University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs UC Riverside Highlanders

I don't get it.  Are the University of Hawaii teams on the front line of the gay rights issue?  It's a pretty political statement for a team name, don't ya think?  Anyway, I love it!

Okay, here's what I did on Saturday night in Hawaii.  We're not far from the university so I couldn't help but attend the only men's basketball home game thats happening while we are in town.  I took the bus to the Manoa neighborhood and had a better time than I expected.  Read on.

The Sam Sheriff Center is large.  It seats 10, 000+ and we had a good crowd in attendance - about 6,500.  The crowd was loyal and loud.  

I didn't see many students there, although I know they were in attendance.  They just didn't seem to be in a designated area.  As I approached the arena, I was surprised at the line of cars exiting the hi-way and cueing up to the parking area.  Very good support for the team!  What follows are my game notes.  (Jeff - does this mean I can expense my trip here?  Should I write to Karen with my mileage, hotel, meals etc?  How much per mile again?)

I arrived later than I would have liked, around 7:45, but I caught the tail end of the band lobby show.  They play outside at the arena entrance (naturally).  Here's what I caught: 

Hawaii five-0

Horns leave to go inside while the drumline stays and continues to play. 

4 BD, 2 CYM, 4 SD, 3 Toms

Drumline plays a few cadences including, I swear Mike, K-O!  I was getting my ticket at the time so I couldn't record it, but they played our cadence!  How can that be explained!

Inside, I arrive at 7:03.  I must have missed the anthem because teams are being introduced.  Band plays with trap set, no drumline

Intros. Chord for each player. Weak. Then Hey Song prior to tip.  Familiar.

16:21. Call TO

See the band?  Me neither, but this is a photo of all but the sousa

12-1 UHawaii

Band Plays SBU

Band sits when not playing!

One sousaphone

15:11 media

Pa's

Band plays Hawaii five-0 again with dance and cheer on court for sideline routines

Wacky people "paddling" (don't ask) shown on video board

Drum cheer until inbounds pass

11:40 media

22-11 UHawaii

Pa's

Band. Fight song (I assume)

Drum cheer until inbounds

Observations so far:

cheer at one basket, dance at the other. Male cheer with megaphones. 

Band is centered behind basket!

Drums on platform

They are in folding seats

NO MASCOT! ANYWHERE! 

7:41. Called TO

Band quick bluesy riff then drum cheer (30 sec)

7:15 media

25-16 UHawaii

Pa's

Who needs a haircut contest on video board.  Hilarity ensues

Dj music. "What I like about you"

3:30 Media

43-22 UHawaii

Dance in the stands contest on video board.  They do a video board contest at each media TO so far

Dj music

Dance sidelines routine under basket

I don't like the dance uniforms - dark green cheer style top and skirt.  Long dark green socks.

Halftime

56-30 UHawaii

Fight song. Band has some screaming trumpets!

Cheer sidelines

Pep band gets shout out from announcer.  Nice touch

Musical chairs contest

6 contestants. But there's no music. Students are seated in the chairs on the mid court line, ready, set, GO!  They run to any basket, shoot and return though there is now one less chair.  It was fun and ended with guy and girl finalists.  The crowd roundly booed the guy who was about to sit in the final chair so he gets all cavalier and lets her take the final seat (and win $100!).  Crowd goes crazy

They honor their softball championship team with rings. Wow! one player hit 72 home runs (career) and was NCAA woman of the year finalist!

Jack in the Box indoor blimp (what the...)  Hint: it drops coupons!

Team comes out with flag and cheer leading.  I have to say, I like cheer.  They have white uniforms trimmed with green.  There are more males than females on cheer!

Band plays Hawaii Five-0 a third time

Dj music

2nd half

Dj music to tip

Cheer switches to band side

Dance is gone

I count 8 male cheer, either 4 or 6 female

I move across the arena to see the band better

Band member shakes tambourine during free throw. How does she get away with that?

17:19 called TO

65-38 UHawaii

Cheer does rain-bow cheer

Band plays Can't Turn You Loose. Wait a second, tambourine girl is the conductor!

They show all replays and fans are killin' the refs. The refs made obvious mistakes but they're getting shown up on video board. 

15:36 media

67-38. Man, Riverside is getting killed!

Pa's

T shirt bazooka!  Pandemonium results.  Note cheer and dance

Band plays old 60s instrumental "The Horse"

Cheer: D-d-d defense!

13:42 called TO

Band plays SBU again

Wow!  Drummer did a fill during a free throw!  Right in the players face!

Now the UHawaii coach gets a tech! And his team leads by 35!  He's screaming about something! But the kid misses both shots cause the drummer plays during free throws. I can't believe this!  Crowd goes wild!

11:59 media

75-41 

Band plays hey song

Cheer and dance on floor. Dance is back. Guys hold cheerleaders high overhead and rotate

7:28 media

86-51

Shooting Contest 

Ball lands in the home team huddle because they're seated right next to the contest!

