Hawaii to Host First-ever Surfing State Championship in May

In Hawaii, surfing is more than a sport — it’s a centuries-old tradition that has shaped life across the islands.

So when the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) announced it would sanction surfing as an official state championship sport beginning in 2026, the reaction was immediate: jubilation.

The journey to creating a high school state championship for all Hawaiian high schoolers has been years in the making. While some schools offered surfing clubs, only the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) had formally recognized it as a varsity interscholastic sport in previous years.

After decades of advocacy, the HHSAA secured funding through House Bill 133 (HB 133) this past summer, which allocated state department of education support to help launch the championship program.

The inaugural state finals will be held May 1-2 at Ho‘okipa Beach in Maui, with more than 170 student-athletes competing in boys and girls shortboard, longboard and bodyboard divisions.

This spring’s championship will mark the first time competitors from all five Hawaiian counties come together to represent their high schools for a state title. Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing, is also the first state to offer an official state championship via its state high school association.

“Surfing is deeply rooted in our culture and way of life, and we extend our sincere gratitude to our legendary surfers who have paved the way for this sport in Hawaii and around the world,” HHSAA Executive Director Chris Chun said. “We are thrilled to offer this incredible opportunity to high school students statewide, allowing them to compete for a state title in a sport they are passionate about.”

From Club Competition to State Championship
Every once in a while, Davin Kazama pulls up the recording of his daughter, Sunny, anxiously staring at her laptop as she watches the Hawaii Legislature vote on HB 133.

The video from this past summer still gives him “chicken skin.”

While the family points to generations of advocates who helped make surfing a state-sanctioned high school sport in Hawaii, the Kazamas played a critical role in pushing the issue to the finish line.

Like it does for many Hawaiians, surfing holds great significance for the Kazama family. Davin met his wife, Noli, through the sport, and the couple raised their daughters, Maia and Sunny, in the water.

As a student at ‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Sunny played volleyball because her friends were on the team. She didn’t enjoy the sport but worried she might lose those friendships if she stepped away.

After spending countless hours catching waves during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunny developed a deeper love and appreciation for surfing. So she joined her high school’s surfing club at ‘Iolani and flourished, finding her confidence and leadership skills growing during a transformational time in her life.

With a renewed passion, Sunny and Davin – who also served as an assistant coach at ‘Iolani – joined the push for change to make surfing a state championship sport.

During the 2022-23 school year, Sunny and Davin helped write a white paper for the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation advocating for surfing to become a varsity sport and official state tournament sport in Hawaii schools. While the paper did not lead to immediate change, it helped lay the groundwork for change.

In her senior year, Sunny and her teammates won their first high school club championship, which she called the highlight of her career.

Despite the title, the school would not raise a banner or recognize the team at the athletic assembly. Surfing, they were told, was the same as any other club.

It was in those moments that Sunny decided she would do everything in her power to change that for future student-athletes. After graduation, Kazama took a gap year dedicated to making surfing an official HHSAA sport.

“I didn’t want the next generation of surf club surfers to do something amazing and then be like, ‘Oh, so it’s like it didn’t even matter,’” Sunny said. “High school sports are really about not just individual growth, but also team morale. If you do something big with your community, with your teammates, that’s such a positive memory for you, and it’s such a positive thing to represent your school. To not have any of that when you do something big, really, it hurts.”

One of the primary arguments against hosting a state final for high school surfers was the scope of such an event and the dangers associated with it. To prove doubters wrong, the Kazamas put on their own competition.

Since 2022, the family has helped organize the Honua Finals, an international prep surfing tournament in Honolulu. The competition has received worldwide acclaim and is branded as the “World Cup of Interscholastic Surfing.” The 2025 finals featured 144 surfers – 72 boys and 72 girls – from Hawaii, California, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

During her gap year, Sunny also interned with Hawaii state Sen. Glenn Wakai after his office contacted her upon hearing about her advocacy.

Sunny said she never intended to get involved in politics but saw the internship as an opportunity to understand how the system works and create a pathway for surfing to become a sanctioned sport.

The timing aligned. In early 2025, House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan introduced House Bill 133, allocating more than $685,000 annually for two years to establish surfing as an interscholastic sport.

When lawmakers sought testimony, Sunny answered the call. She spoke before the state Senate, sharing her story and explaining why the measure was needed. She said her high school public speaking classes helped prepare her for the moment.

With funding secured through HB 133, also known as Act 141, the HHSAA soon after announced surfing would become its 21st sport beginning in 2026. It is the second sport added in two years; flag football joined the lineup in 2025.

Now a freshman at San Diego State University, Sunny said she will not miss the inaugural state finals as a spectator.

Getting Ready for the Event
The HHSAA has been meticulously preparing for its first surfing state championship, which will feature 174 student-athletes — 87 boys and 87 girls. Davin Kazama will help oversee the competition as state coordinator for the event.

The high school surfing season in Hawaii began February 16 and will culminate with the state finals at Ho‘okipa in Maui. Kahului Harbor will serve as the backup location.

The HHSAA is made up of five member leagues, each of which will hold a regular season followed by a league championship. Top finishers in each league will advance to the state championship.

As of February 24, 64 of the HHSAA’s 98 member schools had committed to participate in surfing – a significant increase from the previous season, when about 28 schools fielded teams, all from Maui and Oahu.

Before this year, only the MIL recognized surfing as an official sport. The HHSAA selected Maui as the site of the inaugural state finals in part to thank the league for its pioneering efforts over the past 11 years.

The state school board approved surfing in Hawaii public schools in 2004, though no funding was allocated. In 2005 the DOE approved surfing safety guidelines for public schools, and then updated them in 2014 – the first year the MIL first offered as a varsity sport.

Safety will be paramount at the event. All competitors must hold junior lifeguard certifications. Jet skis will patrol the water, spotters will monitor from shore, coaches will assist in the lineup, and surfers will wear magnetic shark-deterrent bands.

Building on Tradition
At many Hawaii high schools — including Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School — surfing is woven into the curriculum.

Surfing originated in Hawaii more than 1,000 years ago and remains a spiritual, cultural and recreational practice. In earlier times, it was a way to demonstrate skill, bravery and status and was enjoyed by commoners and royalty alike.

Kameha‘ililani Waiau, principal at Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, said it is exciting to see the momentum behind high school surfing and the new opportunities for students.

“What’s awesome, too, is surfing is for all body sizes and all body types,” Waiau said. “That’s a beautiful thing. You can be athletic at any body shape and size. Because it’s something cultural, and because it’s something you’ve been doing with your ‘ohana and your family forever, now having the opportunity to actually compete is special.”

Kauha‘anui Domingo, a senior at Kamakau, said surfing is a sport he plans to pursue for the rest of his life. He called the state tournament both exciting and encouraging for the sport’s future.

In previous years, Domingo said he competed only against surfers from his own island, as did many other Hawaiian high school student-athletes. A state tournament will help connect surfers from across the islands.

“For me, being a student at a Hawaiian emerging charter school, I think the most important part is reclaiming surfing as a cultural practice in Hawaii, especially here where surfing originated,” Domingo said.

HHSAA officials said they plan to elevate the event with special programming, including announcers and a high school band. Spectrum also plans to televise the event statewide, officials said, and there is hope that former Olympic surfers will attend.

For generations, Hawaii gave surfing to the world. In May, it gives its high school athletes something back – a state championship for the sport born on its shores.

Jordan Morey is manager of communications and media relations at the NFHS.