Kamehameha vs. ‘Iolani for the State Basketball Championship


Kamehameha vs. ‘Iolani

That night our friend, Dallas’s fellow Kamehameha Schools classmate, Monte came to pick us up at our hotel. The Kamehameha boys basketball team was playing ‘Iolani for the state championship at the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. Last year Kamehameha lost the final game to ‘Iolani, so a lot was on the line.


Kamehameha Cheerleaders

We met up with a bunch of Dallas’s old classmates and some of their kids. Everyone was super excited. This was a big game.

Throughout the game the score was pretty close, within a few points. But then in the 3rd quarter Kamehameha went up and ‘Iolani could not get with it. Kamehameha ended up winning 64-53.

Monte took this horrible photo of us after the game (my camera’s fault, not Monte’s!):


Front: Healoha, Donovan, Dallas, Rachelle, Shannon, Keone. Back: BJ & Pam

After the game we went out to celebrate. Monte took us to a nearby sports bar called Rock Bottom (not the chain). Dallas’s classmate Alika was there and it was nice to see him again. At some point we were ushered into a seperate space and karoke began.


Nakanishi Twins on the left, wearing leis

That’s when I noticed we were partying with VIPs. Jessie Nakanishi, the Kamehameha Schools head coach, his twin brother and assitant coach Julian, and a few of the other Kamehameha Schools coaches were all there with us celebrating. Pretty crazy. The Nakanishis were one year behind Dallas’s class at Kamehameha schools. I was just watching this interview with Jesse. He looks so young!


Likelike Drive Inn

Later on that night, early in the morning, Monte took us to Likelike Drive Inn for breakfast. This place reminded me a lot of the Wailana Coffee House, a late-night spot we went to last time we were in town.


Monte, Rachelle


Loco Moco

I don’t know what Dallas and Monte got, but I dove into my loco moco with record speed! It was so delicious. Especially at 2:30 a.m.!

Holunape at Aku Bone

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Holunape at Aku Bone, Honolulu

Holunape
Holunape at Aku Bone, Honolulu

That night we went out to a locals bar called Aku Bone where one of Dallas’s classmates, Kekoa was playing with his band Holunape. The band plays traditional Hawaiian music and consists of a ukulele, a guitar and a stand-up bass. Kekoa plays the bass. Actually… er.. here he’s the guy in the middle playing guitar. He was mostly playing bass, though.

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Monte, Dallas, BJ :: Aku Bone, Honolulu

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Monte, BJ, Kilo, Keone, Dallas :: Aku Bone, Honolulu

We timed our trip this year so that Dallas would be able to attend his Kamehameha Schools alumni week. The event at Aku Bone was not an official Kamehameha reunion event, but many of Dallas’s friends from Class of ’94 were there, as well as many Kamehameha alum from other years. The table next to us was full of Class of 1940-something alumni, which was kind of like drinking with your grandparents, but also very cute because the old-timers got up a lot to hula. Kilo and Monte, from Dallas’s class, did a hula. At one point, the older ladies next to us were kissing Monte and putting money in his pants! It got a little crazy.

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Kilo, Brandy, Lani, Hoku, Monte, Dallas, Nalani, BJ :: Aku Bone, Honolulu

This was the first time many of Dallas’s classmates had seen each other in 15 years. Dallas has a special bond with the students from the outer islands because they all had to board in the dorms on campus and spent every waking and sleeping minute together for many years. Dallas says he’s lived with some of his classmates longer than he lived with his own brother and sister. It was neat to see them all together again.

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Kamehameha Schools Class of ’94 :: Aku Bone, Honolulu

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Kamehameha Schools Class of ’94 :: Aku Bone, Honolulu

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Kamehameha Schools Class of ’94 :: Aku Bone, Honolulu

Oh, and I didn’t realize it at the time, but Kekoa’s band Holunape is quite accomplished. The following week when we were in Maui the 32nd annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards were held. These awards are given out by the Hawaii Academy of the Recording Arts and are the equivalent of the Grammys, but for Hawaiian music only. Holunape was nominated in four categories. They won the award for group of the year, and their album “Ahea? ‘Ano!” won for Hawaiian album of the year. You can listen to clips from the album at mele.com. (Mele = Song). Later when we were in Kauai at Borders we tried to buy the winning album but they were all sold out. We did see their previous album on the shelf, though.

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Holunape CD at Borders :: Lihue, Kauai