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Chaminade ‘Ohana Paddles Out in Renewed ‘Surf Hui’ Tradition at Waikīkī

Surfing is Hawai’i, and Hawai’i is surfing.

The sport of surfing traces its roots to ancient Polynesia, was perfected here, and was later popularized from these shores, spreading to the world. Surfing is by far Hawai’i’s most successful cultural export. Now, Chaminade University’s leadership is determined to revive a campus surf club tradition that fell by the wayside during the pandemic.

Lance Askildson, Ph.D., Chaminade’s Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, is an avid surfer. For 20 years, Askildson has been riding waves and improving his craft. He even brings his surfboard with him to work most days, so he’s ready to hit the water again after classes before the sun goes down.

Eager to share his passion, this past weekend Askildson hosted the first of what will become many ‘Surf Hui’ gatherings at Waikīkī.

For this first introductory Surf Hui, Askildson invited beginner faculty, staff, and student surfers to take lessons and learn the ropes. The next Surf Hui will be meant for those comfortable enough with the sport to paddle out and control their boards.

Askildson said surfing is a physical, emotional, and spiritual escape for him, and he’s excited to be sharing it with his Chaminade ‘ohana.

“For me, this love of surfing is deeply tied to the connection to nature and being out in the ocean,” Askildson shared. “Being out in nature means it’s an opportunity to remind yourself that you are a part of creation, and it’s very humbling.”

“It actually makes me feel closer to God.”

Though already huge, surfing is gaining popularity globally.

The sport was featured as an official Olympic sport for the first time ever in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, then again in the 2024 Paris Olympics, with competition occurring in Tahiti. Surfers will compete for Olympic gold once again at the 2028 Los Angeles games.

There are a growing number of high school surfing clubs worldwide. Those students will soon have the opportunity to continue surfing and enjoying the sport at Chaminade as the campus community’s Surf Hui tradition is restored.

As global as it has become, surfing cannot be separated from its Hawaiian roots.

For centuries, riding coastal waves on crafted wooden boards was a way for Native Hawaiians to showcase their connections to the ocean. For many Hawaiians, surfing still holds deep spiritual meaning and significance.

It’s for those reasons and more that it’s important for surfing to once again find a home at Chaminade.

Several faculty members are excellent surfers, and Askildson goes out regularly with a few of them. There are frequent surfers among the staff and student body, as well. They will all now have more opportunities to surf together on weekends, weather permitting.

The new Surf Hui is not just a casual weekend excursion Askildson is hosting that others are invited to join. This revived tradition has earned official Chaminade University sanction. Askildson said he went through all the proper channels to secure the governing cabinet’s approval.

Participants have a few waivers to sign and rules to follow. Other than that, the most important rule for Surf Hui is to have fun and stay safe–the group goes out together and returns to the beach together.

This past weekend was for beginners and those still learning. The next Surf Hui, scheduled for September 27, won’t necessarily be for experts, but Askildson said it’s important that participants know the basics.

“You need to be able to surf independently and control your board for safety reasons,” he explained. “Anybody who even does the lessons needs to be able to swim; that’s kind of the de minimis thing.”

“Then once they feel like they have those essential surf skills, they can join the Surf Hui.”

Askildson said he’s planning to host four more Surf Hui’s this semester following this past weekend’s introductory lessons. After the September 27 event, there will be another Surf Hui organized sometime in late October.

Though he’s happy to help get the ball rolling, Askildson said his real hope is that the students take over the organizational work and keep this tradition alive. Either way, Surf Hui is back, bringing together Chaminade University leadership, administrators, staff, faculty, and students all together for a day of casual camaraderie, to share their love of surfing and the connections to nature and Hawai’i that come with this ancient tradition.

“This is about building community,” Askildson said. “This is about meeting other people who are enthusiastic about surfing, but also to just feel a connection to Hawai’i surf culture, which has really deep roots here, cultural roots.”

Three Chaminade Students Return for Fall Fresh off Three Unique Experiences

By Justin Siliva

Junior communication major James Carter brought a new perspective back to Chaminade University after spending a month in Colombia and 10 days in Thailand over the summer. 

“You see people who may have less but are still very happy with what they have,” Carter said.

Summer took Chaminade students beyond their usual routines. Some traveled thousands of miles from Hawai’i, while others worked, trained for their upcoming sports season, or returned home to spend time with family. By the start of fall, those experiences had shifted their priorities. 

Carter wasn’t the only one returning with a different outlook. 

Senior communications major Milan Cordone spent her summer back home in Las Vegas, while junior psychology major Malcolm Seales prepared for a fresh start right here in O‘ahu as he entered his first semester at Chaminade. 

For all three, the summer gave them something to carry into the new school year.

In Bangkok, Carter tried Thai food, learned about Buddhist traditions, and took in the city’s fast pace. One of the trip’s most memorable moments came when he fed milk to a baby tiger and fed giraffes and kangaroos.

“It was an eye-opener seeing different cultures and how people live,” Carter said. “Traveling gives me a chance to decompress, recenter, and come back more focused.” 

During his month in Colombia, Carter tried different dishes and saw firsthand how daily life and conditions differed from what he was used to in Hawai’i. He spent time observing the culture and the way people went about their everyday lives, giving him a closer look at a place far different from home. 

Cordone’s summer looked different from the past few years, when she played for Minnesota Aurora FC, a semi-professional soccer team. This year, she returned to Las Vegas, where she was born and raised.

There, she continued training for Chaminade’s fall soccer season while working for her uncles on flooring and sewage jobs. Cordone also helped with her family’s business, American Funnel Cakes, working at its food stand during a Filipino festival alongside her cousins.

