By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
The women of Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila,
who once danced for the late Mae Loebenstein, took
third in the 'auana competition.
Pu‘uanahulu takes
By Kekoa Catherine Enomoto
festival’s top honors
Star-BulletinHILO -- Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu captured the overall championship at the 35th annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition last weekend in Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium.
The Kalihi-based halau won the Lokalia Montgomery trophy, a $1,000 Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau scholarship and a trip for 15 to a Japan hula festival by pulling away from the field by 28 and 20 points in women's and men's competition, respectively.
The Pu'uanahulu women scored a festival-high 1,182 points, and an event-high 596 points in women's 'auana (modern) competition. However, only four points separated first through third places in the highly competitive women's 'auana division.
The three-day contest was dedicated to the late kumu hula Mae Ulalia Long Loebenstein. She passed away shortly after her Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila won overall honors last year.
Her granddaughter, Maelia Loebenstein, led Ka Pa to second place overall for women with 1,154 points. She said the showing made her feel, "Ecstatic, I feel at peace. It was the whipped cream. Grandma and I always used to have hot fudge sundaes and fight for the cherry. This was the cherry.
"Coming onto the stage for the first time (without Grandma) was horrific," recalled the 28-year-old Loebenstein, who was introduced as kumu hula in an emotional moment. "But she was there, she was there," Loebenstein said of her grandmother, "and the girls did beautiful. They just glowed with what they loved."
Also, Na Mele Hula 'Ohana of Oakland garnered a popular award for a mainland halau -- fourth place in men's kahiko. Kumu hula Mark Ho'omalu said he chose a chant with Hawaiian sovereignty ideas from 1895.
"My goal is to have kanaka-ville in America, to have someplace for (Hawaiians) to go and feel easy and not abandoned," said the pigtailed Ho'omalu, whose unique military-cadence chant style and drill team-like choreography thrilled Friday's audience.
"The prize is to understand that Hawaii is extended," Ho'omalu said. "If I can make a message through dance, then I have done something."
Big Isle favorite son Jay Jay Akiona and his Ku Kanaka O Kona, a first time participant, scored third in men's 'auana with a lively depiction of holoholo ka'a (cruising) to Kaupo, Maui.
The 31-year-old Akiona said he felt "Ha'a and ha'aheo' -- humble and proud."
Merrie Monarch results
OVERALL WINNERS
Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, kumu hula William Sonny Ching, Honolulu
Wahine
1. Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, 1,182 points
2. Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila, kumu hula Maelia Loebenstein, Honolulu, 1,154
3. Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, kumu hula Aloha Dalire, Heeia, 1,144
1. Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, 1,163 points
2. Na Wai 'Eha O Puna, na kumu hula Thaddius Wilson and O'Brian Eselu, Wai'anae, 2. 1,143
3. Halau Hula O Kahikilaulani, kumu hula Ray Fonseca, Hilo, 1,086
KAHIKO (ANCIENT STYLE)
1. Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, 586 points
2. Halau Hula O Kahikilaulani, 574
3. Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila, 562
4. Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, 551
5. Halau Hula Olana, na kumu hula Howard and Olana Ai, Aiea, 549
1. Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, 587 points
2. Na Wai 'Eha O Puna, 552
3. Halau Hula O Kahikilaulani, 545
4. Na Mele Hula 'Ohana, kumu hula Mark Ho'omalu, Oakland, 533
'AUANA (MODERN STYLE)
1. Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, 596 points
2. Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, 593
3. Ka Pa Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila, 592
4. Halau Hula Olana, 568
5. Halau Hula O Kahikilaulani, 566
1. Na Wai 'Eha O Puna, 591 points
2. Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, 576
3. Ku Kanaka Kaua O Kona, kumu hula Jay Jay Akiona, Kailua-Kona, 551
4. Hula Halau O Kamuela, kumu hula Paleka Leinaala Mattos and Kunewa Mook, Kalihi/Waimanalo, 546
