Puna Butay took home the Miz Kaua‘i Tita title during the 2008 pageant Friday at the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort. “What being a tita means is that as a strong-willed woman, a tita is ready for anything,” Butay said. Competition
Puna Butay took home the Miz Kaua‘i Tita title during the 2008 pageant Friday at the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort.
“What being a tita means is that as a strong-willed woman, a tita is ready for anything,” Butay said.
Competition was fierce but friendly among four contestants in categories: Who’s Dat Tita, How U Gonna Ack, Grab-n-Grind, Bump-n-Grind and Tita Walk-n-Talk.
Other contestants included Dayna Ng, Esther Figaroa and Kamei Trinque.
“All who have participated as contestants in this pageant over the years are fantastic ‘tita,’” said Master of Ceremonies Chanel Flores, a 2005 Miz Tita Kaua‘i winner.
The evening featured a premiere showing of the video “She’s a Tita” produced by Ariki Foster, a performance by Boom Shakalaka Maka and a song by Terri Russell, last year’s pageant winner.
An event unique to the island, Miz Kaua‘i Tita Pageant Coordinator Jodi Omo announced 2008 to be the final year.
“The board is always experimenting with ideas that bring our local community and cultures together, and decided that this five-year run was worthwhile but time to close,” said Omo, president of the Malie Foundation, the nonprofit organization that promotes the event.
Trophies and cash prizes were awarded to all contestants. Sponsors of 2008 Miz Kaua‘i Tita Pageant included the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, county of Kaua‘i Office of Economic Development, and Kauai Hilton Beach Hotel.
