HULA HOʻIKE
2018 Annual Nūpepa
What is this nūpepa and why should I read it?
A message from the HULA Board President
There were a few lineup changes this year in the Hawaii Ultimate League Association Board of Directors (BoD). We said goodbye to some of the community’s long-standing favorites and welcomed five highly recommended recruits while managing to hold on to Phil for a little bit longer.
Outgoing directors are Dave Strang, Courtney Gill, Paul Phillips, and Sean Munnelly. Mahalo for all of your time and efforts serving on the Board! Incoming elected directors are Kee Campbell, Colin Morgan-Outhisack, Steve Atwell, Steve Aguilar, Jena Kline (returning), Philip O’Mara (reelected). Each one is an outstanding member of the community and we are excited to have them on our BoD team!
The 2018-2019 roster is as follows:
President: Marissa Lubong
Vice President: Michael Albanese
Treasurer: Michelle Swan
Secretary: Nadine Wolff
League Liaisons: Kee Campbell, Colin Morgan-Outhisack
Small Events Coordinators: Steve Atwell, Alex Simpson
Members: Rachel Lindsay, Steve Aguilar, Jena Kline, Philip O’Mara
On behalf of the BoD, mahalo for your continued support of HULA! We can’t do it without all of our community ohana!
- Marissa
HULA Board Update
HULA Storage
HULA owns lots of equipment that gets utilized throughout the year at our leagues and tournaments. If you weren’t aware, Mondo Chun personally stored, organized, and maintained this equipment for about thirty years! When he had to move in 2017, it was the Board’s job to evaluate our options for a new storage facility. Traditional storage units are quite pricey and not optimal for our needs, so we thought outside the box. We purchased a Matson container and placed it on the farmland directly behind the polo fields in Waimanalo. We now pay a yearly storage fee (some of your HULA dues go to this) and can access it whenever needed.
HULA Equipment
Each year we replace old and broken equipment.
Insurance
We carry insurance that you may utilize should you get injured while playing at a HULA event. You may utilize this as your primary or secondary insurance post-injury.
Outreach
We fund small events throughout the year for the community. This year we funded the High School Tournament, Wahine Weekend, Tweedle Beetle Beach Battle, The Flyin’ Hawaiian, and Hawaii State Championships. If you have an idea for a small event you can apply for an Aloha Grant (up to $500)!
We offer HULAships to community members who may not have a lot of funds to participate in our annual tournaments, Hopu Ka Lewa and Kaimana Klassik. The Board reviews all applications and will waive part or all of deserving applicant’s registration fee in exchange for volunteering at the tournament.
Treasurer's Report
Greetings HULA Community,
We have moved to Quickbooks for our accounting, which allows us more detailed financial management and reporting, as well as easier tax filing going forward. As you can see from our Profit and Loss for calendar year 2018 through December 1, 2018, our net income is ($340.33). Note: our net would have been positive at $614.03 save for one late expense from 2017 submitted in 2018 for $954.36.
League fees and HULA dues made up the vast majority of our income this year, with additional income from disc sales and a small bump from Hopu Ka Lewa for expenses paid from the HULA account in 2017. Large expenses included HULA/Aloha Grants, insurance, league expenses, and rental fees for our storage space in Waimānalo.
Due to the likelihood of more limited income from Kaimana Klassik and Hopu Ka Lewa moving forward, the Board of Directors is keeping a close eye on actuals to the budget we developed in 2017. It is highly likely that the budget will need to be revised and our move to Quickbooks will help us greatly in that regard.
In summary, we’re holding our own and our overall financial health is good. We’ll look into some not-scary investment opportunities (e.g. certificates of deposit and high-yield savings) in 2019.
Me ka mahalo,
Michelle (Swan)
HULA Volunteers of the Year
Del Nguyen
Mahalo Nui Loa!
Vu Le
HULA League Recaps 2018
HULA currently runs three leagues per year; Spring, Summer, and Fall. These leagues usually last between six and eight weeks with a one-day final tournament at the end. The success of our leagues relies upon the dedication of our own players who volunteer their time to commission and captain teams for the leagues.
Thank you to our league commissioners and captains, who did a great job running the leagues in 2018. We had excellent participation, plenty of fresh faces, very good spirit, and awesome league parties. The next league will be Spring League 2019 which will be announced in January or February so keep an eye out. If you are interested in captaining or commissioning a league, please contact any member of the board. Thanks and see you on the field at league!
