High School Surfers Make History at First-Ever BIIF Contest at Honoli'i

It was still dark outside last Saturday morning as surfers gathered at Honoli'i Beach Park to make history at the first-ever Big Island Interscholastic Federation surfing contest, marking the inaugural inclusion of surfing as an official BIIF interscholastic sport.

With rain pouring down, it was the roar of the crashing surf that gave the athletes a hint of the size of the waves they were about to face. The sun finally broke through as the Turalde Ohana performed the blessing ceremony, and it was clear the conditions were going to be some of the best for a surfing contest in recent memory.

When the heats concluded, Hilo's Isaiah Ishigo had claimed the boys bodyboard division, cutting across a wave to set up a barrel roll before edging Kamehameha's Analu Yockman by 1.56 points. The margin earned Ishigo a celebratory water bath poured from the judges tower as Yockman looked on.

In the girls longboard division, HAAS's Amay Ranne wrapped her toes on the nose to finish first. Connection's Keano Crawford swept the boys longboard title and pushed deep into the boys shortboard finals, ultimately placing second in shortboard and missing out on two first-place finishes by just seven-tenths of a second. HAAS's Eden Ballauer made the "claim" after a strong ride in the boys shortboard division, finishing fourth. Kamehameha's Makanikai Ortiz drew attention in the boys longboard heats by busting out a unique maneuver that stood apart from the field.

The contest, reported March 11, 2026, drew high school surfers from across Hawaiʻi Island to Honoli'i, the rivermouth break north of downtown Hilo that has long served as the island's premier surf venue. Saturday's event formalized what surfers here have known for years: Honoli'i is a stage worthy of interscholastic competition, and the Big Island's high school athletes are ready to perform on it.