HONOLULU — In the early 1970s, Larry “Rubberman” Bertlemann ditched school to become a professional surfer, shocking even the most dedicated surfers of his time. For Bertlemann, the gamble paid off. He went on to become one of the most
HONOLULU — In the early 1970s, Larry “Rubberman” Bertlemann ditched school to become a professional surfer, shocking even the most dedicated surfers of his time.
For Bertlemann, the gamble paid off. He went on to become one of the most popular and well-paid surfers of the early years of professional surfing. Other drop-outs have been less fortunate.
Soon, Hawai‘i’s high-school students won’t have to decide between their education and passion for surfing. Professional surfer and 2011 world champion Carissa Moore, together with Gov. Neil Abercrombie and the state Board of Education, announced Monday that public high-school students will be able to compete in sanctioned surf competitions as early as the spring of 2013.
The state Department of Education, working in conjunction with the BOE, is developing a plan to incorporate surfing in school athletics, with collaboration from city officials, surfing organizations and the community, according to a state press release.
“It will open doors for a lot of students,” said Moore, the youngest surfer ever to win a professional world title at age 18. The Hawaiian prodigy added that surfing taught her important life skills such as perseverance, time management and organization.
Abercrombie said surfing is rooted in Hawaiian culture and is a way of life for many.
“Bringing surfing to our students is another step in our collective goal to transform public education and provide our children with rich and diverse educational opportunities,” he said.
Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said as the state expands and improves educational programs, surfing will be an exciting addition.
“School sports teach critical life lessons such as team work and goal-setting while helping students stay active and healthy,” she said.
It has been more than seven years since the BOE in May 2004 approved surfing as a high school sport. Despite overwhelming support from parents and students, funding and other challenges have kept surfing from becoming a full-fledged school sport, according to the release.
Implementation
The BOE and the DOE are working on an implementation blueprint to make competitive school surfing a reality, the release states.
If implemented, Hawai‘i would become the first state in the nation to call surfing an official high school sport, the Associated Press reported. With the addition of surfing, students in Hawaii public schools will have 19 different sports, believed to be the most of the nation — from air riflery to bowling — producing 44 state champions every year.
The DOE intends to support the sport with outside funding sources and consult community partners and city officials to ensure that surf breaks are shared equitably and safely. The BOE will support implementation processes that address safety, the release states.
BOE member Keith Amemiya said the estimated cost of surfing in the first year about $150,000, with $50,000 already committed through private sources, AP reported.
Amemiya, a former executive director of the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association, said surfing will allow students to learn about their environment and themselves. He said it also will engage the community by fostering relationships and partnerships with a new group of individuals and groups.
“Surfing is a unique sport that often attracts athletes that may not necessarily be interested in more traditional sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Therefore, we’re confident that surfing will increase athletics participation numbers,” Amemiya said. “In our view, the more students that engage in athletics and other after school activities, the higher our student achievement rates will become.”
Forty years after Bertlemann’s defiant school drop-out move, government and education officials may have realized what Rubbermann’s surfing has continued to remind every surfer of to this day: Surfing is supposed to be fun and anything can be done in a wave.
The BOE and DOE will meet this afternoon in Honolulu at the Queen Liliu‘okalani Building to discuss a plan to implement surfing as a high school sport.
Visit www.hawaii.gov for more information.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
