Ms. Aloha Nui will be named Friday evening. ADVERTISING Ms. Aloha Nui will be named Friday evening. For the five Hawaii Island women vying for the title, participating in this unique pageant is an opportunity to provide another definition of
Ms. Aloha Nui will be named Friday evening.
For the five Hawaii Island women vying for the title, participating in this unique pageant is an opportunity to provide another definition of beauty, one that goes past physical appearances and straight to the heart.
“The Ms. Aloha Nui pageant was created to honor the women of great stature in the traditional manner in weighing in at 200 pounds and over and those women who personify the spirit of aloha,” said Leiola Garmon Mitchell, pageant coordinator. “Many women in our Hawaiian monarchy were of great stature, embodied the aloha spirit, and cared for the people and were loved by the people. The Ms. Aloha Nui honors the women of today and the women of yesteryear.”
Ms. Aloha Nui is a signature event of the Hawaii Island Festival, a monthlong celebration perpetuating Hawaiian culture and heritage. The pageant has been around since 1993 and had been part of the Aloha Festivals, Garmon Mitchell said.
This year’s theme is “I ka wa ma mua, I ka wa ma hope — The future is in the past.” For Garmon Mitchell and the festival committee, it’s a reflection and acknowledgement of the importance of history.
“Our past is rich with knowledge and tradition. Much of who we’ve become and who we are is a reflection of those who came before us,” she said. “As we move into the future, we will reflect upon our past and embrace the teachings and knowledge granted us from our kupuna. The foundation they have in place for us will continue to support and guide us as it has for so many generations. Celebrate the past and embrace the future.”
Judges will rate the contestants on their interviews, talents, evening attire, aloha attire, stage presence, posture and poise. Ms. Aloha Nui, the first runner-up and talent winner will be crowned Friday in the Naupaka Ballroom at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort. The grand prize includes $500 from the Hawaii Island Festival, as well as a two-night stay at Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay, with meals at Rays on the Bay. There are also gifts from area restaurants and businesses.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts an hour later. Executive Chef Jayson Kanekoa and his staff will be serve an array of pupu and grinds, including boiled peanuts, laulau, kalua pig, rice, mac salad, lomi salmon and poi. There will also be Hawaiian music. Tickets for the pageant cost $10; festival ribbons are $5 each.
Preparations by the all-volunteer pageant staff and the contestants began in July, Garmon Mitchell said.
“What is great about our Aloha Nui is in the title which literally means lots of aloha. To do what we do every year, year after year, that is what you need,” she said. “Everyone has a special piece of the puzzle, and when it is put together and finished, then it is complete. It is not just us as committee chairs or board members or co-sponsors that make it happen, it is everyone — the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort, their employees, contestants, musicians, large and small business owners and local organizations. It takes a community to do what we do and that’s what makes our event with the Hawaii Island Festival amazing and special.”
Originally from Pahoa, 38-year-old Waikoloa resident Debra Kaluna moved back to the Big Island roughly two years ago. Her sister encouraged her to participate in Ms. Aloha Nui. Participating in a pageant is sort of a bucket list item, Kaluna added.
Since age 18, Kaluna has struggled with eczema, a skin irritation characterized by red, flaky skin, sometimes with cracks or tiny blisters. She used to hide her body under sweatshirts and sweatpants, self-conscious about her condition. It took her a while to accept and bravely display her “battle scars.”
Because of her employment the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort, Kaluna said she was familiar with Ms. Aloha Nui and initially skeptical. However, the more Kaluna, a cashier, hostess and room service worker, learned and got involved, the more she appreciated this event and its intention.
“If you live in Hawaii, whether Hawaiian or not, you should do your part to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture out of respect for the place you live in,” Kaluna said.
To compete, Kaluna had to stop her attempts to lose weight and instead maintain a weight temporarily. For years, the buxom beauty had been between 230 and 240 pounds. Prior to becoming a contestant, she was close to reaching her goal of being under 200 pounds. She still plans to pursue that goal once the pageant is over. Besides the perpetuation of culture, Kaluna likes how Ms. Aloha Nui is all about acceptance of self and others, as well as celebrates inner strengths.
For the talent portion, Kaluna plans to sing a Hawaiian hymn. Singing is something she has done throughout her life and enjoys doing regularly in church.
Kaluna thanked her family, friends and coworkers for their ongoing support. She also expressed gratitude for her greatest support system — her husband of 13 years, Kaipo. She added, “Even when I had my pedicure, he patiently waits for me.”
Jessica Kunishige, 29, is a returning contestant who plans to dance hula. The Hilo resident has been diligently preparing for Ms. Aloha Nui while running 808cakes, being a certified nurse assistant and working toward a cosmetology license. She’s grateful for the enormous support and help received from her family, including her husband and mini pageant coach daughter.
For the self-described tomboy and sports lover, the pageant not only brought out her inner glamour girl, but Kunishige also discovered how people saw her now. Growing up, Kunishige said she was always bigger than the rest of the keiki and was often teased. Standing onstage last year, she found greater confidence, took tremendous pride in who she is, and experienced so many positive relationships. In the end, she was respected.
Through her participation, Kunishige hopes to inspire attendees, especially young girls and boys, to always be themselves and to be proud of their differences, including their size, race, hobbies and talents. What Kunishige enjoys most about the pageant is its mission to keep Hawaiian history, culture and traditions alive. She is proud to have the privilege to pay tribute to the past queens whose great stature was matched with their super-sized aloha, goodness and grace. Kunishige also enjoys the sisterhood experienced with the other contestants, all of whom she described as amazing. Whenever the group gets together, humor is commonplace, laughter ensues and it’s loud, she added.
Betty Jose-Brannam of Keaukaha is also a returning Ms. Aloha Nui veteran as she competed in the 2011 pageant. The 52-year-old foster mom and day care owner decided to compete this year to “help show how aloha nui is real.” She thinks it’s important to “malama and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture,” as well as be proud of who you are and your heritage.
Jose-Brannam particularly enjoys how this pageant celebrates women and is “a real confidence-booster.” She plans to dance hula at this event.
Messages left for contestants Jasmine Kupihea of Hilo and Donna Acdal of Honokaa were not returned as of press time. They could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
For more information about the pageant, go to hawaiiislandfestival.org.
