"I would say we enter around 30 contests a year," said Turk Cazimero, father of two competitive youth surfers.

There are more than 500 registered amateur surfers on O'ahu, and the numbers have been increasing in recent years.

Who is eligible?

Any non-professional surfer. Most amateur contests are for youth surfers, but there are also divisions for adults.

"It's mostly kids, but the adults who enter have just as much fun as the kids," said Wendell Aoki, director of the Hawai'i Amateur Surfing Association.

Age divisions usually range from 10-and-younger to 50-and-older.

Professional potential is not a prerequisite to enter amateur surfing contests, but basic surfing skills are recommended.

"You don't need to be a really good surfer to enter," Aoki said. "But you do need some background. We expect the kids to at least know how to stand up on the board and ride a wave."

Most events have divisions for shortboard surfing, longboard surfing and bodyboarding.

"I used to play basketball, but now surfing is the only sport I love," says Kaiser High sophomore Kekoa Cazimero." Bernie Baker photo

According to Aoki, most young surfers get started in the "specialty" events. In many of those contests, parents are allowed to assist their children in the water.

Tommy Asing said he started his two children in a "specialty" contest, and they've been competing ever since.

"We entered a menehune contest and the kids fell in love with the sport," he said. "After that, they wanted to enter all the contests."

For information on HASA contests, visit hasasurf.org. For information on NSSA contests, visit nssahawaii.org or nssa.org. Also, many surf shops carry entry forms for the various contests.

"There's no real practice, like in team sports," says Turk Cazimero, right, with son Kekoa. "But when I go out free surfing with my kids, we're having a blast. And at the same time, they're practicing." Bernie Baker photo

Most contests offer trophies and prizes donated by surfing companies.

The top performers can earn sponsorship deals.

But according to many surfers, the best deal is the pick of waves, even if for only 15 minutes.

In most amateur events, six surfers compete against each other in a 15-minute heat. The top performers can surf as many as four heats in a day.

"If I were to surf at (Ala Moana) Bowls on a good day, there would be at least 100 guys out there," Kekoa Cazimero said. "But if I'm in a contest, it's just me and five other guys. That's unbelievable."

Are there "practices"?

Some of the high school surfing teams hold practices, and some of the top-ranked amateur surfers have coaches. But for the most part, amateur surfers are on their own.

If anything, the year-round schedule assures surfers maintain their conditioning.

"The good part is the kids are getting a lot of experience, surfing at all the different spots," Turk Cazimero said. "Plus, it's a healthy lifestyle; you know the kids are getting their training."

Cazimero's youngest son, Keanu, practices Pop Warner football on the weekdays, and fits in surfing whenever he can. His oldest son, Kekoa, is all about surfing.

"Sometimes, I'll go surfing before school, at 5:30 in the morning," said Kekoa, a sophomore at Kaiser High. "I used to play basketball, but now surfing is the only sport I love."

It also has become a family activity.

"There's no real practice, like in team sports," said Turk Cazimero. "But when I go out free surfing with my kids, we're having a blast. And at the same time, they're practicing."

Is it safe?

All of the contests in Hawai'i are supervised by lifeguards, and events are postponed if conditions are too treacherous.

"It's safe and it's fun, but we also expect the kids and the parents to have an idea of what they're getting into," said Bobbi Lee, director of the NSSA Hawai'i Region.

In addition to basic surfing skills, all competitors are expected to know how to swim.

And for the record, all surfing contests are held during daylight hours, so shark sightings are extremely rare.

What are the costs?

Every contest requires an entry fee, and HASA and NSSA have annual membership dues.

Top-ranked youth surfers have additional expenses because they often travel to the Mainland for national competitions.

"I spend close to $5,000 a year on surfing," Asing said. "But it's worth it because my kids love it."

Aoki said that surfers are not obligated to enter every contest.

"There's guys who surf at Waikiki every day, so when our contest is there, that's the only one they want to enter," he said.

When are the events?

Amateur contests are held on various weekends throughout the year.

On O'ahu, the two biggest organizations are the Hawai'i Amateur Surfing Association (HASA) and the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA).

Many surfers compete in both. Between those two organizations, there are around 20 contests held at different beaches throughout the year.

What's more, there are several "specialty" contests held throughout the year for youth surfers. Once-a-year events like the Local Motion Surf Into Summer and the Hale'iwa Menehune Contest draw hundreds of surfers from around the state.

"We have more contests now than we did 10 or 15 years ago because we have more kids involved," Aoki said. "So because there's more kids, more clothing companies have come up and they're the ones sponsoring all these contests."