For the first season of the newly reborn Hawaii Five-0, CBS is holding a competition for college and university bands across the country. The best rendition of the Hawaii Five-0 theme wins $25,000 for its band program and an appearance on CBS.

How is the winner determined? By your votes. You can vote once a day through Oct. 4. Click here to vote.

If your home school entered the competition, we wouldn't blame you if you voted for them.  

Still, it would be only fitting if the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Marching Band won the competition. The Hawaii Five-0 theme is the university's unofficial fight song. The band plays great, and its multiethnic dance troupe, the Rainbow Dancers, is the prettiest in the country.

You can see video of the University of Hawaii Warriors marching band performance below. But please go to the official CBS site to cast your vote. 

As they say: "Vote early, vote often." Click here to vote.

 

HAWAII Magazine’s 2010 “Best of Hawaii” issue is on sale now!

As always, the annual issue is full of tips and suggestions, straight from our HAWAII Magazine and HawaiiMagazine.com reader ohana and editorial staff, for finding the best our Islands have to offer.

Among the “best” in this year’s “Best of Hawaii” issue? Readers selected their favorite spots on Maui, Kauai, Oahu and the Big Island for a photo opportunity, as well their favorite shave ice flavor, swimming beach, splurge and inexpensive restaurants, retail stores and month to visit Hawaii. Our editorial staff passed along our picks for favorite Hawaiian music albums and favorite Hawaii shave ice toppings.

We even sought out expert advice on best tips for creating beautiful Hawaii photos, best swimming beaches and hiking in Hawaii.

You’ll have to pick up a copy of our 2010 “Best of Hawaii” issue to check out all of our reader and editorial picks, or subscribe to HAWAII Magazine. But here on HawaiiMagazine.com, we’re sharing a few choice picks straight out of the issue. A few weeks ago we posted a list of our editorial staff’s picks for its favorite Hawaii cultural events.

Now, here’s a category we asked our subscriber ohana to weigh in on this year: HAWAII Magazine readers' Favorite Hawaii Hiking Trails.

You’ll find our readers' top pick from Kauai, Maui, the Big Island and Oahu on the following pages.

If you're ready, let’s lace up our hiking shoes, pack sunscreen and lots of water and head over to the Valley Isle for the first of our reader's favorite hiking trails …

 

On the 120th anniversary of Duke Kahanamoku’s birthday, the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation teamed up with Primo Beer to induct the first honorees in the newly created Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame.

The foundation's Ralph Goto said, “Hawaii has a rich history of producing some of the world’s best athletes in water sports, and that tradition continues on today.  We’re excited about paying tribute to the deserving watermen and waterwomen of Hawaii with this inaugural class of nine honorees, all of who have been at the forefront in helping to establish the Hawaiian Islands as the center of the water-sports universe.”

The nine honorees include three posthumous inductions: ocean surfing legend Eddie Aikau, woman surf pioneer Rell Sun (pictured below), and, of course, Duke Kahanamoku (above left).  These are all beloved figures in the Islands.

The other six are well-known veteran Island watermen:

·       Wally Froiseth – Surfing, Canoe Paddling
·       Fred Hemmings – Surfing
·       Buffalo Keaulana – Surfing, Lifeguard
·       Rabbit Kekai – Surfing, Canoe Paddling
·       Keo Nakama – Swimming
·       Nappy Napolean – Canoe Paddling

If you're curious about Hawaii's great tradition of water athletes, the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame is currently housed in a large, glassed-in display area at the Hilton Grand Waikikian.  The new resort is, fittingly enough, right off of Kahanamoku Street in Waikiki.  It's free.

The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation perpetuates Duke Kahanamoku's legacy by providing scholarships and athletic grants to individuals pursuing waterspouts and volleyball in the Islands.  Primo Beer, of course, has a history in Hawaii stretching back to 1897, and donates a portion of profits to support Hawaii's environment and culture.


 

Though some of our readers might think otherwise, it’s not every day I find myself trading a morning behind my desk in HAWAII Magazine’s downtown Honolulu offices for a catamaran cruise off Waikiki. Really.

But some workdays are better than others. And on a recent sunny, blue-skied Friday morning, I was waiting—toes in Waikiki sand—at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s pier for a snorkel-and-sail excursion with Hawaii Nautical.

The Oahu-based activities company offers several catamaran sails in the waters off of the island’s south shore and leeward coast: dolphin- and whale-watching, scuba, stand-up paddle boarding, sunset-and-cocktail sails and just plain hitting-the-water-and-seeing-where-the-wind-takes-us sails.

HAWAII Magazine photographer David Croxford and I opted for Hawaii Nautical’s lunch-and-snorkel sail off Waikiki. The two-and-a-half-hour tour is one of four sails Hawaii Nautical runs daily for the Hilton Hawaiian Village on the resort's Spirit of Aloha catamaran in the warm waters off the world-famous beach and Diamond Head. A Friday-only Spirit of Aloha dinner sail offers an ocean view of the weekly fireworks show Hilton launches from its white sand beachfront.

Our sail promised snacks, lunch, an open-ocean sail and an hour or so of snorkeling at Turtle Canyon, a reef about a mile out from the Hilton Pier, where Hawaiian green sea turtles gather to feed and frolic. The closest I’d previously observed the federally protected species was from shore or the deck of a boat, as the honu rose for air and then disappeared under the waves. So I was intrigued, but skeptical, when a Hawaii Nautical crew member promised we'd find at least a half-dozen honu at one time while snorkeling at the reef.

“Remember to stay at least 10 feet away from the turtles while you’re on the reef,” said Matt, our captain. It is against state law to touch, chase or disturb Hawaiian green sea turtles. “If a turtle approaches you, give it some space.”

