Joining Your High School Surf Team in Hawaiʻi: A Parent's Guide
Aloha, surf families! Surfing is now an official high school sport in Hawaiʻi. The Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) added it to its lineup in 2025, the Department of Education backs it, and all five leagues fielded boys and girls teams in spring 2026. The five leagues are the OIA, ILH, BIIF, MIL and KIF. If your surfer is in high school, they can now paddle out for their school. Here is what to know before the next season starts.
How the season works
It's a spring sport. League meets run through the spring, and league championships come in April. In 2026 they were April 11 on Maui, April 20 on Oʻahu, and April 25 on the Big Island and Kauaʻi.
States come in early May. The first HHSAA State Championship ran May 1–2, 2026 at Hoʻokipa on Maui.
There are three disciplines: shortboard, longboard and bodyboard, each with boys and girls divisions.
Surfers score for themselves and for their team. Individual champions are crowned in every discipline, and schools earn team points too. On Maui, for example, the MIL ran four team meets. Each school filled Shortboard 1, 2 and 3, Longboard 1 and 2, and Bodyboard spots.
How surfers qualify for States
Each league gets a set number of State Championship spots. For 2026 the spots were:
OIA: 30 boys, 35 girls
ILH: 15 boys, 12 girls
BIIF: 15 boys, 11 girls
MIL: 18 boys, 20 girls
KIF: 9 boys, 9 girls
That's 174 surfers statewide. Each league decides how its surfers earn those spots. In the MIL, the boys and girls team champions qualified as teams and others qualified individually. Ask your coach how your league does it.
Safety certifications: plan ahead
For the first season, surfers and coaches had to complete:
CPR and first aid certification
An ocean safety and rescue course
Junior lifeguard certification, which must be renewed every two years
Classes can fill up, especially in summer, so book early. Requirements can change, so confirm the current list with your school's athletic director.
How it fits with HSA and NSSA
Your surfer doesn't have to choose. High school surfing means surfing for your school in the HHSAA spring season. HSA runs club amateur contests through the year, with ratings toward the HSA State Championships. NSSA runs Hawaiʻi conference events that lead to the national championships. Plenty of surfers do all three. Keep an eye on the calendar, because spring school meets can land on the same weekends as club contests.
Getting on the team: a checklist
Talk to your school's athletic director early in the school year. Ask whether the school fields a surf team and when sign-ups start.
Get the safety certifications booked.
Turn in the same athletic clearance paperwork your school requires for any sport.
If your school doesn't have a team yet, let the athletic director know there's interest.
Keep competing in HSA and NSSA so your surfer is contest-ready when the season starts.
Where to follow along
The HHSAA posts surfing news and state championship info on its surfing page. We'll keep high school meets on our calendar alongside HSA and NSSA events. See you on the beach!
Sources: HHSAA, Maui Now, The Maui News, Honolulu Civil Beat
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