Kamehameha stands tall at nationals

International Surfing Day was Saturday, but it is more than a designated one-day celebration for the Kamehameha Schools surf team, which brought home three National Scholastic Surfing Association national championship trophies after the competition off Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point, Calif.

Surfing is more than a sport and the surfers were representing more than their school. They were representing the Hawaiian culture, living the title of the book written by former world champion Fred Hemmings: "The Soul of Surfing is Hawaiian."

"It feels good, representing our Hawaiian ancestry and making everyone at home proud because a Hawaiian surf team has never won the title before," said Cayla Moore, an incoming senior and younger sister of two-time world champion Carissa and newly crowned NSSA women’s shortboard winner. "It feels awesome knowing that surfing came from Hawaii and we are bringing the (NSSA team championship) back to Hawaii."

Combined with Imai DeVault’s win in the men’s shortboard and solid scoring from the seven other team members, Kamehameha prevented San Clemente (Calif.) from a fifth consecutive team title with dominating performances on June 15, the competition’s final day.

With the individual victories in two of the three divisions — the other was longboard — Kamehameha finished with 110 points, edging California powerhouses San Clemente (107) and first-day leader Huntington Beach (100), the first high school in the country to offer surfing as a varsity sport.

Heading into the finals, Kamehameha and San Clemente were tied with 96, Huntington Beach at 95. The two California schools each had two surfers left, with the possibility of scoring a maximum of 12 points (6 points for placing first in two divisions); Kamehameha had three surfers remaining, two in the women’s and one in the men’s.

"We had done the calculations and we told our three kids, ‘It’s up to you because the most they can score is 12 and we can break 12,’ " Kamehameha coach Lea Arce said. "And then after the (women’s) final, Imai knew what he had to do."

The women’s final scoring was fairly close, with Moore (9.73 points) edging defending champion Maddie Peterson of New Jersey’s St. Augustine Prep (8.00). Kamehameha’s Kealohi Sebate, an incoming senior, (5.87) was fifth.

The seven points by Moore and Sebate gave Kamehameha a two-point lead over San Clemente. DeVault was aware he had to finish ahead of the Tritons’ Kei Kobayashi or there was the possibility of a deciding surf-off for the overall title.

DeVault found himself last until the final 10 minutes of the 25-minute heat. He had been in the pack with four others surfing lefts but paddled over to join Kobayashi, who had been alone taking rights toward the point.

With his signature sharp cutbacks and 360s, DeVault scored big, finishing with 15.06 to Kobayashi’s 10.50.

"I got lucky and caught a few bigger waves and that did it for me," said DeVault, who will be a senior at Kamehameha-Maui and the only member not from the Kapalama campus. "Winning a national title was a huge accomplishment for me. I’ve competed at nationals my entire life and it feels good to finally come out on top.

"I’m proud to be representing Hawaii and I think we made everybody at home proud. We’ve all worked hard for this."

The team effort also showed when celebrating on the beach. There was an impromptu rendition of the traditional chant, "I Ku Mau Mau," the translation of which — "Stand Up Together" — epitomized the bond formed when winning the state title, fundraising as most Hawaii travel teams do, and their practice and competition days in California.

"There were many layers to this," assistant coach Isaiah Walker said. "They take a very cultural angle to surfing, something that being native Hawaiian resonates with them. They knew they were representing a lot of things, their school, their state, their culture.

"It was cool to see that they were so conscious about being Hawaiian and representing a Hawaiian sport."

The group was also aware of the irony. While California schools recognize surfing as a varsity sport and receive monetary support, the islands do neither.

"Hawaii received the recognition it deserved in California," said Kahia Walker, an incoming senior, and the team’s longboard competitor. "But high school surfing still needs to be recognized as a legitimate sport in Hawaii."

"We had to work hard all year to fundraise," added Charlie Akao, also an incoming senior. "The California teams get so much support, everything is just handed to them."

Despite surfing being approved as an interscholastic sport in Hawaii in 2011, it remains at the club level due to lack of sponsorship by individual leagues. Only the Maui Interscholastic League sponsors surfing; at least two more of the remaining four — Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Kauai Interscholastic Federation, and Oahu Interscholastic Association — would need to come on board for it to become a sanctioned state championship.

As Chris Chun, executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, told Star-Advertiser columnist Dave Reardon last week: "I can’t force leagues to implement a sport. If three leagues run it, I have a sponsor willing to support it."

Kamehameha’s victory might have been the wave to make it happen. Arce said she has received emails from ‘Iolani’s athletic director and parents from both Punahou and ‘Iolani. Her staff has been putting together a presentation for the state’s athletic directors.

"I hope that this validates our team as a real surf team and that the national championship will open doors for other schools," said Arce, a biology teacher who spearheaded a movement in 2008 to have the sport approved at the club level at Kamehameha. "I’m hoping this championship will solidify the need for surfing as an interscholastic sport in Hawaii.

"There was such a sense of pride and the whole experience grounded them in their identity. I don’t know if the other teams got it. Surfing is such an individual sport, but our kids were cheering for each other, waving their flags. We rented a house, so they all cooked and dined together. It really brought the ohana factor into our trip." 

Kamehameha is very much part of the movement to change the image of surfers and surfing, on the water and on the Web. The official team and Facebook name is Kamehameha Schools Surfers Give Back Club; tweets include #stayinschool; they participated in beach cleanups.

Last week, as many travel teams from Hawaii do, they brought the traditional omiyage, including macadamia nuts and lei. It was more than reciprocated with three trophies and the sense of accomplishment, on many levels.

"Winning makes me feel proud to be Hawaiian and it shows that Hawaiians can accomplish great things when we work together," recent graduate Uapili Lucey said.

Added Chasen Kim, another Class of 2014 graduate: "It feels good to be successful at something our ancestors created."

Note

Each team was composed of eight shortboard surfers — six boys and two girls — and one longboarder.

Other members of the team were incoming senior Paliku Victorino and Kuio Young, who will be a junior.