The stoke is high for the Kaiser Surf Club as they competed in their first-ever surf meet this Saturday at Rockpiles. Competing surfers were treated to a double rainbow as they paddled out into the small and light winds conditions, perfect for longboarding.
The Cougars performed well in the competition, with Richard Lorenzotti placing first in his heat for Boy’s Shortboard and Averie Hong getting third in her heat for Girl’s Shortboard. She believes that, although the conditions at the meets have initially been rough, there is a lot of improvement that she expects to see in the upcoming future.
“[T]he team has been doing pretty good for competing as the Kaiser surf team for the first time. We have had some tough heats. We have all been mad at how we performed at least once. Personally, I feel like… it will only get better from here.”
Bodyboarding also received representation in the competition, with Lorenzotti placing third in his heat.
Surf Club leader, Elliana Schiffner has been working tirelessly to get the team ready for competition. However, the Surf Team faces other challenges besides small conditions and opposing teams: funding.
The Surf Club has to come up with $3,000 in donations and fundraising in order to compete in the OHSSL (Oahu High School Surfing League). This money covers entrance fees and the cost of running the events. To reach this high number,they sold coffee and donuts at the HOCO fair. Team moms, Amy Schiffner and Maggie Hong, have also been reaching out to local businesses to sponsor the team.
“We are currently working on getting corporate sponsors,” said Mrs. Hong. “Friends of PTSA have also agreed to sponsor us as well with a donation. They also gave us 100 Zippy’s fundraiser tickets to sell alongside Project Grad. Of the $11, [the Kaiser] Surf Team will be able to pocket $5 per ticket sold.
“Our treasurer, Averie Hong, is in the process of getting a graphic artist to help design a team logo. That way, we can put that on team merch. People can be on the lookout for Zippy’s tickets or team merchandise in the near future to help support our inaugural team!”
Most likely due to the prohibitive costs and the onerous requirements to earn the junior lifeguard certification, the contest is largely populated by private high school teams. But there was a familiar rival in the water: the Kalani Falcons Surf Team went absolutely ham, dominating almost every category.
Possibly the most significant aspect of surfing is the culture; Averie Hong shares her thoughts about the significance of the local culture in surfing. “I love that we have a new surf team at Kaiser because we live here in Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing, and it’s part of Hawaiian culture.”
Overall, the Kaiser Surf Team has had a great start to its season and looks forward to its upcoming meets. Be sure to support the team at its next competition.
