Explore. Discover. Thrive.
Are you looking to get ahead this summer? Our flexible online and on-campus summer courses are open to all visiting college students. Learn about ethics, criminal justice, marine environmental sciences, cross-cultural psychology and more—and you can easily transfer your credits to your home university. Make this summer a productive one.
To register, please contact our Pre-College Advisor, Arial Mendoza at arial.mendoza@chaminade.edu or (808) 739-4654.
Summer Institute: Surf Studies in Hawaii
June 8 – July 2, 2020

Legendary Hawaii waterman and Olympian Duke Kahanamoku once said, “Out of the water, I am nothing. Surfing is the greatest thrill of my life.” Many surfers – of all types of skill levels – would agree.
The ancient sport, perfected on Hawaii waves, has attracted enthusiasts from around the globe. In Hawaii, surfing has become the stuff of legends, as surfers take on winter waves topping 40 feet. And in coastal communities all over, surfing has become not only an activity but a way of life.
Out of the cultural, economic, sociological and technological influences of surfing, the field of surf studies was born. Its students are concerned with better appreciating the indigenous Hawaiian sport and understanding how far it’s come – and where it’s going. Topics as diverse as the history of surfing to scientific studies of the sport will be explored in Chaminade Summer Institute’s Surf Studies in Hawaii.
The four-week course comes as surfing is slated to make its Olympic debut in 2020, and as the state Legislature is poised to create a Hawaii State Surfing Commission to “promote the surfing industry and educated the people about its cultural and historical significance.” Participants in the course can earn 3 college credits, but it’s open to anyone interested in building a foundation of knowledge on surfing.
Learning outcomes for this course include:
- Appreciate the Native Hawaiian origins of surfing
- Compare surf culture in Hawaii to elsewhere in the world
- Analyze the economic, cultural and other impacts of surfing
- Contextualize media representations of surfing (and surfers)
Cost: $2,000