Band play that cool tune we played last year. Starts with a C I think

6:31 called TO

Band plays fight song

Drum cheer until inbounds

3:51 media

92-58

Video car race on video board

Band play another song we did. Minor to major. Can't remember title

:54

Third player fouls out

:35

UH scores 100th point and crowd goes wild!

Final

100- 69 UH

Band plays fight song with dance and cheer on court

Band had about 30 members.  Classes have been in session since Monday so this is their first game of the spring semester.

Alma mater is announced but trombones were on way out!  There is clearly no communication between the band and anyone in game-ops.

Trombones run back just in time to play

Team is on floor, but cheer and dance are gone.  Go figure!

Alma Mater is a predictable slow, hymn like tune.  Nice

Thoughts:

Stony Brook is not only on the right track, you do a damn good job.  I think the coordination and show presented in Pritchard is as good as anywhere.  It is superior to what I saw here.  I though I'd come away with interesting observations and new ideas but I really learned that SB is really doing a great job right now.  Frankly, the band plays very little as you'll notice if you read the notes closely.  I was disappointed with that.  Nevertheless, congratulations to you all for the great work you do.  Keep on keeping on, baby!

Diamond Head

Click here for more Waikiki and Diamond Head photos

Honolulu's most enduring icon is Diamond Head. One hasn't arrived until the great mountain is glimpsed at the far east end of Waikiki Beach. The image is everywhere from postcards, to tee shirts and, of course, ...there it always is!  The sun and moon rise over it and it reflects the sunset.  Even at night city lights and moonlight illuminate it in profile.  I'k like to create photo book entitled "The 24 hours of Diamond Head".  I remember seeing it's visage in photos when I was a kid so it always seems so special to see it in person.  I can't help but be drawn to it.

The great peak is really a part of a 150,000 year old crater formed by a volcano; a volcano that erupted long after the island of Oahu had formed.  The crater itself is nearly a perfect circle and one enters through a tunnel cut through the rim on the north side.  The US Army had fortifications built early in the 20th century as a lookout post and the military still controls most of the property.  But it is a state park and the hike to the top is short and of moderate difficulty.  It's steep with many steel steps from it's military past, but the trail is clean, dry, well marked and busy with tourists.

So +Jeff Barnett , +Shayna Stahl  and +Michael Ayala , here is what I did after our meeting on Monday while you were driving home and here are the photos from the trail:

There's a half mile hike from the entrance to the park to
the crater interior. Here is the crater rim on the right.

A tunnel leads to the crater interior

The trail begins paved, dry and beautiful 

Ascending Le'ahi, the Diamond Head
profile, I can begin to see over the eastern
rim.  Note the tunnel lower left.

The iron piping supported overhead camouflage during wartime

Two other peaks along the crater rim contain old lookouts

Lot's of switchbacks ascending the mountain.....

....and plenty of steps!

At last...the summit!

And the view makes the journey worthwhile!

And I made it down before sunset!

Welcome to Honolulu

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Wed.

First off, the new LaGuardia Delta terminal is fantastic! Lots of high table seating now with connectivity at every table. There is a bar with an iPad placed at each seat. How convenient! You can order drinks and food from your table, swipe your card and voila! It arrives! Prices are quite expensive though. 

Yankee Stadium

Minor delay at the gate which was more than compensated for by a 1/3 full plane. I'm very comfortable at an exit row with lots if leg room. 

We had a smooth takeoff and ascent with clear skies. Great views of Ditmars blvd (James) and of Yankee stadium and the GWB crossing a frozen Hudson River. Beautiful.

George Washington Bridge

Manhattan looking from the north to the south.
Central Park in the center

Thurs

Went out for breakfast and a brief walk to get our bearings. Condo is very nice, but small. We’ll be tight when you get here. It’s a studio, which I think you know. We face inland and we’re on the 15th floor overlooking busy (and noisy) Ala Moana Blvd. We see shade all day but that makes for a very pleasant balcony. It’s a bit of a weird setup with our apartment being at the apex of an angled building so we have a very good view of our next door neighbors (who, in turn, have a very good view of us). They’re clearly living here year round as their balcony is stuffed with stuff (bike, coolers, wagon clothes drier (air) etc).

We arrived around 11pm last evening. Not a great journey as we went NY to Minneapolis to LA to HNL. Never take 3 planes when flying 10 hours. Needless to say, except for the first leg, the comfort level was mild torture.

The beach is behind our condo so all out for sunrise and sunset.  It's the thing to do here.

 

Fri

'Nuther beautiful day in paradise.  Fireworks on the beach every Friday night.  Nice.

Sat.

Lot's of rain so we took in a movie today.  Beautiful evening and Beach Boys concert on the beach to end the evening.