Spring League
Theme: Darkness – Spring Night League
Location: Kapiolani Park
Dates: 3/16/18 to 6/2/18
Commissioners: Kristen Shaw & Steve Atwell
Teams/Captains:
- Blue Moon: Sten Larson & Martis Artis
- Electric Dream Machine: Fighter of the Dayman: Macey Sandford & Krishna Rengan
- GLOWFlicks: Alex Simpson & Nadine Wolff
- PINK CLITTER GLITTER GANG: Christine Kline & Zach Cantor
- Slammie Jammie Jams: Liv Wheeler & Brian Wright
- Dark & Stormy: Jena Kline & Kyle Gerschutz
Finals: Dark & Stormy beat Electric Dream Machine
Finals Party: Ong King slumber party to the sweet tunes of DJ Globes
Summer Beach League
Theme: Summer Lovin!
Location: Sherwood Beach Park, Waimanalo
Dates: 6/17/18 to 8/12/18
Commissioners: Becca Salwin & Brittany Cheatham
Teams/Captains:
- Blue Crush: Jordan Little & Ryan Little
- One Night Stand: Kelly Molnar & Brian Wright
- Seans: Sean Munnelly & Sean Ormsby
- SHIP-FACED: Marissa Lubong & Steve Aguilar
- The Royals: Eve Teeter-Balin & Aaron Summers
- Young Love: Jaclyn Wataoka & John Black
Finals: Played at Waimanalo - SHIP-FACED beat Young Love
Finals Party: After rain ruined the planned beach party, Matthew Travis & Bryan Colburn offered their home for an epic pool party!
Fall League
Theme: HULAween
Location: Kapiolani Park
Dates: 8/3/18 to 11/3/18
Commissioners: Chris Cook
Teams/Captains:
- Boos and Booze: Alex Simpson & Steve Aguilar
- Drag’Ons: Marissa Lubong & Phil O’Mara
- Extra-Interstellar: Macey Stanford & Sten Larson
- Vamphula: Liv Wheeler & Peter Young
- Disney Pride: Jena Kline & Rachel Lindsey
- Sexy and Brown: Colin Morgan-Outhisack & Kyle Gershultz
Finals: Played at Kapiolani – Disney Pride beat Extra-Interstellar
Finals Party: Hosted by Bill Sumrow and Chris Cook at their brewery (which opens in 2019 as Broken Boundary Brewery) with DJ Globes
Finals Costume Contest Winners: Sexy & Brown with an epic Reno 911 group costume dance and special shout out to the beautifully choreographed dance routine by Disney Pride.
Kaimana Klassik & Hopu Ka Lewa
Kaimana Klassik XXXI - "Under The Sea"
Kaimana Klassik XXXI was definitely one for the record books. 32 open and women’s teams were playing and partying their hearts out when torrential rain began on day two and didn’t stop. Soon we were up to our knees in water with dragons and kegs floating away. But did we let the flood stop us from partying?! No way! Within a few hours hundreds of participants were at Hawaiian Brian’s eating, drinking, and dancing at a pretty epic party. Monday provided a beautiful beach day for pick-up games and delicious tacos supplied by Tito’s Taqueria and Mooseknuckle.
A HUGE mahalo the Tournament Director Rachel Lindsay, the Kaimana Kommittee, and the many volunteers for coming together and making a disastrous situation into a memorable one.
Hopu Ka Lewa - What the Future Holds
Be on the lookout for an Official Hopu Ka Lewa announcement on our website:
Hopu Ka Lewa
HULA Sponsored Small Events
Wahine Weekend
The 2018 Wahine Weekend was hosted by the amazing Rocky in late January. The weekend kicked off with a group dinner at Little Village down in Chinatown, then continued on Saturday with drills, working on our skills, and a fantastic scrimmage. Saturday night we tried something new and conquered a fun Buti yoga workout.
On Sunday we treated ourselves to a beach day over at our beautiful spot in Waimanalo for some beach ultimate and spikeball. The weekend was filled with laughs and amazing Wahine bonding! We can’t wait to see what future Wahine weekends will have in store for us. Look for our next Wahine Weekend in January 2019!
