With Hawaiʻi having held its very first high school surfing championship, advocates are already thinking about ways to make the official state sport more accessible to a new generation.
One group is dedicated to exactly that. Surfrider Spirit Sessions, which focuses on "catching waves and changing lives," is a nonprofit group that pairs at-risk youth with capable adult surf mentors.
Because, as founder Cynthia Derosier believes, surfing isn't just about riding the waves — it's about finding peace in a world where peace can be hard to find.
Derosier founded the nonprofit two decades ago, and she spoke with HPR about what it’s like to ride the waves and spread the mission of Surfrider Spirit Sessions.
To learn more about the nonprofit or to get involved as a volunteer mentor, more information can be found here.
This story aired on The Conversation on May 5, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
