Team leaders have said they are committed to him for the long haul, but the two sides (as of press time) have yet to reach agreement. Tagovailoa has said he expects to be paid his market value, which likely means something comparable to the four-year, $212-million contract recently signed by the Detroit Lions’ QB Jared Goff.

Even if a new deal is not reached, Tagovailoa still tops Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2024 list of Hawai‘i’s highest-paid professional athletes – and he will earn the highest annual salary ever for a Hawai‘i athlete.

As a reminder that the window of opportunity for even top athletes is brief, consider Kolten Wong. The former UH baseball standout and two-time Gold Glove winner, who turns 34 on Oct. 10, ranked third on our 2023 survey of Hawai‘i athletes with a salary of $10 million. Today, Wong is out of the major leagues.

Here is our list of athletes with Hawai‘i ties and their 2024 salaries. We list their hometowns and schools if they are in Hawai‘i. Our primary source is Spotrac.com, a website that tracks the contracts of athletes in the major professional sports leagues.

1. Tua Tagovailoa

Quarterback, Miami Dolphins
‘Ewa Beach, Saint Louis School
2024 Salary: $23,171,000
Details: Team exercised fifth-year option on his rookie contract signed in 2020.

2. Deforest Buckner

Defensive Tackle, Indianapolis Colts
Wai‘anae, Punahou School
2024 Salary: $20.25 million*
Details: Part of a four-year, $84-million contract signed in 2021. In April 2024, he signed a two-year extension totaling $46 million
*Includes an $18-million signing bonus

3. Isaac Suemalo

Guard, Pittsburgh Steelers
Born in Honolulu
2024 Salary: $7,875,000
Details: Three-year contract (2023-2025): $24 million

4. Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays
Honolulu, Mid-Pacific Institute
2024 Salary: $7.5 MILLION
Details: Two-year contract (2024-2025): $15 million

5. Ka‘imi Fairbairn

Placekicker, Houston Texans
Kailua, Punahou School
2024 Salary: $6.33 million*
Details: Three-year contract (2024-2026): $15.9 million
*Includes $4.3-million signing bonus

6. Marcus Mariota

Quarterback, Washington Commanders
Honolulu, Saint Louis School
2024 Salary: $6 million*
Details: One-year contract
*Includes a $3-million signing bonus

7. Alohi Gilman

Safety, Los Angeles Chargers
Lā‘ie, Kahuku H.S.
2024 Salary: $5,625,000*
Details: Two-year contract (2024-2025): $10,125,000
*Includes a $4.5-million signing bonus

8. Kirby Yates

Relief Pitcher, Texas Rangers
Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i H.S.
2024 Salary: $4.5 million
Details: One-year contract

9. Nate Herbig

Guard, Pittsburgh Steelers
Līhu‘e, Saint Louis School
2024 Salary: $4 million
Details: Two-year contract (2023-2024): $8 million

10. Josh Rojas

Third Baseman, Seattle Mariners
UH
2024 Salary: $3.1 million
Details: One-year contract

11. Jahlani Tavai

Linebacker, New England Patriots
UH
2024 Salary: $2,875,000*
Details: Three-year contract (2022-2024): $4.4 million
*Includes a $510,000 roster bonus, $100,000 workout bonus and $1-million incentives bonus

12. Jamin Davis

Linebacker, Washington Commanders
Born in Honolulu
2024 Salary: $2,541,024
Details: Four-year contract (2021-2024): $13,794,176

13. Rigoberto Sanchez

Punter, Indianapolis Colts
UH
2024 Salary: $2.5 million*
Details: Three-year contract (2024-2026): $7.5 million
*Includes $1.25-million roster bonus

14. Roman Wilson

Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kīhei, Saint Louis School
2024 Salary: $1,793,304*
Details: Four-year contract (2024-2027): $5,745,168
*Includes a $998,304 signing bonus

15. Marist Liufau

Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys
Honolulu, Punahou School
2024 Salary: $1,754,284*
Details: Four-year contract (2024-2027): $5,691,514
*Includes a $959,284 signing bonus

16. Kamu Grugier-Hill

Linebacker, Minnesota Vikings
Honolulu, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama
2024 Salary: $1,377,500*
Details: One-year contract
*Includes $142,500 signing bonus

17. Netane Muti

Guard, Detroit Lions
Leilehua H.S.
2024 Salary: $1,055,000
Details: One-year contract

18. Breiden Fehoko

Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers
Honolulu, Farrington H.S.
2024 Salary: $1,055,000
Details: One-year contract

19. Darius Muasau

Linebacker, New York Giants
Mililani H.S., UH
2024 Salary: $995,912*
Details: Four-year contract (2024-2027): $4,220,912
*Includes a $200,912 signing bonus

20. Bradlee Anae

Defensive End, Atlanta Falcons
Lā‘ie, Kahuku H.S.
2024 Salary: $985,000
Details: One-year contract

21. Nick Herbig

Linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kalaheo (Kaua‘i), Saint Louis School
2024 Salary: $915,000
Details: Four-year contract (2023-2026): $4,512,920

22. Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu

Tackle, Baltimore Ravens
Kea‘au H.S.
2024 Salary: $915,000
Details: Four-year contract (2023-2026) $4,013,192

23. Andrei Iosivas

Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Honolulu, Punahou School
2024 Salary: $915,000
Details: Four-year contract (2023-2026): $3,999,384

