This July, the top high school surfing teams are being called to drop in for the Honua Finals: World Cup of Interscholastic High School Surfing at Ala Moana Bowls.
Elite teams representing Japan, New Zealand, Canada, California, Maui, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and the Big Island will come together for competition from July 31 to Aug. 3, with the contest running on the best two days of surf.
The competition first debuted in 2024, with ʻIolani’s Surf Team taking first place overall. The competition calls for teams to shred as individuals, but win together as a high school.
Other team and individual champions will also be crowned for titles in shortboard, longboard and bodyboard divisions.
Davin Kazama, the event organizer, said the competition creates a pathway for Hawaiʻi’s surfers to perform on a global stage.
“Throughout the years, we have seen young, local surfers miss out on opportunities to establish themselves as athletes—not because they lack the talent or drive, but because they lack the funding needed to travel to elite competitions held thousands of miles away,” he said in a news release.
This expands opportunities for young surfers throughout the islands and makes the sport more accessible to the next generation, Kazama added.
Lawmakers passed a bill this session that appropriates funds for the Department of Education to support the establishment of surfing as an interscholastic sport. The event’s organizers solicited support from the surfing community to advocate for the passage of the bill to start surfing teams at more high schools.
If signed by Gov. Josh Green, the bill will take effect on July 1.
The following Hawaiʻi high schools have been invited as top finishers in their respective leagues. The full list of competing schools will be available in July.
- Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Sciences — Hawaiʻi Island
- Kahuku — Oʻahu
- Kalani — Oʻahu
- Ke Kula 'o Samuel M. Kamakau — Oʻahu
- Kīhei Charter School — Maui
- King Kekaulike — Maui
- Maui Christian Academy — Maui
- Maui Preparatory Academy — Maui
- Punahou School — Oʻahu
- Seabury Hall — Maui
- Waialua High School — Oʻahu
To learn more about the event, click here.
