Ho’okipa Waves Deliver Individual Titles and State Berths for Surfing Team

 The team brought a talented roster to the water, including shortboarders Tristan Richard '29, Zolten Poulsen '26, Seth Jucker '29, Sloane Jucker '26, Layla Merrill '26, and Zoey Offergeld '27.

Representing the longboard discipline were Zolten Poulsen '26, Seth Jucker '29, Sloane Jucker '26, and Zoey Offergeld '27, while Bode Wheeler '28 and Lana Caserta '27 competed in the bodyboarding division.

In the shortboard competition, Layla Merrill '26 delivered a strong performance to advance to the semifinals, likely securing her position for the state tournament. Sloane Jucker '26, the 2025 MIL champion, faced a season of narrow second-place finishes behind a surging Lahainaluna freshman. However, she found her moment in the final, executing a decisive floater that gave her command of the heat and secured her second consecutive MIL shortboard championship title.

The longboard heats saw Zoey Offergeld '27 and Sloane Jucker '26 both win their quarterfinal matchups to qualify automatically for the final. Zoey led for the majority of the championship heat, but two late efforts from her competitors resulted in a hard-fought bronze medal finish. Sloane followed closely behind in fourth place. In the boys' longboard final, Zolten Poulsen '26 claimed his second MIL title. This year marks the first time the two disciplines have been awarded separate titles; notably, both Zolten and Sloane had previously won surfing titles when shortboard was the only championship category. Zolten nearly swept the day, finishing a close second in the shortboard final after being narrowly eclipsed by a King Kekaulike surfer. Seth Jucker '29 also represented the team well in the finals, placing fifth in longboard.

This success would not be possible without the dedicated guidance of coaches Lyndee Sprenger, Leslie Hainsworth, Benny Martin, and Dylan Payne.

The focus now shifts to the final MIL team competition at Lahaina Harbor on April 25th, which will determine the overall team titles. The boys are currently in firm control of the standings and will clinch the championship if they finish fifth or better. The girls currently sit in third place but remain in contention for the team title with a victory at the upcoming meet. Securing a team championship would grant the squad an automatic qualification for the state championships.