School surfers in for long, rough ride
By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer
Young surfers may be eager to hit the waves for their high schools now that surfing has been approved as a school sport in Hawai'i, but it could take some time for the state to clarify liability, safety and financial questions.
"I guarantee I'd be out there," said Kekoa Cazimero, a freshman at Kaiser High School and a talented surfer. "I'd try to get everyone I know to surf on the team."
The state Department of Education will develop guidelines for surfing now that the state school board has voted to recognize it as a sport. Surfing was declared the official individual sport of Hawai'i in 1998, and the school board's vote Thursday came after years of campaigning by the surfing community.
But surfers, educators and sports officials said yesterday that it could take several years to establish surfing as a high school sport on par with football or basketball.
Once the state guidelines are completed, students on school surf clubs would likely be able to surf in contests under their school colors, but several hurdles remain before school surf teams officially compete against each other or for a state championship.
Schools would have to petition their athletic leagues to make surfing a sport, and three of the state's five athletic leagues would have to sponsor the sport before it becomes a state championship sport.
This year, for example, the state held a girls water polo championship, eight years after the sport was first sanctioned by the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, which represents private schools.
The ILH opposes surfing as a school sport, and other league officials have acknowledged serious concerns about cost, liability and capacity.
"They're going to need a very effective lobby to get enough schools to have teams, mainly because these schools are so burdened," said Dennis Anderson, the information director for the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association, which sponsors state championships.
Dwight Toyama, executive secretary of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, said many athletic directors have questions about liability, not so much at surf contests, but at practices, where it would be difficult to supervise and protect students in the ocean.
"What happens when one of our students injures 'Joe Public?' " Toyama asked. "Now they would have somebody to go after and sue."
Athletic directors are also concerned about the potential for shark attacks, drownings and surfing-related injuries.
Surfers have heard these complaints before, but will now have to counter them in detail to win over school administrators. Greg Knudsen, a DOE spokesman, said that since there is no additional money for surfing right now, schools may have to consider taking money from other sports or getting sponsors from the private sector.
New school community councils, required under an education reform package just approved by the state Legislature, would have influence over school curriculum and could also be used by surfers as a vehicle to establish the sport at more schools.
"It's going to be interesting," said Dave Cosier Jr., who coaches the surf team at Kalaheo High School. "We're not getting much support from the athletic directors. That's going to be the next step."
Turk Cazimero, Kekoa's father, who works with Hawaiian Hurricane Productions and is involved in the surfing community, said sponsors would likely step up with clothing and equipment because high school surfing would be both a good marketing opportunity and a training ground for young surfers.
"This is part of the culture of Hawai'i," he said.
Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
