School surfing supporters
drop in on Education BoardOfficials say that they will address
the issue of recognizing surfing
as a high school sport
The issue was not even on the agenda, but a dozen surfing enthusiasts showed up at the Board of Education meeting last night to urge members to recognize Hawaii's gift to the sporting world as an official school sport.
"The company line seems to be, Say 'no' and ignore them and they'll go away," said Lahainaluna High School parent Kim Ball, who also testified when the board met on Maui last month. "This time, we're not going away."
Surfers have campaigned unsuccessfully for years to get the Department of Education to recognize surfing as a high school sport, but they were shut down again last year after the attorney general's office vetoed it because of liability concerns.
Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto concluded in a Nov. 4 memo that "there is no way to reasonably supervise surfing; the risks outweigh the benefits."
But last night, facing a large yellow banner emblazoned "High School Surfing NOW," board members assured the public that they are willing to consider the issue again.
Sherwood Hara, chairman of the board's Student Services Committee, said he plans to hold an informational meeting on the subject July 15. He also hopes to set up a public hearing on Kauai early next month.
"We're going to open it up for discussion," Hara said. "I'm getting all kinds of feedback, some for, some against. ... We don't want to make a decision on a narrow basis, just on liability, for example. It's an important issue, and I think we need to give it the attention it deserves."
Opponents argue that surfing involves an unpredictable environment and is tougher to control than traditional sports. Student surfers are forbidden from representing their schools in competitions or using the school's name when they form surf clubs.
But advocates say the fears of injury -- and potential liability -- are overblown and that evidence shows that football is far more dangerous.
Iris Gonzales, a teacher at Kahuku High School and a surf coach for the Koolauloa Surf Club, testified that the National Scholastic Surfing Association has never had an insurance claim since it was established in 1978.
"Surf contests would not be held in unsafe conditions," she said. "If injury is a concern, then logically there shouldn't be any sports affiliated with school."
State Board of Education