24. Kana‘i Mauga

Linebacker, Las Vegas Raiders
Wai‘anae, Wai‘anae H.S.
2024 Salary: $915,000
Details: One-year contract

25. Jonah Laulu

Defensive Tackle, Indianapolis Colts
UH
2024 Salary: $899,520*
Details: Four-year contract (2024-2027): $4,124,520
*Includes a $104,520 signing bonus

26. Jordan Murray

Tight End, Indianapolis Colts
UH
2024 Salary: $795,000
Details: One-year contract

27. Cade Smith

Pitcher, Cleveland Guardians
UH
2024 Salary: $740,000
Details: One-year contract

United Football League

In late 2023, the United States Football League and XFL merged to form the United Football League. Co-owned by one-time Hawai‘i resident Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (McKinley H.S.), the eight-team league debuted in March 2024, with each team playing 10 regular-season games and the top four teams advancing to the playoffs.

While the UFL does not release individual player salaries, the stated goal is to pay players equally, regardless of position. Minimum salaries are $5,500 per week ($2,500 for inactive players), plus additional money for housing $400 per week), training camp ($850 per week). There are also performance bonuses. (For example, former UH offensive lineman Kohl Levao received $2,500 for earning All-UFL Team honors.)

Here are UFL players with Hawai‘i ties:

1. Dae Dae Hunter

Running Back, Arlington Renegades
UH

2. Kohl Levao

Guard, San Antonio Brahmas
UH

3. Jordan Ta‘amu

Quarterback, DC Defenders
Pearl City, Pearl City H.S.

4. Mika Tafua

Defensive End, Michigan Panthers
Lā‘ie, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama

5. Calvin Turner

Wide Receiver, San Antonio Brahmas
UH

LPGA

1. Allisen Corpuz

Pro Golfer, LPGA Tour
Honolulu, Punahou School
Earnings so far in 2024: $167,383

Want another example of how sports salaries have changed? Jay Berwanger, the first recipient of the Heisman Trophy, was also the first pick in the inaugural NFL Draft in 1936. When the Chicago Bears balked at his salary demand – $15,000 per season – Berwanger abandoned his pro football career and took a job at a rubber company.

One thing hasn’t changed: While a pro athlete’s first contract is primarily based on potential, everything after that is about results. Mariota, for example, made $20.9 million in that 2019 season. In 2023, after being plagued by injuries and inconsistent play, the nine-year veteran is on his fourth NFL team and will “only” make $5 million as a backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Below is our list of athletes with Hawai‘i ties and their 2023 salaries. Our primary source is Spotrac.com, a website that tracks the contracts of athletes in the major professional sports leagues.

1. Deforest Buckner

Defensive Tackle, Indianapolis Colts
Wai‘anae, Punahou School
2023 Salary: $17.25 million*
Four-year Contract (2021-2024): $84 million
*Includes a $1 million roster bonus and a $2.5 million restructure bonus

2. Kolten Wong

Second Baseman, Seattle Mariners
Hilo, Kamehameha-Hawai‘i, UH
2023 Salary: $10 million
Two-year Contract (2022-2023): $18 million

3. Tua Tagovailoa

Quarterback, Miami Dolphins
‘Ewa Beach, Saint Louis School
2023 Salary: $9,633,094*
Four-year Contract (2020-2023): $30,275,438
*Includes a $4,894,625 signing bonus and $3,728,469 roster bonus

4. Kirby Yates

Relief Pitcher, Atlanta Braves
Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i High
2023 Salary: $6 million
Two-year Contract (2022-2023): $8.25 million

5. Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Shortstop, New York Yankees
Honolulu, Mid-Pacific Institute
2023 Salary: $6 million
One-year Contract: $6 million

6. Ka‘imi Fairbairn

Placekicker, Houston Texans
Kailua, Punahou School
2023 Salary: $5,657,500*
Four Year Contract (2020-2023): $17.65 million
*Includes a $750,000 signing bonus and $1,257,500 restructure bonus

7. Marcus Mariota

Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons
Honolulu, Saint Louis School
2023 Salary: $5 million*
Two-year Contract (2023): $5 million
*Includes a $3,835,000 signing bonus

8. Jamin Davis

Linebacker, Washington Commanders
Born in Honolulu
2023 Salary: $3,762,048*
Four-year Contract (2021-2024): $13,794,176
*Includes a $1,848,032 signing bonus

9. Isaac Suemalo

Guard, Pittsburgh Steelers
Born in Honolulu
2023 Salary: : $3,616,667*
Three-year Contract (2023-2025):$24 million
*Includes a $2,316,667 signing bonus

10. Rigoberto Sanchez

Punter, Indianapolis Colts
UH
2023 Salary: $2.9 million
Four-year Contract (2020-2023): $11.6 million

11. Josh Rojas

Third Baseman, Arizona Diamondbacks
UH
2023 Salary: $2,575,000
One-year Contract (2023): $2,575,000

12. Nate Herbig

Guard, Pittsburgh Steelers
Līhu‘e, Saint Louis School
2023 Salary: $2,540,000*
Two-year Contract (2023-2024): $8 million
*Includes a $1.46-million signing bonus

13. Jahlani Tavai

Linebacker, New England Patriots
UH
2023 Salary: $2,258,333*
Two-year Contract (2022-2023): $4.4 million
*Includes a $283,333 signing bonus, $425,000 roster bonus and $100,000 workout bonus