Post-Kaimana Hilo Hat Draw (a.k.a. Brooke's 40th Birthday)
As always, the Big Island put together an epic and exciting Hat Draw for players from all over. After surviving torrential rainstorms at Kaimana Klassik, players headed to the Hilo Hat Draw in hopes for drier conditions but were greeted with more rain and mud. Luckily, playing in the rain means epic layouts and water fights, so there was plenty of fun to be had. Here are some fun facts about the Hat Draw:
- Tournament Director: Joel Brunger
- Number of Teams: 6
- Number of players: about 75
- Amount of rain: about a metric $&%# ton
A huge Mahalo to the Auth family for providing their home in a last minute effort to rescue the party when the original spot flooded out and thus ensuring that Brooke got to celebrate his 40th Birthday in style.
Thank you to the Hilo Ultimate Community Kommittee (HUCK) for putting on such an amazing event!
Kaneshiro-Atwell and Three Witches Hate Draw Tourney Ft. Justine
Lots of Love at Big Island 2018 Hate/Hat Draw
Hilo, Big Island - On April 28-29, 2018, Big Island ultimate hosted the third-annual hat draw at the Bayfront Fields in Hilo. Under expanded leadership, the newly-named tournament, the Kaneshiro-Atwell and Three Witches Hate Draw Tourney Ft. Justine, included approximately 40 ultimate players from Big Island, Oahu, and Maui, with approximately 15 HULA members making the trip.
At the start of the one-day tournament, namesakes Jess Kaneshiro, Steve Atwell, Justine, and an honorary captain drafted their teams. Enjoying the draft, Steve Aguilar liked “the whole backyard picking teams style.” He added, “Stand in line, hope you don’t get picked last.”
After round-robin pool play, where each team suffered loses, the two top teams came down point differential and faced off in the final with Team Bust A Lip (pictured), taking home the championship. In true good-natured spirit, awards were given to individuals on each team for Most Pulls Out of Bounds, Least Valuable Player, and Spirit.
At the end of play, teams heavily decked out in eye shadow came together at the “Emo Extravaganza” tournament party. The party, hosted by Bryson Grygier & Amy Lynn Kuhar in Volcano, offered the opportunity for party-goers to stop off at Volcano National Park for a night viewing of the rising lava lake.
The following-day, attendees enjoyed exploring the Big Island, hiking to Narnia, and checking out South Point and Green Beach. Macey Sandford summed up the tournament stating, “The Big Island Hate Draw is like no other because of the community that it fosters. Not only do you get to play great ultimate with friends that you don’t see or play with often, but you get to spend the whole weekend on an active volcano.” Sandford said, “I think I’ll remember that for a long time.” Also, reflecting on the tournament, Justine added, “No hate, lots of love, and if you attend, this tournament could feature you!”
Youth Ultimate Clinic
Middle and High school students from all over Oahu convened at Kapiolani Park this past May for a day of ultimate Frisbee fun sponsored by HULA. Island Pacific Academy, SEEQS, ‘Iolani, Le Jardin, and Kamehameha schools were represented and HULA volunteers led strategy discussions and drills. HULA mentors and students scrimmaged both in a hat draw format and as school teams. Congratulations to Island Pacific Academy for winning the upper school championship and to SEEQS who won the spirit award. Thanks to all the volunteers who came out to coach and run hard against the kiddos all day!
Stay tuned for another one this spring!
Hawaii State Championships 2018
After Saturday’s games, Oahu’s teams earned the top three seeds, but no teams were perfect:
#1 Don’t Fear the Creeper (4-1)
# 2 Azucar (4-1)
# 3 Zipper Lane (3-2)
# 4 Deer in the Strohblight (2-3)
# 5 Hucking Faoles (1-4)
#6 Inter(course) Island (1-4)
Breaking down the match-ups, Zipper Lane handed Don’t Fear the Creeper its lone loss. Azucar’s loss came at the hands of Don’t Fear the Creeper. Zipper Lane lost to Azucar and Hucking Faoles. And, Inter(course) Island notched a win against Hucking Faoles.
