Local News in Brief : Costa Mesa : College Is Represented by a Rowing Buccaneer

Orange Coast College’s Pirates now have a swashbuckling mascot. A student dressed in a costume as a bigger-than-life “Pete the Pirate” attends all the community college’s football and basketball games.

The Rowdy Rooters, a student group, bought the costume this fall for $700. It includes an oversize pirate head with beard, eye patch and a hat with skull-and-crossbones.

Ken Knapp, a member of Orange Coast’s crew team, has worn the costume and portrayed Pete at many athletic events.