14. Kamu Grugier-Hill

Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
Honolulu, Kamehameha-Kapālama
2023 Salary: $1,317,500*
One-year Contract (2023): $1,317,500
*Includes a $152,000 signing bonus

15. Marcus Kemp

Wide Receiver, Washington Commanders
UH
2023 Salary: $1,155,000*
One-year Contract (2023): $1,155,000
*Includes a $50,000 signing bonus and $25,000 workout bonus

16. Netane Muti

Guard, Las Vegas Raiders
Leilehua H.S.
2023 Salary: $1,145,000*
One-year Contract (2023): $1,145,000
*Includes a $62,500 signing bonus, $22,500 roster bonus and $50,000 workout bonus

17. Alohi Gilman

Safety, Los Angeles Chargers
Born in Lā‘ie
2023 Salary: $1,056,969*
Four-year Contract (20220-2023): $3,483,204
*Includes a $46,969 signing bonus

18. Breiden Fehoko

Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers
Honolulu, Farrington H.S.
2023 Salary: $940,000
One-year Contract (2023): $940,000

19. Bradlee Anae

Defensive End, New York Jets
Lā‘ie, Kahuku H.S.
2023 Salary: Y: $940,000
One-year Contract (2023): $940,000

20. Nick Herbig

Linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kalaheo (Kaua‘i), Saint Louis School
2023 Salary: $918,230*
Four-year Contract (2023-2026): $4,512,920
*Includes a $168,230 signing bonus

21. Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu

Tackle, Baltimore Ravens
Kea‘au H.S.
2023 Salary: $793,298*
Four-year Contract (2023-2026): $4,013,192
*Includes a $43,298 signing bonus

22. Andrei Iosivas

Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Honolulu, Punahou School
2023 Salary: $789,846*
Four-year Contract (2023-2026): $3,999,384
*Includes a $39,846 signing bonus

23. Ilm Manning

Tackle, San Francisco 49ers
UH
2023 Salary: : $755,000*
Three-year Contract (2023-2025): $2,710,000
*Includes a $5,000 signing bonus

24. Alama Uluave

Center, Miami Dolphins
Honolulu, Punahou School
2023 Salary: $753,333*
Three-year Contract (2023-2025): $2,507,000 million
*Includes a $3,333 signing bonus

25. Zion Bowens

Wide Receiver, Washington Commanders
UH
2023 Salary: : $750,833*
Three-year Contract (2023-2025): $2,697,500
*Includes an $833 signing bonus

26. Kana‘i Mauga

Linebacker, Las Vegas Raiders
Wai‘anae, Wai‘anae H.S.
2023 Salary: $750,000**
One-year Contract (2023): $750,000
**NFL minimum salary

27. Justus Tavai

Defensive Tackle, New England Patriots
UH
2023 Salary: : $750,000
One-year Contract (2023): $750,000

28. Jordan Murray

Tight End, Houston Texans
UH
2023 Salary: $750,000
One-year Contract (2023): $750,000

29. Rico Garcia

Pitcher, Oakland Athletics
Honolulu, Saint Louis School, Hawai‘i Pacific University
2023 Salary: : $720,000
One-year Contract (2023): $720,000

Winter/Spring Football

The United States Football League (USFL) and XFL each provides a proving ground for players who hope to earn roster spots in the NFL. USFL and XFL players with Hawai‘i ties include:

XFL

1. Jordan Ta‘amu

Quarterback, DC Defenders
Pearl City, Pearl City H.S.
2023 Salary: $74,000

2. Cole Mcdonald

Quarterback, Houston Roughnecks
UH
2023 Salary: $66,000

3. Rojesterman Farris

Cornerback, Seattle Sea Dragons
UH
2023 Salary: $66,000

4. Sama Paama

Defensive Tackle, Seattle Sea Dragons
Waipahu, Kaimukī H.S.
2023 Salary: $66,000

5. Kohl Levao

Guard, San Antonio Brahmas
UH
2023 Salary: $37,000

6. Cedric Byrd

Wide Receiver, Houston Roughnecks
UH
2023 Salary: $27,000

7. Calvin Turner

Running back, San Antonio Brahmas
UH
2023 Salary: $4,000

8. Cortez Davis

Cornerback, DC Defenders
UH
2023 Salary: $3,200

USFL

1. Gene Pryor

Tackle, Michigan Panthers
UH
2023 Salary: $53,500

2. Hercules Mata‘afa

Defensive End, New Jersey Generals
Lahaina, Lahainaluna H.S.
2023 Salary: $53,500

PGA

1. Brent Grant

Pro Golfer, PGA Tour
Moanalua H.S., BYU-Hawaii
Earnings so far in 2023: $361,396

LPGA

1. Allisen Corpuz

Pro Golfer, LPGA Tour
Honolulu, Punahou School
Earnings so far in 2023: $355,778

Beginnings: Ben Devine’s first skydive was at the age of 18. He has since jumped from an airplane about 5,000 times.

“I knew I wanted to skydive from the very first time I found out about it.”

On his 18th birthday, he made his first jump: a tandem one with a group of friends.

He was 23 when his skydiving career officially began. “It took a few years until the timing worked out that I had enough money and time to get certified and get my license.”

Misconceptions: Devine refers to skydiving as a “shortcut to meditation.”

Rather than an adrenaline rush, he says, “People are surprised to hear that it actually happens to have more of a calming effect on you.”