“Being with my family was a big priority of mine,” Cordone said. “Just seeing my cousins and my parents hit a little bit differently this summer.”

Seales spent most of his summer on the island working to support himself and prepare for the semester. He arrived at Chaminade after serving nine years in the U.S. Army.

While on active duty, Seales attended Hawaiʻi Pacific University. His military schedule often meant taking night classes and fitting school around his service responsibilities, with classes sometimes held at different locations around the island.

Seales stayed in Hawaiʻi after leaving the military. When choosing his next school, he wanted smaller class sizes and a Psychology program. 

He found both at Chaminade.

For Carter, returning to Chaminade meant finding a better balance between his classes and his participation on the cross-country team. After spending last semester worrying about assignments and stressing about their deadlines, he entered the fall focused on managing his workload without putting as much pressure on himself.

“It feels good to be back at school, being back in a learning environment, knocking out my courses,” Carter said. “I’m just looking forward to conquering things, you know, just finishing the semester strong.”

Cordone transferred to Chaminade last spring after playing Division I soccer at the University of North Dakota. This fall marks her senior season and her first full year at Chaminade.

Because she arrived in the spring, Cordone had several months to settle into Chaminade before returning to compete this fall. That time gave her a chance to get familiar with the campus and build relationships with her teammates before the season began. 

“Coming from a Division I school, it was a lot more of a ‘this is my entire identity, and I need to make sure that I can prove that I’m worth being there,’” Cordone said. “Whereas here it’s more about enjoying the experience, still working hard, but just not as stressful.”

For Seales, his first semester at Chaminade also means getting further into his major. He spent the majority of his previous semester taking general education courses. Now, more of his classes are focused on Psychology.

The classroom experience has been different, too. Seales said smaller classes and resources such as tutoring have helped him academically. He’s also spending more time around students studying the same course and working toward similar goals about what they want to do after college.

“Now I’m starting to really get challenged by the people around me,” Seales said. “As they say, steel sharpens steel.”

Cordone’s senior year will be her final season with Chaminade women’s soccer and her last few months of college with her friends and teammates. The Silverswords are 0-2 through their first two matches of the season. 

“I just want to be able to say that I enjoyed college,” said Cordone, a senior midfielder. “I feel like how you end things is usually how you remember them. So ending it on a very fun note with a bunch of my friends and my teammates would really be a great thing to walk away with.”

As Cordone looks to make the most of her final year, Seales is approaching his first semester at Chaminade with lessons from his previous experiences in school and the military.

“I always look back to situations where I thought they were the hardest,” Seales said. “If I was able to make it through that, then I definitely can handle the ones that are coming around the corner.”

For the Future: Chaminade Students Join Province Assembly

Chaminade University students and recent alumni joined more than 170 members of the Marianist Family this past week in Dayton, Ohio, helping shape conversations about the future of the Marianist mission during the 2026 Province Assembly.

Focusing on “Embracing Our Roots, Forging Our Future,” the Assembly brought together members of the Society of Mary, Marianist Brothers, Sisters, Lay Marianists, and youth to pray, reflect and ask “How do we carry a rich legacy forward while responding to the needs of a new generation?”

“I feel so blessed to have gained a Marianist education and the chance to attend the Assembly,” said Victoria Zembik, a current Chaminade student. “I feel an obligation to serve others in big and small ways and to carry on the traditions that our founding fathers instilled.”

That focus on young people remained at the heart of the Assembly. Panels featuring young adults, Marianist family members, and Province leaders focused on the relevance of the Marianist charism, the future of the Marianist mission and preserving traditions for the next generation.

Among the Chaminade participants were Victoria Zembik, Easton DelaCruz ’25, Alex Hernandez ’24, Temika Hemmings ’25 and other recent alumni. Together they joined students from the University of Dayton and St. Mary’s University, the nation’s other Marianist universities.

“Being able to meet and chat with Brothers, more than we usually see on Kalaepohaku, gave me a better understanding of how the Marianists in the US are doing their best to reach out to the country,” DelaCruz said. “Each Brother had a unique story on how they found the Marianists, and how they are living their vocation.”

The aloha spirit was also present during the installation of new leadership for the Society of Mary. One of the Assembly’s most memorable moments came during the installation of Bro. Ed Violett, former vice president of the Marianist Center of Hawaiʻi, as the new Provincial of the Society of Mary. Draped in Hawaiian lei, Violett’s installation reflected the close ties between Hawaiʻi and the Marianist Province.

“Our founders taught us that faith grows when we are willing to respond creatively to the needs of our time,” Violett was quoted as saying in the Family Online newsletter. “The future of our Province will be shaped by our courage to listen, to collaborate, and to walk alongside young people who are searching for purpose and community. If we remain rooted in our Marianist Charism, the future before us is filled with possibility.”

The Assembly reflected many of the same characteristics that define a Marianist education at Chaminade—faith, family spirit, service, justice, and adaptation to a changing world.

Participants honored the Marianists who came before them, celebrated jubilarians, prayed at the Province cemetery in Dayton, reflected on their personal journeys, and looked honestly at the realities facing the Church and society today.

As students returned to Hawaiʻi, they brought home more than memories of Dayton. They returned with a deeper appreciation for the Marianist mission and a renewed commitment to live its values through leadership, service and community. As the Province begins a new chapter, Chaminade students will continue helping carry that mission into the future.

“As young adults, I think it’s important to really try and understand the charism and what it’s trying to do in our lives,” DelaCruz added. “The Marianist charism is really special and it was really nice to see how it impacts people from around the world. As young adults, we need to continue sharing the charism by spreading faith, serving others and building communities.”