Hawaii
Surfing to Become Official HHSAA State Championship Sport in 2026
The Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) announced Friday that surfing will become an official state championship sport starting in spring 2026, cementing Hawaii’s rich cultural tradition into its interscholastic athletics.
The announcement marks a long-anticipated milestone, offering boys and girls the chance to compete for a state title in shortboard surfing — the discipline chosen for the championship.
The Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) will host the inaugural HHSAA Surfing State Tournament, bringing over a decade of experience as the first league in the state to sanction surfing in schools. Since 2014, MIL has offered organized surfing, setting the stage for this expansion statewide.
The official sanctioning of surfing was made possible by Hawaii House Bill 133 (HB133), now Act 141, which allocated funding to the Hawaii Department of Education to support the sport’s growth. The move reflects the state’s broader push to diversify athletic opportunities and honor native Hawaiian traditions.
“This is a monumental day for Hawaii’s student-athletes and the sport of surfing,” said HHSAA Executive Director Chris Chun. “Surfing is deeply rooted in our culture and way of life … we are thrilled to offer this incredible opportunity.”
The addition of surfing brings the total number of HHSAA sports to 21 — the fourth-most of any state in the nation. It follows the recent inclusion of girls flag football, further expanding access and equity across Hawaii’s public school sports.
In total, HHSAA will now oversee 52 team state titles and 112 individual titles each year, maintaining its commitment to academic achievement, athletic excellence, and sportsmanship.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
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Hawaii
Hawaii weather: USGS revised 4.6 magnitude earthquake off Kona coast, south swell, passing showers
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) — The on-and-off eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano broke a record Monday with the number of periods it has produced fountains of lava since it began erupting in December 2024, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
Monday marked 48 fountaining episodes, setting the record for any one eruption on Kilauea, said Katie Mulliken, a geologist and spokesperson with the observatory.
Episodes are separated by periods during which little to no lava erupts. Since lava is coming from the same vents in a crater at Kilauea’s summit, it is the same overall eruption, Mulliken said in an email.
There are several notable aspects of the current eruption, she said, including how accessible it is for viewing by residents and tourists. An eruption during the 1980s, in which 47 lava fountaining episodes occurred over about 3 1/2 years, occurred in a more remote area, she said.
The ongoing eruption is also reshaping the topography at the summit, she said.
But the lava fountains also can impact neighboring communities with volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra.
Kilauea, located on Hawaii Island, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
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