He says that skydiving helps to create a “flow space” where the stresses of everyday life become nonexistent.

“All of the problems sort of melt away when all you’re focused on is the next 60 seconds of falling through the air.”

Dangers: “The desire to push one’s abilities and skills along with a certain margin of error is what exists, especially when you are achieving a velocity of about 158 miles per hour on pretty much every skydive,” he says.

The U.S. Parachute Association says that in 2021, it recorded 10 fatal skydiving accidents nationwide – the lowest annual number on record – a rate of 0.28 fatalities per 100,000 jumps. The USPA recorded 11 fatalities in 2020.

“Statistically speaking, it’s safer than getting on a motorcycle,” Devine says.

Key Skills: Skydivers must be able to gauge the weather. “Definitely being able to intelligently perceive the conditions is important.

“To most people the wind is invisible, but to a skydiver, an aviator or sailboat captain for that matter, being able to see how the wind interacts with the world around you – whether that’s clouds or trees or just how you are moving through the wind – is something that you must learn to do.”

His Family: “The very best thing about my job is the people.” He considers his co-workers as family. “Skydiving is a sport where everyone looks out for each other because safety is certainly a communal enterprise.

“I also enjoy the people I get to meet who come out to do skydives. You meet people when it’s their birthday and they never thought they’d do it before, to people who are maybe going through something in life and want a chance to self-actualize by letting themselves do the impossible.”

Skydiving brings together people from “all walks of life” and from around the world, Devine says, adding, “A plumber could be jumping with a millionaire.”

This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Former Punahou standout DeForest Buckner heads this year’s list of highest-paid professional athletes with Hawai‘i ties. Now entering his seventh NFL season – his third with the Indianapolis Colts – Buckner owns the second-most lucrative contract for a defensive tackle, behind only Aaron Donald of the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

Buckner’s former Buffanblu teammate, Ka‘imi Fairbairn, also ranks high on our list. The Houston Texans placekicker, who led all NFL players in scoring in 2018, sports the eighth-highest contract among kickers.

No fewer than 15 Hawai‘i athletes are scheduled to make $1 million or more in 2022.

Here is our list of athletes with Hawai‘i ties and their 2022 salaries. Our source is Spotrac.com, a website that tracks the contracts of athletes in the major professional sports leagues. Spotrac does not track the earnings of professional surfers and MMA fighters.

1. Deforest Buckner

Defensive Tackle, Indianapolis Colts
Wai‘anae, Punahou School
2022 Salary: $16 million*
Four-year Contract (2021-2024): $84 million
*Includes a $5 million roster bonus

2. Tua Tagovailoa

Quarterback, Miami Dolphins
‘Ewa Beach, Saint Louis School
2022 Salary: $9,633,094*
Four-year Contract (2020-2023): $30,275,438*
Includes a $4,894,625 signing bonus and $2,467,313 roster bonus

3. Kolten Wong

Second Baseman, Milwaukee Brewers
Hilo, Kamehameha-Hawai‘i, UH
2022 Salary: $8.5 million*
Two-year Contract (2021-2022): $18 million
*Includes a $500,000 signing bonus

4. Isaac Suemalo

Offensive Guard, Philadelphia Eagles
Born in Honolulu
2022 Salary: $7,668,000*
Three-year Contract (2020-2022): $15,918,000
*Includes an $800,000 signing bonus

5. Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Shortstop, New York Yankees
Honolulu, Mid-Pacific Institute
2022 Salary: $4.7 million
One-year Contract: $4.7 million

6. Ka‘imi Fairbairn

Placekicker, Houston Texans
Kailua, Punahou School
2022 Salary: $4.3 million*
Four Year Contract (2020-2023): $17.65 million
*Includes a $750,000 signing bonus

7. Marcus Mariota

Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons
Honolulu, Saint Louis School
2022 Salary: $4.25 million*
Two-year Contract (2022-2023): $18.75 million
*Includes $2.5 million sign-ing bonus

8. Kamu Grugier-Hill

Linebacker, Houston Texans
Honolulu, Kamehameha-Kapālama
2022 Salary: $4 million*
One-year Contract:$4 million
*Includes a $1.5 million signing bonus and $411,754 roster bonus

9. Tyson Alualu

Defensive End, Pittsburgh Steelers
Honolulu, Saint Louis School
2022 Salary: $3,462,500*
Two-year Contract (2021-2022): $5.5 million
*Includes a $962,500 signing bonus

10. Jamin DavisLinebacker

Washington Commanders Born in Honolulu
2022 Salary: $3,135,040*
Four-year Contract (2021-2024): $13,794,176
*Includes a $1,848,032 signing bonus

11. Nate Herbig

Offensive Guard, New York Jets
Līhu‘e, Saint Louis School
2022 Salary: $2,433,000
One-year Contract: $2,433,000

12. Rigoberto Sanchez

Punter, Indianapolis Colts
UH
2022 Salary: $2,345,000
Four-year Contract (2020-2023): $11.6 million

13. Kurt Suzuki Catcher

Los Angeles Angels
Wailuku, Baldwin High
2022 Salary: $1.75 million
One-year Contract: $1.75 million

14. Jahlani Tavai

Linebacker, New England Patriots
UH
2022 Salary: $1.22 million*
Two-year Contract (2021-2022): $1,858,886
*Includes a $25,000 signing bonus, $180,000 roster bonus and $50,000 workout bonus

