Surfing to Become Official High School Sport in Hawaii

Surfing is about to be an official sport in Hawaiian high schools! Colby Leachman, lifelong surfer and Founder of Surf’s Up Consulting, features the excitement news of House Bill 133:

For more than ten years, surfing has been recognized by the official Maui Interscholastic League.  But it wasn’t until House Majority Leader and North Shore Representative Sean Quinlan authored House Bill 133 that there would be a push for acceptance of the sport statewide.  The push to make surfing an official sport in high schools throughout Hawaii has received massive support from the surfing community, with many surfers presenting their support in grand scales.

While many club teams exist throughout Hawaii, surfing does not currently have the same funding support as other official sports, such as football or baseball.  Recognizing surfing as an official sport would lead to increasing funding, which will only help build stronger programs.  House Bill 133 will supply Hawaii public schools with over $685,000 to establish surfing as a sanctioned sport in each school.

Naturally, lifelong surfer Colby Leachman adamantly supports this effort.  He looks forward to seeing how this expansion of surfing as a high school sport will impact surfing culture.  Leachman is thrilled to see this taking place in Hawaii, where surfing is deeply engrained in culture and life for the people.  He would love to see this change make its way over to the California coast.  Leachman would have loved to be part of a Californian high school surf team!