Posted on: Thursday, July 15, 2004
High schools waiting for guidelines on surfing
By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer
School principals and athletic directors have so far shown little interest in making surfing a high school sport this school year, with many waiting for the state Department of Education to release detailed guidelines.
Focus groups will be brought together across the Islands this fall to help the DOE sort through some of the logistic and legal questions involved in letting teenagers surf for their schools. Surfing advocates, meanwhile, still hope to stage high school contests on O'ahu this school year, even if they have to go around the O'ahu Interscholastic Association.
O'ahu principals voted in June not to go ahead with surfing at this time, according to the OIA, with many citing a lack of DOE guidelines. Athletic directors on Maui, the Big Island and Kaua'i have also not moved ahead with surfing.
When the state Board of Education approved surfing as a school sport in May, its members directed the DOE to develop guidelines but made it clear that the decision would be left up to individual schools.
Iris Kahaulelio, a biology teacher who coaches the surf club at Kahuku High & Intermediate School, said a fund-raiser to draw money and attention to high school surfing is planned for the North Shore this fall. She believes there is more than enough interest at O'ahu schools to have contests this school year, but worries about getting support from the OIA.
"I still don't think they're for it," Kahaulelio said.
She said schools that agree to back surfing could hold contests informally as a pilot for educators and to work through any obstacles. "We could still have it, but it just won't be through the OIA," Kahaulelio said.
Dwight Toyama, the executive secretary of the OIA and the athletics administrator at the DOE, has raised safety and liability issues inherent in sending teenagers out to practice and compete in a potentially dangerous ocean sport. But he wants to hear suggestions from educators and surfers and said that draft DOE guidelines might be ready by November. "That's why we're having the focus groups," he said.
State estimates that surfing could cost up to $2.6 million a season — a figure disputed by surfers — could be a factor for some athletic directors. Others say that other sports are in line ahead of surfing. On Maui, for example, schools are looking to add girls' water polo or girls' flag football, which could provide more gender equity.
"We have much higher priorities," said Stephen Kim, executive secretary of the Maui Interscholastic League.
Three of the five athletic conferences would have to back surfing for it to become a state championship event, but any one of the conferences could sanction contests between schools. Hawai'i students already compete in amateur surfing contests, but the school board's new policy allows students to formally represent their schools.
Garrett Toguchi, a school board member and surfer, said it is up to surfers to convince their schools and athletic leagues.
"Now the ball is in their court," he said.
Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