15. Kirby Yates

Relief Pitcher, Atlanta Braves
Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i High
2022 Salary: $1 million
Two-year Contract (2022-2023): $8.25 million

16. Alohi Gilman

Safety, Los Angeles Chargers
Born in Lā‘ie
2022 Salary: $942,051*
Four-year Contract (2020-2023): $3,483,204
*Includes a $47,051 signing bonus

17. Bradlee Anae

Defensive End, New York Jets
Lā‘ie, Kahuku High
2022 Salary: $905,000*
One-year Contract (2022): $905,000
*Includes a $10,000 signing bonus

18. Trayvon Henderson

Safety, Cincinnati Bengals
UH
2022 Salary: $895,000
One-year Contract: $895,000

19. Breiden Fehoko

Defensive Tackle, Los Angeles Chargers
Honolulu, Farrington High
2022 Salary: $825,000
Two-year Contract (2021-2022): $1,485,000

20. Josh Rojas

Outfielder, Arizona Diamondbacks
UH
2022 Salary: $730,900
One-year Contract: $730,900

21. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa

Defensive Tackle, Las Vegas Raiders
‘Ewa Beach, Kapolei High
2022 Salary: $708,333*
Three-year Contract (2022-2024): $2.57 million
*Includes a $3,333 signing bonus

22. JaredSmartWide

Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
UH
2022 Salary: $705,000
Three-year Contract (2022-2024): $2.56 million

23. Rico Garcia

Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles
Honolulu, Hawai‘i Pacific University
2022 Salary: $700,000
One-year Contract: $700,000

United States Football League

A new version of the USFL was launched in spring 2022. The eight-team league is primarily viewed as a proving ground for players who hope to earn (or regain) roster spots in the NFL. USFL players with Hawai‘i ties include:

1. Jordan Ta‘amu

Quarterback, Tampa Bay Bandits
Pearl City, Pearl City High
2022 Salary: $36,450

2. Nick Rose

Placekicker, New Jersey Generals
Born in Honolulu
2022 Salary: $36,000

3. Kalani Vakameilalo

Defensive Tackle, New Jersey Generals
Kapolei, Kapolei High
2022 Salary: $27,000

4. Jojo WardWide

Receiver, Houston Gamblers
UH
2022 Salary: $23,600

5. Hercules Mata‘afa

Defensive End, New Jersey Generals
Lahaina, Lahainaluna High
2022 Salary: $2,350

“Belay on!” replies the other.

The pair, both equipped with harnesses and red helmets and small bags of chalk attached to their hips, call out their safety cues before ascending the Mokulē‘ia Wall on O‘ahu’s North Shore.

Dozens of people gather at this crag, a permitted rock-climbing area, every week to scale the tall basalt wall. Ropes are looped through permanent bolts at the top of the wall, then tied into the harness of the climber. This style, also known as “top rope” climbing, allows people of all experience levels to safely ascend and descend the rock.

Fearful of lawsuits after deeming it unsafe, the state closed the Mokulē‘ia crag in 2012, says Mike Richardson, founder of Climb Aloha and a leader in Hawai‘i’s climbing community. Richardson says he, Deborah Halbert and Mike Bishop lobbied for two years with the help of Access Fund, a national climbing advocacy group, and got the site reopened.

“I was frustrated that our sport was singled out for closure for two years. There is a misperception that rock climbing is dangerous and that climbers are reckless, when actually the opposite is true,” Richardson says.

Olympic debut in 2021

Climbing has gained popularity in Hawai‘i and around the world in recent years, culminating in the sport’s debut at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2018, Climbing Business Journal reported about a 12% increase in the commercial climbing gym industry, marking an especially successful year. That was the year the popular movie “Free Solo,” which later won an Academy Award, depicted the first unroped ascent of Yosemite National Park’s 900-meter El Capitan.

There are two indoor climbing gyms on O‘ahu, including HiClimb, which opened this summer in a former warehouse in Kaka‘ako. Co-owners Devin Tryan and Steven Dauck say all of the gym’s climbing walls were shipped from manufacturers in Utah and Bulgaria, then assembled locally.

Tryan says each wall in the 14,000-square-foot space, about the size of three basketball courts, is named after a Hawaiian monument, such as the Lē‘ahi wall.

A nonprofit called Kānaka Climbers named the walls, says Skye Kolealani Razon-Olds, a founder and board member of the organization.

“HiClimb is the first company I have worked for who has included ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i as a way to encourage conversation, inclusion, while honoring the culture within the space, versus asking to name a product for financial gain,” Razon-Olds says.

She says Native Hawaiians climbed for centuries to reach fishing ponds and burial caves or to perform rituals. She says that climbing pōhaku, or stones, was a tradition passed down to her and it wasn’t until recent years that she learned to enjoy climbing as a sport.

“I think of it as my church. Where other people need to go to a building with four walls, I can go and commune with the pōhaku and with my ancestors,” Razon-Olds says.

How to begin climbing

Richardson says first-time recreational climbers only need a harness, climbing shoes and a chalk bag. Recommended but not required are your own rope, belay device – the tool that keeps your partner safe while they climb – and a few carabiners to clip everything together.

 

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“The most important techniques to learn are safety for outdoor climbing and good belaying. Getting good at the actual climbing skills happens over time and with practice,” Richardson says.

