KOLOA — The Marriott Waiohai Beach Club earned top honors in the float judging and a second place in the decorated vehicle categories en route to capturing the overall top prize winnings Saturday at the historic Koloa Plantation Days parade
KOLOA — The Marriott Waiohai Beach Club earned top honors in the float judging and a second place in the decorated vehicle categories en route to capturing the overall top prize winnings Saturday at the historic Koloa Plantation Days parade and park celebration.
“Did you shop there?” Kainani Viado, the perennial queen of the Waiohai, asked from atop the float depicting Yamamoto Store, currently occupied by Crazy Shirts. “My favorite was the dried cuttlefish.”
Flanked by a corps of blue-shirted associates passing out goodies to the audience, the vivacious Troy Lazaro, usually found crooning atop the Waiohai unit, traded in his microphone for a sack of goodies, threading between the thousands of people lining the main streets of Koloa.
Second place in the float division went to Koloa School, whose principal, Debbie Lindsey, served as the parade grand marshall and its ‘Ukulele Band, with Niles and Aileen Kageyama gracing the Kuku‘ula Development float which ended third in the float judging.
Koloa School’s float featured Dr. Seuss characters distributing books among the throngs of spectators while The Cat in the Hat kept everyone amused with its antics.
The vintage vegetable truck featured in a TGI Wheels section earned Esaki’s Produce top honors in the decorated vehicle. The utilitarian truck was transported back in time as walkers distributed fresh oranges while its banner touting the Sugarloaf pineapple nudged spectators toward Sueoka Store where the low-acid fruit is featured in its produce section.
“I remember those trucks coming around to take order and deliver,” said BB Choy, an FM97 on-air personality and voice for one of the announcing stations.
Second-place honors in the decorated vehicle was awarded to the Marriott Waiohai with Na Hoku o Kaua‘i beauty queens getting third-place honors.
“Peace and Love from the Homegrown Riders” featuring Mainland girls who have made Kaua‘i their longtime home captured the judges’ hearts in the mounted unit judging.
Keiki, watching their parents riding horses and rounding up cattle, longed for the day they, too would have a horse of their own. The theme of CJM Country Stables, home to many of Kaua‘i’s rodeo events, earned the crew led by Jim and Joyce Miranda to a second-place finish in the mounted unit judging followed by the large contingent of the Kaua‘i Keiki and High School Rodeo Association getting the third-place nod.
“Today, I’m going to represent Chang’s Bus Service,” said David Chang, whose family dates back to the early days in Koloa and the manju store with delicious custard pies and sweet bread.
Chang joined Gordon Higa who didn’t know what was in the ulua which bent his pole over so much to become part of Malama Maha‘ulepu. Malama Maha‘ulepu earned top walking unit honors.
“We’re the yellow bumblebees,” said kupuna Janet Kahalekomo of the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa.
The yellowshirts swarmed around an outrigger canoe bearing its kaikamahine paddler to earn runner-up honors in the walking unit with the Koloa Union Church getting third place.
The parade, 27 years old with Aunty Stella Burgess at the helm for more than 15 of them, was headed by Arryl Kaneshiro. Kaneshiro’s complement of lei went well with the orange “staff” shirt as he rode the customized golf cart with Burgess to monitor the movement of more than 60 units through the streets lined with several thousand spectators.
The parade was followed by the celebration in the park, featuring the U.S. Navy band from Pearl Harbor, Tsunami Taiko, Frank Delima, Augie T and hula from Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina‘ala, recent Keiki Kane winners at the Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Hula Contest.
Two more events in the 2012 Koloa Plantation Days celebration remain today: the Family Fun Run/Walk hosted by the Kukui‘ula Canoe Club starting at 7 a.m. at the Po‘ipu Beach Park, and the Keoki’s Paradise “Ukes in Paradise” Keiki ‘Ukulele Competition starting at 10 a.m. at Keoki’s in the Po‘ipu Shopping Village.
Visit www.koloaplantationdays.com for more information.
