When our artist (a resident of Southern California) heard the news that WordCamp US would return to an in-person event and be held for the first time on the West Coast, a lightbulb turned on.

Point Breaking News

Drawing inspiration from “America’s Finest City,” San Diego, California, we introduce SurferPuu, our WordCamp US 2022 Wapuu.

SurferPuu (pronounced sir-fur-poo) embodies the spirit of the area’s 70 miles of coastline, its land and marine life-themed amusement parks, beautiful vistas, and pre-dawn surfing in the crystal blue Pacific Ocean during endless sun-soaked days.

Take A Closer Look

Drawn in the classic Wapuu style, SurferPuu:

• Holds a WordPress aquarium with her pet fish, a tribute to the Birch Aquarium, the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, which towers high above the coastline;
• Rides a magical dolphin, an ode to the sixties network television series “Flipper”;
• Rocks “Marge Simpson” cobalt blue hair, partial cornrows, and a large silver ring in her ear lobe; and
• Wears vibrant throwback patterned board shorts and a surf leash ready to drop in on a ‘rad barrel’!

Origin Story

In 2009, in a response to Matt Mullenweg’s call for ideas to promote WordPress in Japan, the community decided to create a mascot. Two years later at WordCamp Fukuoka, Wapuu debuted and the rest is history.

Talented illustrator Kazuko Kaneuchi designed the mascot as a free gift to the WordPress Community. These cartoon creatures often accentuate each local WordCamp marking that year’s theme or location.

Surf(erPuu)’s Up

SurferPuu has been spotted just offshore around Mission and Ocean Beaches, sometimes as far north as the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla during the Blue Hour, just before sunrise.

Discover SurferPuu at WordCamp US, September 9th through 11th.