“However, it is a matter of life and death to know right from the beginning how to belay properly and how to set up and evaluate one’s climbing anchors.”

Climb Aloha offers a four-hour course that covers these skills.

Indigenous perspective

The group Kānaka Climbers seeks to educate the outdoor recreation community on ethical access to land, Razon-Olds says. Through conversations and by hosting cleanups, it wants to create an inclusive space to help people understand climbing from an Indigenous perspective.

In March 2020, archaeologists found unpreserved petroglyphs on two large rocks at Town Boulders, a well-known climbing site at Kapena Falls State Park in Nu‘uanu.

The rocks with the petroglyphs are now marked by signs created by community members that prevent hikers and climbers from accidentally destroying the art.

“This is not an effort to ‘gate keep’ or limit climbing access to the community, but an opportunity to educate and preserve ancient Hawaiian history,” Razon-Olds says on the Kānaka Climbers blog.

The new turf is part of a $11.8 million overhaul of the Ching complex. Renovations include a new scoreboard, 6,500 extra seats (now 9,000 total), press boxes, concession stands and more. Plans are underway to seat 15,000 fans in the 2022 season. UH leapt into action at the close of 2020, when Aloha Stadium was shuttered for repairs. Six home games are scheduling in 2021, as well as the 19th annual Hawaiʻi Bowl on Christmas Eve.

A hydrofoil wing – shaped almost like a miniature Cessna aircraft, with two large metal wings in front and tail wings in the back – is the underwater element. It’s attached by a sleek metal mast to a surfboard, paddleboard or kiteboard, which actually rides above the water – not on the water like other boards.

The first time you see a foilboarder riding above the ocean, it seems almost miraculous. All foils harness the forward energy of an ocean swell to keep the board a few feet above the water.

But for most of its life, foiling’s popularity has been limited. Like kiteboarding and parasailing, a proper liftoff required more energy than ocean swells provide, which meant using a kite or sail to gain additional speed from the wind. Some early foilers would even get towed behind a boat. But that all changed when an ex-pro windsurfer and a Maui-born watersports phenom joined forces.

“What I did was, I made it so you could foil using human power and the ocean as your engine,” says Alex Aguera.

“You can paddle in, stand up and surf.”

Originally from Florida, Aguera, 59, has been living on Maui since his teens, when he decided to become a pro windsurfer. Since then he’s competed on the windsurfing and kitesurfing professional tours, and more recently, reinvented the foilboard. By making the sport more accessible to everyday surfers, Aguera helped usher in a wave of foilboarding in Hawai‘i and around the world.

The sport’s “power solution” stemmed from a conversation Aguera had with Maui-born waterman Kai Lenny – who, at age 28, has already accomplished more than most as a big-wave surfer, stand-up paddleboarder, kitesurfer and windsurfer. Lenny knew Aguera had been foiling via kite for years, and that he’d even started his own kite-foiling company, GoFoil, but wanted him to make a foilboard that could be ridden without a kite or tow boat. Lenny wanted to fly using the ocean as his engine.

Aguera went to work, taking a kiteboarding foil and making countless adjustments to the equipment’s thickness and shape for weeks before coming up with a finished product. It was an entirely new type of foil – stable and strong enough to more fully harness the ocean’s power.

“Finally I had enough, so I called up Kai to ride it, but he was on his way to Europe,” says Aguera, “so I decided to try it.”

After numerous wipeouts and a few near decapitations, Aguera spotted a flaw in his design. The mast, which connects the board to the foil, was far longer than it needed to be, providing the rider with too much lift. “So I went back to my shop and cut the mast in half,” says Aguera, “and the next day I take it out to Kanahā (Beach Park) and I’m, like, ‘Whoa, I’m doing it!’ ”

After Lenny returned to Maui, he quickly picked up foilboarding and began understanding its complexities in record time. “When I first saw him foil I thought, ‘Oh my God, what is he doing?’ He’s all over the place,” says Aguera. “He went in front of the peak, across the peak, to the other side of the wave and back.”

Before the invention of Aguera’s modern foil, regular surfers were forced to stick to the “pocket” of the wave – where the wave peaks and breaks – to maintain speed and energy, but Lenny quickly found that the foil could take him wherever he pleased, as long as there was a pulse of swell below him catching the foil.

Then came the video. It’s no understatement to say that social media can make or break a business in modern times, and a single Facebook post on Lenny’s account – showcasing him up and riding off the coast of Maui (fb.watch/4rp-0WqjQS) – garnered millions of views in days. And that was all it took for Aguera to understand that his modern foil could be so much more than just a pet project. Going into business with his two brothers-in-law, who now help to manage GoFoil’s factory in China, the trio have been pumping out foils at an ever-accelerating rate.

“We’re jumping all in with building boards and wings now and we’ve got distributors worldwide,” says Aguera, who lives in Hai‘kū. “I’m driving around Maui and now I see foils all over the place, and I never would have thought that was going to happen.”

Aguera is now focused on staying ahead of the curve, one he helped create. “It’s really hard to keep up,” he says. “You’re the originator and the inventor of this whole new aspect of foiling, but you’ve got to get yourself out in front of the other guys because everybody’s nipping at your heels.”

To separate GoFoil from the competition, Aguera is focusing on the “winging” aspect of foiling, where foilboarders use a small hand-held kite to generate even more speed than what a normal, wingless foil provides.

