An Inside Look Into Sports in Hawaii

Hawaii may not be the home to professional sports teams in the NFL, NBA or MLB, however they found ways to become extremely involved in the sports arena by hosting some of the nation's premiere sports events. They also have a rich heritage of local sports events that have resulted in producing Olympic medalists, world record holders, world champions and professional players in multiple pro leagues. There may not be a large number of Hawaii based sports teams to bet on, but there are a number of professional athletes hailing from the Aloha State, allowing residents to support their fellow statesmen and women when participating in Hawaii sports betting entertainment.

The University of Hawaii athletic programs garner strong support from the residents of the state, and provide opportunities for both men and women at the college to excel in a variety of sports, some of which represent the coastal island environment that these athletes are privy to. Despite their lack of professional sports teams, the amateur sports programs supported in Hawaii produce athletes that attract national attention. This article will provide some insight into what athletes in Hawaii have access to, and the benefits that living the island life can provide when it comes to sports. In support of their rich athletic focus, the state has an active Sports Hall of Fame in which they induct the best athletes that emerge and document their successes to inspire up and coming youth with sports interests.

One of the ways that the state of Hawaii has involved themselves in professional and college sports programs is by hosting some of the premiere events associated with the major and minor leagues in each both pro and NCAA sports. Some of these include hosting NFL Pro Bowl, the PGA Tour and the Honolulu marathon. They host the Hawaii Bowl that provides the venue for two NCAAF Division 1 college teams to play against each other, as well as the Hula Bowl that is considered a showcasing event for the top college senior players to perform for pro scouts. The Aloha State also has an active AFL program that takes place at the Neal Blaisdell center each summer.

Major golf competitions are held each year, including their renowned Wendy's Champions Skins Game. The PGA Tour kicks off each year in Maui, with the popular Sony Open following. For hoop fans, the state hosts two popular college basketball tournaments each year, including the EA Sports Maui Invitational as well as the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. Hawaii is home to 2 of the most popular and most important endurance sports events in the nation, including the World Ironman Triathlon Championship as well as the Honolulu Marathon.

The pride and joy of college sports in Hawaii is their home team – the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, based at the University of Hawaii. The men's sports include football, basketball, baseball, golf, swimming and diving, tennis and volleyball. Women's sports at U of H include basketball, cross country, golf, sailing, sand volleyball, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball and water polo. The athletics program at the state's university has produced a number of professional players in the NFL, NBA and MLB.

Hawaii's local sports opportunities have enabled multiple athletes to become Olympic Medalists in the following categories: martial arts, soccer, surfing, swimming, volleyball, water polo and weight lifting. The largest number of medalists from Hawaii are swimmers. Hawaii also has two athletes that have achieved world records. Emerick Ishikawa earned a world record in weight lifting, while Robby Naish earned a world record in windsurfing.

The Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame is full of successful athletes from the Aloha State. The range of sports mastered by the inductees includes auto racing, baseball, basketball, boat racing, bowling, boxing, broadcasting, canoe racing, coaching, diving, football, golf, martial arts, motorcycle racing, skeet shooting, soccer, sport fishing, sports promotion, steer roping, sumo wrestling, surfing, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, windsurfing and women's sports. The state's climate and location afford a fantastic training ground for producing successful and talented athletes in all types of water sports that successfully compete on a global scale.

While Hawaii may only have one strong 'home team' to root for when it comes to collegiate sports, they are often betting on their fellow kinsmen when they bet on other professional and college sports teams due to Hawaii's reach into the national and global sports arena. The state has produced a large number of athletes that go on to participate in prominent sports programs at out of state colleges, professional US sports leagues, and professional and amateur sports events around the world. This has resulted in a significant number of opportunities for Hawaii bettors to support their locally produced sports stars at any of the sportsbooks recommended in this guide. Because the legal sports betting sites we recommend here offer such a wide range of betting lines spanning nearly any sporting event in existence, bettors have a huge selection of options to choose from when betting on players and teams from Hawaii, or any other team that they love.