Top 10 high school mascots in Hawaii: Vote for the best

From Seariders to Surfriders to Waveriders, meet the best high school mascots in Hawaii

Manti Te'o led the Punahou Buff 'N Blue to their first-ever high school football state championship in 2008. / Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports

Hawaii's high school mascots are rife with oceanic themes, but a couple of Daggers and Mighty Mules are sprinkled in there.

Over the next couple of months, SBLive/SI will be featuring the best high school mascots in every state, giving readers a chance to vote for No. 1 in all 50.

Vote: Best high school mascot in Connecticut

Vote: Best high school mascot in Delaware

Vote: Best high school mascot in Florida

Vote: Best high school mascot in Georgia

The winners and highest vote-getters will make up the field for our NCAA Tournament-style March Mascot Madness bracket in 2025. The Coalinga Horned Toads (California) are the defending national champions.

Here are High School on SI's top 10 high school mascots in Hawaii (vote in the poll below to pick your favorite):

The poll will close at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 28.

1. Buff 'N Blue (Punahou HS)

Punahou doesn’t have a physical mascot, but its teams are named for the buff-colored sand and blue-colored sea of Waikiki Beach. Former President Barack Obama — then known as Barry Obama — won a high school basketball state championship with the Buff 'N Blue in 1979. Manti Te'o led Punahou to its first football state championship in 2008.

2. Canefire (Christian Liberty Academy)

Christian Liberty Academy’s nickname has historical and spiritual significance. From the school’s website: “Canefire was chosen because at one time our town of Keaau was sugar cane country. The cane farmers used to set fire to the fields in order to burn off the impurities so that only the cane stalks remained. In the same way the Holy Spirit burns in us to remove all the impurities, preparing us for a life of service. Cane fire is two words; however for our purpose we have combined it into one word, Canefire, to emphasize our unity as one in the Body of Christ.”

3. Daggers (Pahoa HS)

Pahoa boasts the only Daggers in the country among high schools, and the reason for choosing that nickname is simple: “Pahoa” means “dagger” in the Hawaiian language.

4. Ka Makani (Hawaii Prep)

Ka Makani is the Hawaiian word for "the wind,” and the Hawaii Prep campus commonly gets steady Waimea wind blowing at an average of 20 mph. The wind of Waimea is renowned in chants and songs for its strength and beauty, in addition to its sometimes cold and violent nature.

5. Mighty Mules (Leilehua HS)

About a quarter of Leilehua’s student population comes from U.S. military families stationed nearby, and Leilehua adopted the Mule as its mascot in 1932 as a nod to West Point Academy.

6. Pine Lads and Lasses (Lanai)

There’s just one K-12 school on Lanai, which is colloquially known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The Pine Lads and Lasses celebrate that history.

7. Pueo (Maui Prep)

The Maui Prep Pueo is a short-eared owl native to the Hawaiian islands. Maui lore alleges the existence of Pueo-nui-akea, an owl that provides wandering souls with direction. Maui Prep, located in the area ravaged by wildfires in summer 2023, opened its doors to displaced students throughout West Maui in the aftermath.

8. Seariders (Wai'anae HS)

Wai’anae has one of the best high school logos in the country, with a mysterious, muscular, spear-toting warrior riding a shark. From the Wai’anae website: “The Searider is the official mascot of Wai'anae High School. A warrior of the ahupua'a, he is tasked with protecting the coastline."

9. Surfriders (Kailua HS)

Located on the east coast of Oahu, Kailua is home to the only Surfriders in high school sports. It’s the alma mater of the iconic Ho brothers of pro surfing, Derek and Michael, with the former becoming Hawaii’s first-ever world professional surfing champion in 1993.

10. Waveriders (Kealakehe)

Oahu has the Surfriders, and the Big Island’s Kealakehe High School boasts the Waveriders (also the only one in the country). The school opened in 1997 and serves an area 40 miles wide, largest of any district in the state.

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive | @sblivesports

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