Surfing advocates dispute cost estimates for establishing school program

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Advocates for surfing as a sport in public high schools feel confident they can convince the state to sanction it despite estimates it would cost between $1.2 million and $2.67 million a season.

Cost estimates, from running practice sessions with lifeguards to hosting surf meets, were presented at a Board of Education Special Services committee meeting on Tuesday.

The committee is considering recommending surfing as a sanctioned school sport. It will continue to accept written testimony until a Sept. 16 meeting.

The estimated cost of running practices in the ocean with lifeguards on personal watercraft for 44 eligible schools is $2.67 million per season; without lifeguards, $1.23 million. Dwight Toyama, O'ahu Interscholastic Association Executive Secretary, who compiled data for the committee said the figures were based on the costs of other sports programs, and information from people who organize surf meets.

Those numbers shocked the handful of surfing advocates who attended the meeting. Many said the figures were inflated.

"I could run a whole season with less money," said Linda Robb, former Hawai'i director for the National Scholastic Surfing Association, which runs high school contests.

According to Toyama, the cost estimate is about average for a combined boys and girls sports program. For example, baseball and softball cost about $800,000 each per season. Football, which is the most expensive sport to run, costs more than $2 million per season. And those figures don't include games or tournaments, which will cost more with the department having to pay officials and facility rental fees.

"That's about what we pay for for all sports," Toyama said. "The expensive part, in this case, is having the lifeguards there, even without (the personal watercraft) at practices."

For 72 days of practice and six meets, it would cost $500 per hour to hire lifeguards with personal watercraft, totalling $1.6 million for the season. It would cost $170,400 for the lifeguards alone.

But surf coaches say that practice wouldn't always be held in the water. Most of the in-water training would be on the athletes' own time. And what they would do at practice — work out, run or watch videos — could be done at school.

"We're not going to have a surf meet for practice," Iris Gonzales, surf coach at Kahuku High School.

Some argue that the estimated costs, which stemmed from safety concerns, are unrealistic.

"If we wanted the 'Cadillac' budget for all of the OIA sports then I guess we'd have to close down all sports programs for lack of money," said Board of Education member Garrett Toguchi. "Safety is important and surfing will have a cost to implement, but those estimates are not realistic."

Cost has become an important concern for athletic directors, who have seen their budgets slashed. Adding more sports — which they've had to do in recent years to comply with Title IX — is another financial burden some schools just can't afford.

"How long can we continue to add activities and not provide the funding?" wrote Kenneth Yamase, certified master athletic administrator at Waiakea High School on the Big Island. "If this trend continues, I will be the first to ask legislators what existing teams do you want me to fold at my school so I can add surfing to the program."

In addition, the state has to provide equipment for the athletes, if the student can't afford his or her own, Toyama said. For baseball, for example, bats cost about $200 each. Surfboards are estimated to cost $400.

Because it won't be a learn-to-surf program, most, if not all, surfers will have their own surfboards, surf coaches said. If they don't, they're confident they will get support from the community.

The state was supposed to supply canoes for each school beginning three years ago. Since paddling became a sport five years ago, the schools have been borrowing canoes from clubs.

Toguchi feels if the state applies such high standards to surfing, it should do so across the board.

"Saying that we have to provide a surfboard for all participants makes as much sense as saying that we can't have bowling or tennis unless the state provides the balls for all bowlers and rackets for all tennis players," he said. "If that's the standard that the department wants, then I'll push that all sports programs be held to that very same standard or face elimination."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.