Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e,under the direction of na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes, were the big winners Saturday night at the 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival.
The Oahu halau, which also produced its third consecutive Miss Aloha Hula this year, took first place in wahine hula kahiko (ancient hula) and wahine overall to earn the Lokalia Montgomery Perpetual Trophy as the overall winner.
In fact, the top three overall halau in the group hula competition were all wahine.
Three halau from Hawaii Island —Halau Hula ‘O Kahikilaulani and Halau Ka Lehua Pua Kamaehu from Hilo and Halau Kala‘akeakauikawekiu from Kailua-Kona — competed, with Kahikilaulani bringing both kane and wahine dancers. None, however, placed in any category.
The results from the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo are as follows:
Overall Winner
1. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes, 1231 points
2.Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 1230 points
3. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin, 1229 points
Wahine Overall
1. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula , 1231 points
2.Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 1230 points
3. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin, 1229 points
Kane Overall
1. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Parades, 1217 points
2. Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 1215 points
3. Ka Leo O Laka I Kai Hikina O Ka La, kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad, 1206 points
2. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla, 1160 points
Wahine Hula Kahiko
1. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes, 617 points
2. Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 615 points
3. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval, 614 points (won tie-breaker)
4. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o, 614 points
5. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin, 613 points
Wahine Hula ‘Auana
1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla, 617 points
2. Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin, 616 points
3. Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 615 points
4 . Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes, 614 points
5. Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval, 609 points
Kane Hula Kahiko
1. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Parades, 609 points
2. Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 606 points
3. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes, 598 points
4. Ka Leo O Laka I Kai Hikina O Ka La, kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad, 590 points
Kane Hula ‘Auana
1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla, 619 points
2. Ka Leo O Laka I Kai Hikina O Ka La, kumu hula Kaleo Trinidad, 616 points
3. Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera, 609 points
4. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Parades, 608 points
See Monday’s edition of the Tribune-Herald for a full story on the 2023 Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition.
