Kayaking backers push
BOE to add sport to schools
The state Board of Education, which has been considering whether to authorize surfing as a school sport, heard a pitch last night to allow public high schools to compete in kayaking.
Kayak races have been part of the private schools' Interscholastic League of Honolulu since 1988, and public school students should have the same chance, said Bob Twogood, a former national kayaking champion and owner of Twogood Kayaks & Canoes, of Kailua.
"If the ILH program is any guide to what could happen in the public schools, it's going to be so successful," he said. "This could take thousands of kids off the streets and get them into a program that puts them in a real positive direction."
The board has been reluctant to embrace surfing for fear of liability and safety issues, given the ocean's unpredictability.
But Herb Lloyd, ILH coordinator for kayaking, said safety is not a problem with school kayaking because students race on the Ala Wai Canal, a protected setting where everyone can be seen. Last year, 180 students competed in the sport, and others had to be turned away.
"It's a proven program," Lloyd said, noting that its graduates have gone on to join the Hawaii Canoe/Kayak Team and compete nationally and internationally. "Where else can a kid come out and reach the nationals?"
Twogood spoke during the public-comment period of the Board of Education's meeting. The issue was not on the agenda, and no action could be taken. Board Chairman Breene Harimoto said the board would consider his testimony and refer the matter to committee if it chose to pursue the matter.
Contacted by phone, Dwight Toyama, executive secretary of the Oahu Interscholastic Association, said the proposal was news to him.
"The only reservation I have with kayaking is the expense of the sport," he said. "We look at participation, how we can serve the greatest number of students. The problem with kayaking is that it is one student, one boat, so it's expensive."
Outrigger canoe paddling, which became a public school sport several years ago, has six students per canoe, he noted.
The cost could be a considerable hurdle. The Department of Education is seeking $1 million more from the Legislature just to cover the salaries of its current coaches, a request that was cut back to $500,000 in the executive budget submitted by Gov. Linda Lingle.
Twogood said he hoped people would be willing to donate their used kayaks to the schools. "That has the potential of supplying a significant number of kayaks to start this program," he said. "The public schools are in such a financial bind right now."
He argued that kayaking would help fight the trend toward obesity in today's youth and give students a reason to stay in school and do well. Board member Laura Thielen suggested that the board authorize the sport but leave it up to individual schools to decide whether they want to offer it.