One of O‘ahu's most picturesque stadiums now has a playing surface to match.
Wai‘anae High School's Raymond Torii Stadium recently completed a series of renovations that cost north of $6 million, highlighted by a new turf surface and a six-lane track.
The new turf field is a welcome change for the Seariders, who went 4-6 in 2024 while playing all of their games on the road.
“It's huge. I can't wait to play home games on this thing," Wai‘anae head football coach Vince Nihipali told Aloha State Daily at a recent team workout. "We have six home games slated, so it's gonna be fun. The boosters come out, they do a little booster area, and I know the community is gonna be out here in full force. It's great having some place you can call home. Last year was a little tough working out at intermediate schools, not ideal. But now, we get a free run at this thing and we have fun. That's the main thing: These kids. You want to have fun.”
Wai‘anae High School has had an on-campus field since 1957, eventually naming it after former principal Raymond Torii, who passed away at age 90 in 1996. The school never had a turf field to call its own until 2025, nor did it have a rubberized track.
The Seariders will open their season at home on Aug. 9 against Lahainaluna. Wai‘anae will head to the Big Island to face Kea‘au the following week, and then host Waimea of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation on Aug. 23. Nihipali says he deliberately scheduled opponents from different islands so his players could experience something different. OIA play begins on Aug. 30 in a home game against Radford.
“It's been great," Nihipali said of the offseason. "Once the field opened up, we were able to combine workouts with the field work. We've been out here for a while. Kids have been working hard. Numbers are looking good. Morale is good. We got good kids. I think the field helps a lot with them. They love it. They lounge out there before and after.”
In the fall of 2019, USA Today left the title of America's best high school stadium up to a vote. Raymond Torii Stadium was the only stadium nominated in Hawai‘i. The view of the stadium, nestled near the ocean, was enough to finish fourth out of 16 teams in the voting.
“It's a great field. It looks fantastic, this backdrop. There's no place better than this," Nihipali said. "I mean, you got the beach and the reef and the mountains right there and this right smack in the middle. Take a photo of this thing, it's unbelievable.”
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
