “the Hairy Smurf,” among other nicknames. Pepperdine attempted its third version of Willie from 1992 to 1996 before scrapping him for King Neptune, but brought him back for good in 2006. This pompadoured Willie, featured here on this Pepperdine design, is the mascot fans know and love today.