Dress rehearsal: Pa'u princess Luka Ramos is assisted by Lita Cook. Photo by Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin

Pa'u means skirt in Hawaiian and refers to a two-paneled skirt made from 12 yards of fabric. The voluminous pa'u allows a woman rider to place her legs on both sides of a horse. Today pa'u refers to the tradition of women on horseback, riding in seven-member parade units.

Saturday's 80th annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade will feature 19 of the past 22 pa'u queens, since this may be the last Kamehameha parade due to a funding shortfall. Balfour is a fourth-generation pa'u rider who reigned in 1993.

"Anything for parade," she said, speaking as if parade were a family member. "That was my love, it's still my love. That's why I'm a pa'u judge. It's so wonderful to just be part of it.

"Even if I'm not a judge and not a participant, just to go out and help make leis, pick flowers, pick greens, be a part of the tradition - it's a tradition that's dying, like everything else. We try to hold on as long as we can, but sometimes that doesn't work."

Balfour has served as a judge twice before. Judging entails rating each unit's discipline, riding ability, showmanship, costuming and floral adornments.

Pa'u princess Luka Ramos trains for Saturday's celebration.

Judges watch to see if participants abide by Kamehameha Celebration pa'u rules, such as: "All pa'u women will use an English saddle. Be gracious, smile and acknowledge the applause with grace, dignity and a slight bow. No waving or shaka signs are to be made by any member of the unit."

This year's pa'u queen is Healani Germano Ramos, a 10-year pa'u veteran, hula dancer and recreation specialist with Kuakini Medical Center. Parade grand marshal is Kamehameha Schools president Michael Chun. Other parade units include bands and marching groups from Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.

Ten former pa'u queens will ride horses while nine queens will be in vehicles. Balfour planned to parade by car until Beryl Hinau, the queen who recruited her into pa'u in 1982, scolded Balfour: "A pa'u queen rides a horse."

When Balfour told her family she had reconsidered and would be on horseback, husband Bill flashed with horror on all the work and money entailed in pa'u.

She recalled, "He said, 'Omigod, you gotta go practice!' " Horse rental for practices can run $20 an hour each weekend. She since has spent $500 and devoted the past six months on pa'u training, planning, designing, arranging, and soliciting flowers and materials.

But, "I knew I would get there (at the parade) and see the ones on the horses and I would start crying, 'I gotta ride that horse, I hafta to be on that horse.' She (Hinau) made me realize ... at time you don't think."

The former pa'u queens will be 26th among 65 units as the tradition of pa'u faces one more threat of extinction after the slashing of the parade's $150,000 state funding.

Because it honors ali'i, or royalty, this parade's strict guidelines for a dignified format preclude advertising; thus, there is little tourism industry support.

"To not have it happen again, to me it's like death," Balfour mourned. "After 80 years, not to have a parade to honor our king is just so sad."

What: 80th annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade
When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday
Where: From King and Richards streets downtown, along King, Punchbowl, Ala Moana and Kalakaua to Kapiolani Park
Admission: Free
Call: 586-0333
TV: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, KITV