Dayanidhi Das
Maui Prep's Sloane Jucker surfs at an MIL surfing competition in March.
Hawaiʻi has never held a statewide surfing championship, but that is expected to change as high school surfing may have enough funding nearly a decade after it was authorized as an interscholastic sport.
House Bill 133 would provide the Department of Education with funding to support surfing as an interscholastic sport in Hawaiʻi.
Lawmakers decided to appropriate $685,870 in both fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to the DOE when the bill was passed on April 25. This would support two seasons of surfing for 46 public high schools.
The proposed budget includes costs for coaches’ salaries, equipment, and transportation. The bill still needs to be signed by Gov. Josh Green to become official law.
Rep. Sean Quinlan introduced the bill because he thinks that it is important that the birthplace of surfing has more opportunities for young people.
Quinlan views surfing as a special sport that is both an intense physical activity and meditation where students can connect with nature.
“Your heart is racing, and yet when you stand up on the board, it’s this incredible serenity,” said Quinlan.
The DOE developed regulations for surfing to be a high school sport back in 2005. The Department sanctioned surfing as an official sport in 2016, but the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) is the only league in Hawaiʻi that participates in interscholastic surfing.
Many schools have surfing clubs, but only Maui public schools and Kamehameha Schools offer surfing as a school-sanctioned sport.
Since club sports are not part of the athletic department, students and their parents must self fund. These students are also not recognized as varsity athletes.
Despite concerns about safety, MIL surfing co-coordinator Kim Ball said that there has been no serious injuries since the league began its first season in 2014.
Ball said the 19 years of unofficial high school surfing championships on Maui prior to 2014 may have contributed to showing enough interest to be voted in by the league.
He did not want cost to be an issue that caused principals to not accept the sport, so Ball reached out to companies for sponsorships and donations. His company Hi-Tech Surf Sports provides equipment.
Sarah Fairchild, executive director of Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, thinks that the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) and Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) could reach their thresholds to hold surfing tournaments next school year.
Hawaiʻi could have their first state championship for high school surfing with the MIL, OIA, and ILH, since the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) requires at least three leagues to participate.
“I think it’s finally gonna happen, which is awesome,” said Ball.
Fairchild added that supporting surfing as an interscholastic sport not only benefits talented surfers but can also increase access for young people to learn the sport and gain water skills.
The number one cause of death for children, ages one to 15, in Hawaiʻi is drowning, according to the 2025 Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan.
Students on surf teams are required to do junior lifeguard training. Fairchild explains that this can improve ocean safety, since surfers are first responders to drownings in the absence of lifeguards.
“We were really pushing for this because it’s water safety skills that are being built,” said Fairchild.