One of Ensen’s favorite birthday gifts he received was a Little Champs Sports Center from his Aunty Karen and Uncle Preston. From the video below, could we have a future Michael Jordan or LeBron James on our hands?
-NGK
One of the things I love about living in Hawaii is the golf! We’ve got more than 80 courses to choose from on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Hawaii Island and with warm weather year-round, Mother Nature rarely gets in the way of a round of golf in the islands no matter what season it is.
As a “golf-a-holic,” I love watching golf on television as well. Which is why I’m excited for Big Break Kaanapali (BBK) to start on the Golf Channel in April. I haven’t been following the show that closely as of late, but with the ladies returning to battle it out at Kaanapali Golf Resort on Maui, I have a feeling this is going to be “must see TV.” Kaanapali Resort General Manager Ed Kageyama sent me a sneak peek of the BBK trailer and this season certainly looks like it’s going to include some drama - both on and off the golf course. Click here to watch the trailer yourself.
For a “behind-the-scenes” look at what happened on Maui, visit the Kaanapali Golf Resort’s special page dedicated to the show. I’m was bummed that Stephanie Sparks, who I’ve gotten to know pretty well over the years working with her on HVCB Aloha Season projects, wasn’t part of the show. But life goes on.
And last but not least, from one golfer to another, here’s a couple of great Hawaii golf course resources to help you plan your next tee time:
See you on the greens!
-NGK
[Photo courtesy of Golf Channel/Kaanapali Golf Resort]
Before leaving this morning for work, I couldn’t resist tuning in to ESPN’s coverage of the Capitol Hill hearing pitting the testimony of Roger Clemens against Brian McNamee in this steroids case. After about 15 minutes, I started to wonder how the outcome of this scandal would better the lives of Americans. Afterall, if our Government leaders can spend five hours talking about this subject, it must be important, right? I just hope it lowers my taxes when all is said and done. Somehow, I don’t think it will.
However, just in time for Valentine’s Day, one of the more interesting moments between all the lies occurred when Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) was crushing the credibility of McNamee and then proclaimed Clemens a “baseball titan.” Whose side are is Burton on? I’m sensing a “man crush” here! Check out the YouTube video below. Agree?
What if Brian McNamee IS telling the truth? What would Mr. Burton think of his “Baseball Titan” friend at that point? This is all so ridiculous!
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
-NGK
Filming for the Pro Bowl at the Battleship Missouri.
The NFL Pro Bowl airs tomorrow on FOX (11 a.m. HST) and to ensure Oahu is well represented during the game, I spent yesterday running around Honolulu with Kevin Santos (FOX camera guy) and Brian Wallace (locally hired production assistant) to film a few activities and attractions that will air during the game. The purpose? Make viewers on the mainland wish they were in Hawaii through a series of promotional vignettes that highlight some of the great things to experience here in the islands while showing off the natural beauty of Oahu.
Oh yeah, if you didn’t already figure it out, this was a work project being done for my client the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB). Curious about what/where we filmed yesterday? Here’s the list:
Too bad we didn’t have a bit more time to get to the North Shore to film some of the big wave surfing currently going on right now. Hopefully Kevin and Brian have some time today to get there. The surf is supposed to be pounding!
I’m looking forward to watching a fun game tomorrow on TV and seeing Hawaii in the national spotlight! Hope these vignettes showcase the destination well.
-NGK
Super Bowl Sunday is here and while we’re getting ready to head down to Kailua
to watch the game, some goofing around on YouTube this morning produced the following discovery. Some very creative souls with too much time on their hands simulated today’s game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants by “Tecmo-izing The Super Bowl.” Based on the video game from way back in the day, this is pretty classic. Check it out for yourself. BTW, I like the outcome!
FIRST HALF
SECOND HALF
-NGK
What do you get when a team of public relations and advertising pros compete in an outrigger canoe race and ancient Hawaiian makahiki games? The Anthology Marketing Group (AMG) ‘ohana having a blast at the 23rd Annual Ala Wai Challenge this past Sunday…DUH!
From left: Rhegan Liwanag-Luat, Ashley Pias, Frank “The Enemy from CommPac” Clay, yours truly, and Karl Nakagawa. Amy Hennessey, Keith DeMello, Patrick Dugan, and Karl Nakagawa. Page Gaylord, Dan Zelikman, and the rest of TEAM LCA.
Roughly two dozen of the “finest athletes” from McNeil Wilson Communications, Laird Christianson Advertising, and StarrTech Interactive (all divisions within AMG) woke up very early to brave the morning cold and participate in this one-of-a-kind event celebrating the unique sports only found in Hawai‘i.
From left: TEAM MWC canoe paddlers Wok Kim, Keith, Ashley, Amy, and Karl. Cheering on TEAM MWC as they race into the wind.
There were more than a dozen teams (we had two) representing the hospitality industry who competed in a quarter mile outrigger canoe race along the Ala Wai Canal and in ancient Hawaiian games, including ‘ulu maika (bowling a round stone through pegs), o‘o ihe (spear throwing), moa pahe‘e (dart sliding), and ‘ihe pahe‘e (spear sliding).
From left: TEAM MWC makahiki squad Patrick, Erin Mankins, Rhegan, LeeAnne Mathews, me, and Darcy Maeda. Patrick rolling the ‘ulu maika. Leanne prepares to slide the spear.
