Hana hou for Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e

It was a repeat victory for Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e at the 61st Annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition.

During the awards ceremony following Saturday night’s Group Hula ‘Auana (modern hula) competition Saturday night, the Oahu halau under the direction of na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes were called for first place in wahine (women’s) hula ‘auana for 610 points and third place in wahine hula kahiko (ancient hula) for 591 points.

Their overall score of 1,201 points gave them both the wahine overall title and the group overall win and the Lokalia Montgomery Perpetual Trophy.

It was a narrow victory, only two points, as Kauai’s Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, under the direction of kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin scored 1,199 points to earn them first runner-up in both the wahine overall and group overall competition. In third place in both wahine overall and group overall with 1,195 points was Oahu’s Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela under the direction of na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o.

The kane overall winner, with 1,194 points, is Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, an Oahu halau under the direction of na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla.

Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e won both the overall and wahine overall titles in 2023, as well. And for the fourth straight year, the Oahu halau produced Miss Aloha Hula 2024. She’s Ka‘onohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes, the second daughter of the wife-and-husband kumu team. Tracie and Keawe Lopes have been the kumu for the last three Miss Aloha Hulas, including their older daughter, Pi‘ikea Kekiihenelehuawewehiikekau‘onohi Lopes, who won hula’s most coveted solo title in 2022.

The Tribune-Herald will publish a comprehensive Merrie Monarch wrap-up story in Monday’s edition.

Below are the winners and runners-up as reported from Hilo’s Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium:

• Group Overall

1. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes — 1201 points

2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 1199 points

3. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 1,195 points

• Wahine Overall

1. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes — 1201 points

2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 1199 points

3. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 1,195 points

• Kane Overall

1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 1,194 points

2. Halau Na Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera — 1,190 points

3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 1,177 points

• Wahine Kahiko

1. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 597 points

2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 594 points

3. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes — 591 points

4. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval — 585 points

5. (tie) Halau Mohala ‘Ilima, kumu hula Mapuana de Silva — 582 points

5. (tie) Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka, kumu hula Napua Silva — 582 points

• Kane Kahiko

1. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 590 points

2. Halau Na Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera — 586 points

3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 580 points

4. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes — 563 points

• Wahine ‘Auana

1. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes — 610 points

2. Halau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leina‘ala, kumu hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin — 605 points

3. Halau Mohala ‘Ilima, kumu hula Mapuana de Silva —600 points

4. Hula Halau ‘O Kamuela, na kumu hula Kunewa Mook and Kau‘ionalani Kamana‘o — 598 points

5. Halau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine, kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval, 597 points

• Kane ‘Auana

1. Halau Na Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu, na kumu hula William Kahakuleilehua Haunu‘u “Sonny” Ching and Lopaka Igarta-De Vera — 604 points, winner of tie-breaker with 845 points

2. Halau Hi‘iakainamakalehua, na kumu hula Robert Keano Ka‘upu IV and Lono Padilla — 604 points, 842 points in tie-breaker

3. Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala‘iliahi, na kumu hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes — 597 points

4. Ka La ‘Onohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e, na kumu hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes — 593 points

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com