Maui Waterman Archie Kalepa Elevates High School Surfing Safety as Sport Goes Statewide
Maui waterman Archie Kalepa leads vital safety clinics for high school surfing coaches as the sport officially expands statewide, ensuring athlete well-being.
Legendary Maui waterman Archie Kalepa is at the forefront of ensuring the safety of young athletes as high school surfing officially expands statewide this spring. He recently led a comprehensive safety clinic for high school surfing coaches, equipping them with essential skills to manage ocean risks and respond to emergencies.
Key Takeaways
- The clinic, held at D.T. Fleming Beach Park, included 26 surf coaches, with five joining from the Big Island Interscholastic Federation for the first time.
- The expansion of high school surfing to a statewide sport necessitates safety training for all coaches, mandated by the state Department of Education.
- Archie Kalepa, a renowned waterman and former Maui County lifeguard supervisor, shared his expertise in ocean risk assessment and rescue techniques.
- The Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) has maintained an excellent safety record with no significant injuries in 12 years of the sport.
Comprehensive Safety Training
The intensive eight-hour clinic covered critical aspects of water safety, including CPR and first aid, alongside a demanding 500-yard open ocean swim designed to test coaches' readiness for potential rescues. This swim mirrors the distance of five football fields or 20 laps in a 25-yard pool.
Kim Ball, a driving force behind MIL surfing, conceptualized the clinic, partnering Kalepa with veteran Maui High School athletic trainer Chris Pagdilao. Ball highlighted Kalepa's thorough approach to ocean risk assessment, covering everything from currents and underwater hazards to beach and water emergencies, as well as actual rescue techniques.
Lyndee Sprenger, a seven-year surfing coach at Maui Preparatory Academy, praised Kalepa's qualifications, noting his experience training U.S. military personnel. "If he’s training the best of the best of our whole nation, I would say that our kids are in good hands," Sprenger commented.
Statewide Expansion and Future Plans
With high school surfing now a statewide sport, the clinic's reach is expanding. Kalepa is scheduled to conduct a similar clinic on Hawaiʻi Island on February 8th, providing guidance to interscholastic surfing coaches there.
Chris Chun, executive director for the Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association, expressed excitement about the statewide format, which will include shortboard, longboard, and bodyboard disciplines. The inaugural HHSAA State Tournament is slated for May 1st and 2nd at Hoʻokipa Beach Park on Maui.
Kalepa emphasized the importance of this progression, stating, "Hawaiʻi is the surfing capital of the world. This was our gift to the world. When we get a chance to create good ambassadors through this, through the schools, it’s a win for a lifetime."
MIL Surfing Schedule Highlights
- February 21: D.T. Fleming Beach Park
- March 7: Kahului Harbor (Ho‘okipa back-up)
- March 28: Koki Beach
- April 11: Ho‘okipa Beach Park
- April 25: Lahaina Harbor
- May 1-2: HHSAA State Championship at Ho‘okipa Beach Park