The double-elimination Championship Sunday was held at the stunning Kula Park. Inter(course) Island captain Brian Wright noted, “The first day the fields were right at the beach, but the second day was amazing. The fields offered an amazing view of the island.” After Saturday’s games, #1 Don’t Fear the Creeper and #2 Azucar earned first-round byes. Hence, the day opened with #3 Zipper Lane defeating #6 Inter(course) Island on the upper field. #4 Deer in the Strohblight defeated #5 Hucking Faoles on the lower field. In following round, Azucar overcame a 7-6 deficit to defeat Zipper Lane 8-7 on universe point. On the lower field, with a win, Don’t Fear the Creeper put a dent in Deer in the Strohblight’s championship dreams.
In the backdoor bracket, on the lower field, Deer in the Strohblight knocked Inter(course) Island out of the tournament. On the upper field, Zipper Lane bowed out after falling to Hucking Faoles. Hucking Faoles then exacted revenge with a win over Deer in the Stohblight, earning a berth into the backdoor finals.
In a finals preview, Azucar sent Don’t Fear the Creeper to the backdoor final. Don’t Fear the Creeper then handled Hucking Faoles to force a rematch with Azucar in the State Championship final.
As finals got underway, and following Big Island’s example the previous year, Maui generously served up fresh loco mocos. In the final, Azucar jumped out to a sizable, early lead. Don’t Fear the Creeper battled back late to narrow Azucar’s lead to 8-6. But, it was too little, too late, with Azucar seizing the championship.
Reflecting on the tournament, Azucar’s Jena Kline expressed her gratitude, stating, “The Maui crew were super gracious hosts.” Kline also “loved the two different venues.” She said, “It was awesome to hop in the water after day one and the epic views and extra lift on my throws made day two just as great.” Overall, “States was a unique experience, you could see the difference in styles of play between the islands, but the spirit and sense of community was shared among every team,” said Don’t Fear the Creeper’s captain Sten Larson. Wright also added, “There's no better feeling than to meet new people from the other islands and really become a family in just two days.” Deer in the Strohblight’s Keoki Cooper shared Wright’s sentiments, “The energy and spirit from all teams were exceptional. The weather and fields reminded me of the good ol’ Waimanalo days.”
Looking to next year, the 2019 Hawaii Ultimate State Championship will be held on Kauai. Though the date is still to be determined, Kauai organizer Aaron Feinberg said, “Kaua‘i Ultimate is excited to have the [Hawaii Ultimate State Championship] come to the Garden Isle next summer. Our program has been growing steadily and the community is excited to welcome everyone and throw down like we know how.”
Flying Hawaiian State Championship Disc Golf Tournament
The 2018 Flyin’ Hawaiian Open was held at Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Gardens September 22 & 23, 2018. This year’s Open was a Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) Tier C event. As we have in the past, HULA provided a $300 Aloha Grant to the Honolulu Disc Golf Association (HDGA), who sponsors the event. HULA’s very own Mondo Chun (a.k.a. The King of Kaimana) received a well-deserved Hall of Fame award from HDGA at the event. For more information on disc golf events on Oʻahu, check out the Honolulu Disc Golf website.
Tweedle Beetle Beach Battle
Sunday rolls in, after a relaxed morning, Trees to Seas facilitated a beach clean up that removed 80lbs of plastic from Waimanalo Beach! Games finished with Team 5 being victorious! After the awards ceremony, where Enrique and Rocky won the Aloha Spirit Awards, Keneke's provided wonderful food. The party was epic! Dine and Colin walked away with Boat Racing Trophies, DJ Globes jammed out, and good times were had by all around.
Monday started with Spikeball! 6 nets and 15 teams chomping at the bit. After pool play, tournament brackets are filled and Brittany and Rachel, with matching Lisa Frank-esque outfits, are crowned Champions! Cricket starts later than planned to leave 4 teams battling it out! Middle cups being hit, early starts, and great defense made the games full of entertainment. Eventually, after round robin and bracket play, Colin and Steve vs Pug and Kevin ended up being the finals. Pug and Kevin, both visiting, end up victorious! With the completion of finals, the cleanup was fast and efficient.
A HUGE mahalo to all of you for making Tweedle such a success.
Pick-up Games on Oahu
10 Reasons Why You Should Play Pick-up
Blow off some steam after a long day! (It’s good to run around after adult-ing at work.)