From left: Erin in the moa pahee competition. Patrick leads off the spear throwing. Rhegan giving it her all to make it stick.
So how did our teams do? Well…considering we didn’t practice once for any of the events, I’d say we did…ummmmm…pretty good. There were definitely some ringers on other canoe teams that gave them a clear advantage. So our next opportunity to catch up was in the makahiki games competition. But seriously, how good could we expect to do? None of us have played these games since intermediate school or the last time we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center. We gave it our best, but in the end, there were just a few teams a bit more talented in rolling stones, throwing spears, and sliding darts than us.
From left: Darcy letting it fly. Me trying not to look foolish. TEAM MWC’s scoring sheet…aiya…where’s the rest of the points!
From left: LeeAnne and Erin Kinoshita, the MWC PR guru who had to work the event and got all four TV stations to cover the festivities. LeeAnne and Rhegan enjoying shave ice. AMG represent!
There was an area of the competition where Anthology Marketing Group was clearly the winner and that was in “team unity,” “enthusiasm” and “sportsmanship.” The entire AMG team had a great time! Who won versus who lost was inconsequential in the end…thought it was obvious it mattered a lot to one team in particular…not naming names here. If you’re wondering what kind of classless guy talks trash to girls from our firm, just ask anyone on TEAM MWC. We’ll tell you.
Last but not least, mahalo to the Waikiki Community Center for hosting the event and to Chris Tatum, general manager of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, for being a great corporate citizen and sponsoring this great community cause.
I’m looking forward to doing this again next year!
-NGK
No surprise that the New England Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers yesterday to win the AFC title and advance to Super Bowl XLII. Tom Brady has simply been unstoppable this year and with the addition of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte’ Stallworth to the roster, Brady has been extra special. I’m glad to see the Patriots back in the title game this year and will be cheering them on to victory in a couple of weeks.
What would have made this Super Bowl even sweeter is if the Green Bay Packers could have pulled off a victory against the New York Giants. Nothing against the Giants, but how awesome would it have been to see Brett Favre play for another Super Bowl ring at the tender age of 38? He, like Brady, had an amazing year and the chance to see these two future Hall of Famers battling it out would have made for a very entertaining game…in my humble opinion.
But maybe we should have known from the start it was going to be the Patriots and Giants playing for all the marbles on February 3. Just check out the video clip below of Eddie Murphy in Coming to America (one of my favorite movies of all time). He certainly knew years ago what the outcome of the Giants game was going to be before it was even played!
In case you didn’t watch the game yesterday, Lawrence Tynes of the Giants kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime to beat the Packers. Freaky!
GO PATRIOTS!
-NGK
WOW! All this talk and speculation that June Jones may be leaving the UH Warriors football program was something I didn’t expect coming home from the Sugar Bowl. As Warrior fans wait anxiously to find out if Coach Jones is indeed heading to SMU, you can’t really blame him for going to Dallas to hear what they have to offer. It’s been a great nine years with Jones at the helm and I can only hope the legacy lives on for a few more.
For the time being, I’m glued to Stephen Tsai’s “The Warrior Beat” blog on HonoluluAdvertiser.com hoping UH officials are doing everything they can to keep JJ in Hawaii.
Stay tuned…
-NGK
U.H. fans storm the field after the Warriors beat Boise State 39-27. What a great scene!
I’m still recovering from the University of Hawaii Warriors vs. Boise State Broncos game last night. If anyone knows where my voice went, please let me know so I can get it back. All I can say is this was one of the most exciting sporting events I’ve ever been to. Sold out crowd at Aloha Stadium, WAC title up for grabs, Bowl Championship Series (BCS) dreams within reach, and UH’s undefeated season on the line against one of our biggest rivals. You couldn’t ask for more in a game with so much at stake!
From left: Pre-game festivities and a packed Aloha Stadium. Colt Brennan breaks the all-time NCAA TD record. Fans celebrate U.H.’s first WAC title in 29 years.
It’s the first game I’ve been to this year and it did not disappoint. Seats in the blue section on the 30-yard line, Colt Brennan putting up fantasy type stats once again and smashing the NCAA Division I record for career TD passes, the fans up in their seats cheering their heads off, and Hawaii winning its first outright WAC title in school history. The energy and atmosphere was unreal. There’s really nothing like being at the game and seeing it live. A big thanks to my pal Regan for inviting me and to Kelly and Ensen for letting me go.
Kirk Matthews and Linda Coble parked next to us and joined our tailgate. We had some fun!
And like any good fan, we got to the stadium early (at 11 a.m…game didn’t start until 4 p.m.) for a little tailgate action. We met up with Regan’s friends and also ended up spending the afternoon with KHON 2 News Anchor Kirk Matthews and his wife Linda Coble (a former newswomen herself) who happened to park next to us. Good food, plenty of drinks, and excellent company made for a great afternoon.
From left: Lance and Jorie with Kirk and Linda. One cool shirt. Me, Lorne and Regan kicking back.
With the WAC title in hand, the next mission is clear: beat the Washington Huskies next Saturday, go undefeated for the season, and solidify our case for a BCS invitation. If anyone can do it, the Bows certainly can.
CONGRATULATIONS U.H. WARRIORS. BCS HERE WE COME!
-NGK
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