Although there aren't any major league sports teams in Hawaii, there are college teams and a handful of professional exposition games -- many of them are immensely popular among the local residents. Check the schedule at the 10-story, 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, near Pearl Harbor, 99-500 Salt Lake Blvd. (tel. 808/486-9555; www.alohastadium.hawaii.gov), where high school and University of Hawaii Warriors (tel. 808/944-BOWS [2697]; www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu) football games are also held from September to December. Other events at the stadium include: baseball, soccer, boxing, religious and music festivals, auto shows, motorcrosses, mud races, tractor pulls, and various concerts, plus the well-known weekly Aloha Swap Meet. Express buses often run to the stadium on game nights; they depart from Ala Moana Shopping Center (TheBus no. 47-50 or 52), or from Monsarrat Avenue near Kapiolani Park (TheBus no. 20). Call TheBus at tel. 808/848-5555 for times and fares.

The Neal Blaisdell Center, at Kapiolani Boulevard and Ward Avenue (tel. 808/591-2211 or 808/527-5400; www.blaisdellcenter.com/calendar/index.cfm), features a variety of sporting events, such as professional boxing and Japanese sumo wrestling. In December, the Annual Rainbow Classic, a collegiate basketball invitational tournament, takes place at the Blaisdell. For bus information, call TheBus at tel. 808/848-5555, or visit www.thebus.org.

At the University of Hawaii, the Rainbow Stadium, 1337 Lower Campus Rd., and the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, next door, are hosts to college baseball and softball from January through May. Information is available at tel. 808/944-BOWS [2697] or www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu. Collegiate volleyball, which is extremely popular in Hawaii, takes place at the Stan Sheriff Center, also on the UH campus, 1355 Lower Campus Rd., November through May. Information is available at the UH phone number and website listed above.

It's not the World Series, but in the winter (late Sept/early Oct to the end of Nov) Hawaii Winter Baseball (tel. 808/973-7247; www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com), with four teams from Oahu (Waikiki Beach Boys, West Oahu CaneFires, North Shore Honu, and Honolulu Sharks) plays 40 games against other minor league teams from the U.S. mainland and Japan at either the Les Murakami Stadium, in Manoa, or at the Hans L'Orange Field, in Waipahu. Believe it or not, the first baseball game in Hawaii was played on July 4, 1866, with the "natives" (Hawaiians) beating the "haoles" (Caucasians) 2 to 1. In 1993, the Hawaii Winter League launched its inaugural baseball season and has been going ever since. Tickets range from $6 to $8.

With Hawaii's cowboy history, polo is a popular sport, played every Sunday, starting in either April or May and lasting through late August or early September in Mokuleia or Waimanalo. Polo was introduced to Hawaii in 1886, but faded away during World War II. The games were revived gain in 1950 and moved out to Mokuleia, on the North Shore in the 1960s. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the game. Call tel. 808/637-8401 or visit www.hawaiipolo.com, for schedule and admission information.

A sport you might not be familiar with is Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing, which is very big locally. If Hawaii were to have an "official" team sport, it would be Hawaii outrigger canoe racing, or as local residents call it "paddling." Since the 1970's, Hawaii canoe racing has experienced a resurgence. Paddlers range from teenagers to grandmas, who turn out every year for the summer long series of races. Every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day, canoe races are held around Oahu. The canoe played a very big part in the Hawaiian's culture. Not only was it the vehicle that got the Polynesians to Hawaii, but everything from the selection of the tree to carve the canoe to the launch was steeped in religious and cultural activities. When Capt. Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1779, he reported sighting some 1500 canoes. The canoe races keep this aspect of the Hawaiian culture alive today. The races are free and draw huge crowds. Check the local papers for information on race schedules, or contact the Oahu Hawaii Canoe Racing Association (www.ohcra.com).

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.