The Maui Preparatory Academy surfing team includes 2022 NSSA and HAS 2022-23 Champion Zolten Poulsen.

NAPILI — The Maui Preparatory Academy surfing team enters its second year under the guidance of head coach Lucho Banto with high hopes to finish the season among the top programs in the Maui Interscholastic League.

Coach Banto, a professional windsurfer from Chile, moved to Maui in 1994 to compete on the Olympic level with the both the Chilean and Swiss teams and fell in love with surfing. He is assisted by Pedro Robalinho, Rob Lloyd, Lyndee Springer and Rafaella Robalinho, all of whom are surfing and physical fitness enthusiasts.

“We are an extremely competitive bunch who truly believe that the best surfer out there is the one having the most fun,” said Coach Banto.

The Maui Prep 2023 lineup includes senior captain Niko Banto and classmate Cameron Burns; juniors Pierce Armstrong, Leni Mullen and Rebecca Ankey; sophomores Ezra Offergeld and Lola Doherty; and freshmen Zolten Poulsen, Noah Richard, Sloane Jucker and Allysa Condrey.

The team practices at local beaches, including D.T. Fleming Beach Park, three times a week, but Coach Banto noted that being avid surfers, they are at the beach pretty much every day.

“Coach Pedro and Coach Rafa coach many surfers around the island, and some of the future high schoolers at Maui Prep are being coached year -round already by them,” he added.

“Maui Prep has been working for years on our program and have created a solid foundation, and is getting stronger every year. I’m so proud of our team — to have such a strong team with a high school enrollment of only 80 kids is truly remarkable. The future of the Maui Prep surf team looks very strong. Go Pueo!”

Coach Banto thanked Team Moms Karin Jucker and Kellie Banto, Athletic Director Zach Bailey and Athletic Trainer Analisa Figueroa, the whole Maui Prep ‘Ohana, and Kim Ball and his whole team for running the MIL surfing season for over 20 years.

“We cannot wait to see all the other islands start their own leagues and in the future have an official State Championship,” he concluded.