Try different positions! ;) (Practice all the things! Like that lefty cross field upwind thumber you’ve been trying to get game ready forever…)
Gorgeous Hawaiian sunsets! (#luckywelivehi)
Feel like a badass again! (… because you’re marking the new guy who doesn’t own cleats yet.)
Get in your daily push-ups if you drop the pull! (It’s a thing. Drop the pull. Drop and give us 10. Keep the disc.)
Scout players for your next league/Hopu/Kaimana team! (See Reason #7.)
Get scouted for your next league/Hopu/Kaimana team! (See Reason #6.)
Cardio! (Kinda…)
Friends on friends on friends on friends! (Hang out with established players in the community and meet people who moved to the islands literally the day before or who are passing through on a visit.)
A beer at Shirokiya afterward! ($4 pitchers for days!
Hope to see you out there!
Upcoming Events
2nd Annual Savage Santa Hat Tournament
When: 12/15/18 10am-4pm
Where: Honolulu, HI
More info: Facebook Event
Register: http://hawaii.ultimatecentral.com/e/2nd-annual-savage-santa-hat-draw
Santa is coming to Hawaii and is ready for some flatball! Join us at Kapiolani Park on Saturday, December 15th at 10 AM for a day of food, prizes, and getting ho-ho-horizontal. To spread more holiday cheer, all proceeds earned will be donated to support high school ultimate on Oahu. The format is a semi-savage 5v5 8 team tournament. The gender ration is 3M/2F and each team has 2 subs, 1 male, and 1 female. Because of this format, registration will be capped at 56, 32 men, and 24 women. If you need another reason to register early, the tournament fee is $15 before December 1st and $20 after. Admission is $10 for high school participants. The schedule and teams will be released the night before the tournament. Spread the word, and get in the holiday spirit!
Saturday, Dec 15, 2018, 10:00 AM
Kapiʻolani Regional Park, Paki Avenue, Honolulu, HI, USA
Wahine Weekend
When: Tentative Dates are January 12/13
Where: Honolulu, HI
More info: Check out the Hawaii Women's Facebook Page
Saturday, Jan 12, 2019, 09:00 PM
TBD
Pre-Kaimana Hilo Hat Draw
When: 2/16/19 - 2/17/19
Where: Hilo, Hawaii
More info: Hilo Hat Draw
Register: Ultimate Central Hilo Hat Draw 2019
Come and join us here in beautiful Hilo, Hawaii for fun, frolic, and Frisbee. We will have food, beer, and entertainment for your enjoyment. We have secured a special spot on a local farm for camping and our parties. The tournament format will be a coed hat draw that encourages players of all levels to join.
While you are on the Big Island, you should plan to take a few days to explore the sights. such as; Volcanoes National Park, Kapoho Tide Pools, Lava Tree State Park, Mauna Kea summit, Akaka Falls, Waipio Valley, South Point, Green Sands Beach, Hapuna Beach and that is just to name a few! Aloha!
Saturday, Feb 16, 2019, 09:00 AM
Hilo, HI, USA
Kaimana Klassik 32 - Welcome to Waikiki
When: 2/22/19 - 2/24/19
Where: Honolulu, HI
More info: Kaimana Klassik
Register: Ultimate Central Kaimana Klassik 32
Kaimana Klassik will be held at beautiful Kapi‘olani Park with play taking place under the iconic Diamondhead Crater. Kapi‘olani Park is located right in the heart of Honolulu next to gorgeous Waikiki and Kaimana beach, a local favorite!
Start your Kaimana pre-party Thursday evening, February 21st, at Waikiki hot spots or with a brewery bike tour. Games will kick off Friday morning, February 22nd, and continue through finals on Sunday afternoon, February 24th. Between games take a dip at Kaimana beach and in the evenings stroll the streets of famous Waikiki. We will provide exciting evening entertainment at select venues in town Friday and Saturday night, with a closing ceremony party Sunday evening. There are ample places to stay nearby including hotels, hostels, and Airbnb. Breakfast and dinners will be provided Friday through Sunday. Lunch vendors will be available daily.
Friday, Feb 22, 2019, 09:00 AM
Kapiʻolani Regional Park, Paki Avenue, Honolulu, HI, USA
Hawaii Ultimate League Association (H.U.L.A.)
Email: president@hawaiiultimate.com
Website: http://hawaiiultimate.com/
Location: Honolulu, HI, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2516052186/