Surfers are not big on change, so the speed at which they are ditching their old boards for foils shows how appealing foilboarding is. Maybe it’s the ability to get away from crowded breaks and enjoy the ocean alone. Or it could just be fun to go fast. Aguera has his own ideas.

“There’s something about humans and flight. They like to fly. And there’s this sensation you get when you come up out of the water that you’re flying. It gets quiet, you’re above the water zooming along and it’s a whole new feeling. And people really gravitate toward that.”

How to Get Started

If you are a surfer, paddleboarder or kitesurfer and want to try a foilboard, here are tips from Alex Aguera:

• “It’s best to use a shorter mast when first learning to foil, so you don’t go too high out of the water.”
• “When regular surf foiling, which we call ‘prone’ in the foil community, and also SUP foiling, start in knee high waves. Rolling white water is the easiest to learn in, since it will push you and help you get moving. Steep drops are not what you want when you are first learning to foil!”
• “Remember that foiling is a front-leg sport, so put lots of weight on your front leg to hold the foil down.”

We were in Wisconsin in March for the 2020 Speedo Sectional Championship, a meet that attracted swimmers from across the nation and was difficult to qualify for. I had been so excited: As a senior, this was my last sectional meet and I felt more prepared than ever. I was confident I would qualify for an even bigger meet in August.

When we opened the hotel room door to the knock, we expected our coach to be wishing us good luck for our first races. That same afternoon, I was supposed to be swimming one of my best events, the 800-meter freestyle. Instead, my teammates and I were on a plane back to Hawai‘i the next morning without racing in a single event.

It hurt badly. We felt this hurt with every other high school, collegiate and professional athlete who had put in the hours, the pain, the early mornings, the late nights, all seemingly for nothing.

But there was more bad news to come: prom and graduation were canceled and now I may have to take my first semester at Vanderbilt University online. Despite all those disappointments, I consider myself lucky. Some seniors will not be attending their dream school.

Katie Heim has been a wrestler for Kaiser High School for years. As a freshman, she placed first at the junior varsity Oahu Interscholastic Association East Championship, and as a sophomore, she placed sixth at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Championship. An injury to her shoulder set her back in her junior year, but she’s a fighter, and was back to wrestling as a senior, taking second in her weight class at the OIA East Championship.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus is not something she can fight. She dreamed of wrestling in college and was recruited to join Pacific University’s wrestling team. She always looked so happy when I saw her wearing her Pac U wrestling sweatshirts. Wrestling truly made her happy.

However, with stocks plunging, Heim could no longer afford to attend the school in Oregon. “They could not give me a large enough scholarship to allow me to attend, ending my hopes of a college wrestling career,” she says.

Heim now plans to attend UH Mānoa, but sadly it has no wrestling team. Coronavirus took away something that had been her passion for four years. Unfortunately, similar stories have happened to many other high school seniors – staying home for college is their best option.

Heim says the change in her college plans was difficult to accept, but now she is looking on the bright side. “I have moved on from wrestling. I am now focusing on what I want to get out of college and…I will have more time and money to travel, which is one of my biggest goals!”

Kaiser’s administration, like schools around the state, have the difficult task of honoring its students. Teacher Paul Balazs, who has assisted with graduation planning, knows how challenging this time is for seniors.

“(They) aren’t getting to graduate as expected, under the big lights, with thousands of friends and family cheering them on,” he says. “Right now, more than ever, we need a lot more creativity and a lot more love.”

While their future is uncertain, he is confident the seniors he has grown to know so well over the past four years will endure.

“Rise up. The world desperately awaits your next move,” he says. “Make it one you believe in and one that must be taken. Times will be challenging, starting now. But perhaps for the first time in a very, very long time, the path is unknown. There is no map. The future is actually yours. Page 1. Begin.”

Read other reports in this series written by college and high school students called “Graduating Into Uncertainty.”

• COVID-19 Crisis Disrupts College Plans, Learning and Much More for High School Seniors
• Graduating Into Uncertainty – Part II
• Post-Graduation Plans Upended for UH Hilo Seniors
• College Seniors’ Last Year Cut Short by COVID-19
• UH Mānoa Seniors Finishing University with Disappointments and Anxiety

Marcus Mariota knows the financial rewards of being a starting NFL quarterback.

Now in his fifth season with the Tennessee Titans, the former Saint Louis School standout stands to pocket a base salary of more than $20.9 million in 2019 – and that’s not including his endorsement income from companies such as Nike, First Hawaiian Bank and Island Insurance.

Nonetheless, in terms of overall contracts, Mariota ranks only 26th among current NFL quarterbacks. Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons tops that list, having signed a five-year, $150 million contract in 2018. Patrick Mahomes, in his third year with the Kansas City Chiefs, is reportedly hoping to become the league’s first $40 million-per-year player.

Mariota heads our 2019 list of highest-paid professional athletes with Hawai‘i ties. In second place is Kolten Wong, the former Kamehameha-Hawai‘i and UH standout who is now in his seventh season with MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals. In total, 12 Hawai‘i athletes will make more than $1 million in 2019.

Our source is Spotrac.com, a website that tracks the compensation of professional athletes. Endorsement money is not included in the figures. The list does not include athletes in individual sports such as golf.

1. MARCUS MARIOTA

Quarterback, Tennessee Titans
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu; Saint Louis School
2019 Salary: $20,922,000
Four-Year Contract (2015-2018): $24,213,974

The Titans exercised their fifth-year contract option on Mariota, ensuring that the former Saint Louis Crusader stays with the team through the 2019 season. The Titans seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach in deciding whether to offer Mariota a new contract. His growth as an NFL QB has been curtailed by a rash of lingering injuries.

