BRIGETTE: DRAGONS WILL BE
HEADING INTO THE WATER OF ALA
MOANA BEACH PARK THIS WEEKEND.
LAUREN: THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL
TAKES PLACE THIS SATURDAY WITH
TEAMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
KAMAKA PILI HAS MORE.
KAMAKA: FOR MANY YEARS, EVERY
YEAR YOU WILL SEE AT ALA MOANA
DRAGON BOATS HEADING DOWN THE
SHORELINE SEEMED WHO WILL COME
TO THE END FIRST.
THIS WEEKEND IS THE NEXT TIME AT
ALA MOANA FOR THE HAWAII DRAGON
BOAT FESTIVAL.
WE ARE HERE WITH ONE OF THE
ORGANIZERS TO FIND OUT MORE.
ALOHA FOR BEING HERE.
KAMAKA: IT IS A BEAUTIFUL
DAY TO
TALK ABOUT THIS EVENT.
WHAT IS THE DRAGON BOAT
FESTIVAL?
IT IS A CULTURAL EVENT.
IN HAWAII, WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR
OUTRIGGER CANOES.
HERE WE HAVE A CHINESE EVENT,
AND ASIAN EVENT WHERE WE HAVE A
DRAGON BOAT WITH 18 PADDLERS
VERSUS SIX.
WE HAVE A DRUMMER, STEERSMAN AND
A FLAG CATCHER.
YES, THEY GO RACING DOWN ALA
MOANA BEACH AND THERE ARE THREE
BOATS THAT GO ONE WAY.
THERE ARE THREE FLAGS PARKED IN
THE WATER.
BESIDE CATCHER ON EACH
BOAT HAS
TO PULL IT ONTO THE WATER TO
DETERMINE THE WINNER.
IF THE BOAT GOES RIGHT BY AND WE
MISS THE FLAG HIM WE HAVE TO
STOP OR GO AROUND AND GET THE
FLAG BECAUSE THAT DETERMINES THE
WINNER.
KAMAKA: THAT WILL TAKE A 10
POINT TURN TO TURN THAT CANOE
AROUND.
18 VERSUS SICK -- I KNOW HOW
HARD IT IS TO WORK WITH SIX
PEOPLE SOMETIMES.
THIS IS REALLY ACKNOWLEDGED
AROUND THE WORLD, RIGHT?
WE HAVE TEAMS FROM JAPAN,
TORONTO,
MAINLAND, NEW ZEALAND,
AUSTRALIA, THEY COME FROM ALL
OVER THE WORLD BECAUSE THEY ARE
EXCITED ABOUT DRAGON BOAT RACING
AND SERIOUS ABOUT IT.
THEY DO IT ALL YEAR ROUND.
IT WILL BE HAPPENING THIS
SATURDAY.
WE START THE FIRST RACE
AT
8:00.
IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY BOATS.
IT WILL END AT 1:00 OR 2:00 IN
THE AFTERNOON.
INVITE ALL OF HAWAII TO ENJOY
THIS CULTURAL EVENT.
KAMAKA: THAT IS SATURDAY, JULY
27 AND IT WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL
DAY.
IT IS A PERFECT DAY.
STAY TUNED ON KHON 2 AT 7:00
ON
KHII.
LAUREN: KAMAKA PILI HEADS INTO
THE WATER TO SHOW US WHAT IS
ABOUT.
KAMAKA: WE ARE GOING TO GET INTO
THE CANOE AND SEE IF WE CAN
PARTICIPATE OR GET A FEEL FOR
WHAT IT IS LIKE THIS WEEKEND.
HAWAII DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL AT
ALA MOANA.
THE TECHNIQUE AND HOW THIS
COMES
TOGETHER FOR THE 18 PEOPLE IN
ONE CANOE, WE ARE HERE WITH
STEERSMAN ED BEHIND ME AND WE
WILL TALK TO HIM.
HOPEFULLY WE DO NOT FALL OVER.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO FALL.
KAMAKA: WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE IN
THIS CREW TO MAKE THIS MOVE AS
FAST AS IT CAN?
THE BIGGEST TECHNIQUE IS
GETTING EVERYONE -- WE HAVE 20
PADDLERS ALL THINKING AS ONE.
IF YOU GET 20 PEOPLE AND THEY
ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT PACE, THE
BOAT WON'T REALLY MOVE.
WATCHING THOSE PADDLES COME OUT
OF THE WATER AT THE SAME TIME
AND DISAPPEAR INTO THE WATER.
THAT IS A REALLY EXCITING
EXPERIENCE.
KAMAKA: HOW LONG IS THE RACE
COURSE HERE?
THE ALA MOANA
RACECOURSE IS
BETWEEN 250 TO 300 METERS.
KAMAKA:
FOR THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF
TIME, WHAT DOES YOUR PRACTICE
LIKELIKE?
PRACTICE IS YOUR AROUND.
IT IS ON THE SAND ISLAND SIDE
OF THE BRIDGE.
WE HAVE A COURSE TO PRACTICE ON.
THAT IS A LOT OF PADDLING FOR
YOU TO DEVELOP STRENGTH AND
STAMINA.
IT IS A REALLY GOOD PRACTICE
COURSE.
ONE LAST QUESTION.
THERE IS A JOB IN THE FRONT OF
THE CANOE.
WHAT IS THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND
HAVING THE DRUM AND BRINGING THE
CREW TOGETHER THAT WAY.
THE DRUM IS THE HEARTBEAT OF
THE DRAGON.
EVERYONE IS FOLLOWING THE
HEARTBEAT OF THE DRAGON AND
TAKING THE ENERGY OF THE
DRAGON'S HEART AND KEEPING IN
SEQUENCE.
KAMAKA: DRIVING A BOAT WITH THE
PADDLES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US AFLOAT
AND NOT GETTING US ALL WET.
IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS THE HAWAII DRAGON BOAT
FESTIVAL TAKING PLACE IS
SATURDAY, JULY 27 AT THE
BEAUTIFUL ALA MOANA BEACH.
THE FIRST RACE IS AT 8:00 SO GET
THERE EARLY.
KAMAKA PILI FOR KHON 2 NEWS.
LAUREN: HOW COOL.