2. KOLTEN WONG

Second baseman, St. Louis Cardinals
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Hilo; Kamehameha-Hawai‘i, UH
2019 Salary: $6.5 million
Five-year contract(2016-2020): $25.5 million

Wong is in the fourth season of his five-year deal with the Cardinals. He’s been inconsistent offensively but is on target to garner his first Gold Glove award for defensive play. At the time of this writing, Wong ranks first among all second basemen in three defensive categories.

3. DEFOREST BUCKNER

Defensive End, San Francisco 49ers
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu; Punahou School
2019 Salary: $5,788,044*
Four-year contract (2016-2019): $18,190,995

This spring, the 49ers exercised their fifth-year option on Buckner, which will keep him with the team through 2020. His salary next season will increase to more than $12.3 million, and the rising star stands to earn more than that in the future. The team is looking to lock up the 2018 Pro Bowl honoree to a new long-term deal.

*Includes $2,857,455 signing bonus and $2,210,589 roster bonus

4. KURT SUZUKI

Catcher, Washington Nationals
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Wailuku; Baldwin HS
2019 Salary: $4 million
Two-year contract (2019-2020): $10 million

After enjoying an offensive renaissance the past two seasons with the Atlanta Braves, the 35-year-old Suzuki signed with the Nationals, where he is an above-average hitter and a respected locker room presence. He currently splits time behind the plate with fellow catcher Yan Gomes.

5. KA‘IMI FAIRBAIRN

Placekicker, Houston Texans
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Kailua; Punahou School
2019 Salary: $3,095,000
One-year contract

Now in this third season in the NFL, Fairbairn has established himself as one of the best young kickers in the league. He set a franchise record with 37 made field goals in 2018 and converted 85% of his field goal attempts. The Texans are reportedly hoping to sign the former Punahou standout to a long-term deal.

6. KIRBY YATES

Pitcher, San Diego Padres
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Līhu‘e; Kaua‘i HS
2019 Salary: $3,062,500
One-year contract

7. RIGOBERTO SANCHEZ

Punter, Indianapolis Colts
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $3,004,000*
Four-year contract (2019-2023): $11,600,000
*Includes $4,000 signing bonus and $2,355,000 roster bonus

8. TYSON ALUALU

Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu; Saint Louis School
2019 Salary: $2,125,000*
Two-year contract (2019-2020): $5,750,000
*Includes a $875,000 signing bonus

9. ISAAC SUEMALO

Offensive guard, Philadelphia Eagles
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu
2019 Salary: $1,739,966*
Four-year contract (2019-2022): $15,918,000
*Includes $990,966 signing bonus

10. STEVEN WRIGHT

Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $1,375,000
One-year contract

11. JAHLANI TAVAI

Linebacker, Detroit Lions
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $1,253,449*
Four-year contract (2019-2022): $6,893,968
*Includes a $758,449 signing bonus

12. KAMALEI CORREA

Linebacker, Tennessee Titans
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu; Saint Louis School
2019 Salary: $1,234,043
Four-year contract (2016-2019): $5,749,639

13. GREG GARCIA

Second baseman, San Diego Padres
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $910,000
One-year contract (2019): $910,000

14. TREVOR DAVIS

Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $776,794*
Four-year contract (2016-2019): $2,567,176
*Includes $56,794 signing bonus

15.NICK NELSON

Cornerback, Oakland Raiders
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $744,670*
Four-year contract (2018-2021): $3,158,680
*Includes $174,670 signing bonus

16. KAMU GRUGIER-HILL

Linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu;
Kamehameha-Kapālama
2019 Salary: $720,000
Four-year contract (2016-2019): $2,440,356

17. MARCUS KEMP

Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $570,000
One-year contract

18. lEO KOLOAMATANGI

Guard, Detroit Lions
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $570,000
Two-year contract (2019-2020): $1,050,000

19. MITCHELL LOEWEN

Tight End, Detroit Lions
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Lahaina; Lahainaluna HS
2019 Salary: $570,000
One-year contract

20. ISIAH KINER-FALEFA

Third Baseman, Texas Rangers
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu; Mid-Pacific Institute, UH
2019 Salary: $569,500
One-year contract

21. JORDAN YAMAMOTO

Pitcher, Miami Marlins
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Pearl City; Saint
Louis School
2019 Salary: $555,000
One-year contract

22. JOHN URSUA

Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Kailua-Kona; UH
2019 Salary: $515,590*
Four-year contract (2019-2022): $2,602,360
*Includes a $20,590 signing bonus

23. TRAYVON HENDERSON

Safety, Cincinnati Bengals
Hawai‘i tie: UH
2019 Salary: $497,000*
Three-year contract (2018-2020): $1,712,000
*Includes a $2,000 signing bonus

24. HERCULES MATA‘AFA

Linebacker, Minnesota Vikings
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Lahaina; Lahainaluna HS
2019 Salary: $496,333
Three-year contract (2018-2020): $1,714,000

25. JORDAN AGASIVA

Offensive guard, Jacksonville Jaguars
Hawai‘i tie: Born in Honolulu; Mililani HS
2019 Salary: $495,000
Three-year contract (2019-2021): $1,755,000