Approaches me? I'll believe that when I see it, I mumbled to myself.

Photos and tales from Croxford's and my morning Hawaii Nautical sail start here and continue on the pages that follow:

















 

Alaska Airlines, which launched daily nonstop flights between Portland, Oregon, and Oahu yesterday, will also begin seasonal nonstop service between Portland and Kona on the Big Island on Nov. 12.

The good news for fall and winter Hawaii travelers flying or connecting from Portland? Introductory airfare deals for both routes.

Alaska Air’s daily Portland-Oahu route is launching with one-way fares at $169 for travel now through Feb. 16, 2011. The Seattle-based carrier’s four-times-weekly Portland-Kona flights was announced with an introductory $179 one-way fare for travel between Nov. 12, 2010, and Feb. 16, 2011.

As always, the catch is that you’ll have only a brief window of time to book the flights. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 27.

Flight days and times for the new daily routes are:

• Portland, Ore.-Honolulu, Oahu

Departure: 7:35 a.m. (West coast time)
Arrival: 11:35 a.m. (Hawaii time)
Flight days: Daily

• Honolulu, Oahu-Portland, Ore.

Departure: 12:35 p.m. (Hawaii time)
Arrival: 8:05 p.m. (West coast time)
Flight days: Daily


• Portland, Ore.-Kona, Big Island

Departure: 5:40 p.m. (West coast time)
Arrival: 9:50 p.m. (Hawaii time)
Flight days: Mon., Wed. Fri., Sat.

• Kona, Big Island-Portland, Ore.

Departure: 9:25 a.m. (Hawaii time)
Arrival: 5 p.m. (West coast time)
Flight days: Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat.

Alaska Airline’s Portland-Kona route is a seasonal one, which will end on April 9, 2011.

For reservations and ticket purchase, terms, conditions and blackout dates, visit www.alaskaair.com, or call (800) 252-7522.

 

First, Hawaiian Airlines struck a deal with CBS to premiere the network’s redux of Hawaii Five-0 on the carrier's U.S. Mainland-Hawaii flights all this month, before the rest of the country got to see it tonight. Then, at last week’s Five-0 beach premiere in Waikiki, we scoped a prominently placed Hawaiian Airlines jet in the opening credits, (alongside a shirtless Alex O'Loughlin, no less), punctuated by the grooviest TV series theme in history.

Corporate partnerships clearly have their rewards. But if your wish is to be chilling in Hawaii after the new year, the Hawaii Five-0/Hawaiian Airlines partnership is one you could actually get some serious benefits from.


The Five-0 deals are for travel to Hawaii between Jan. 10 and March 10, 2011. You’ll have to book your reservations between now and Sept. 30, 2010.

Here’s the list of flights and fares:

• Portland, Ore.-Honolulu, Oahu        $308

• Seattle, Wash.-Honolulu, Oahu        $308

• Portland, Ore.-Kahului, Maui        $308

• Phoenix, Ariz.-Honolulu, Oahu        $328

• Oakland, Calif.-Honolulu, Oahu        $338

• San Jose, Calif.-Honolulu, Oahu        $338

• San Francisco, Calif.-Honolulu, Oahu    $338

• Los Angeles, Calif.-Honolulu, Oahu    $348

• Las Vegas, Nev.-Honolulu, Oahu        $378

• Sacramento, Calif.-Honolulu, Oahu        $388

• San Diego, Calif.-Honolulu, Oahu        $408

• Las Vegas, Nev.-Kahului, Maui        $408

• Seattle, Wash.-Kahului, Maui        $422

For more information on Hawaiian Airlines Hawaii Five-0 airfare sale, restrictions, rules or to make reservations, click here.

Mercifully, you won’t have to say, “Book ‘em, Hawaiian Air!” to reserve any of the deals.

 

The two most-popular events of Hawaii’s annual Aloha Festivals celebration are this week.

If you’re on Oahu—particularly if you’re in or near Waikiki—and have never experienced Aloha Festivals first-hand, we’d recommend setting aside some time to experience both of these events:

• Sat., Sept. 18, 2010, 7 p.m.: The Aloha Festivals Waikiki Hoolaulea

The Waikiki Hoolaulea (the Hawaiian word means "celebration") takes spans more than 12 blocks of Waikiki's main drag, Kalakaua Avenue, with live entertainment stages featuring Hawaiian music and hula halau (hula groups).  The avenue will also be stocked with food, lei and craft booths.  The block party is always popular … always a great night in Waikiki.

Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki, between Lewers Street and Kapahulu Avenue

• Sat., Sept. 25, 2010, 9 a.m.: The Aloha Festivals Floral Parade

Waikiki offers the best curbside spots for this colorful assemblage of lavishly decorated floral floats, hula halau, marching bands and mounted pau riders. The parade starts at Ala Moana Park  (on the ocean side of Ala Moana Center) moving down Kapiolani Boulevard and onto Kalakaua Avenue before ending at Kapiolani Park at the end of Waikiki.

Kapiolani and Kalakaua Avenues, Waikiki


Both events are free and open to the public. For more information on Aloha Festivals, visit the Aloha Festivals official website.

The Aloha Festivals, now in its 64th year, is one of Hawaii’s longest-running cultural celebrations. The fest was founded in 1946 as Aloha Week, with its most popular event, even then, a floral parade—back then, meandering through metro Honolulu, too. The celebration was renamed Aloha Festivals in 1991, having long since expanded from seven days into to a two-month, six-island celebration with more than a hundred events.

In recent years, however, Aloha Festivals celebrations have been scaled down to Oahu-only events, mostly due to a drop in funding. (The independent Hawaii Island Festival: 30 Days of Aloha, happening this month on the Big Island, was founded when Aloha Festivals scaled back events on that island.)

An Aloha Festivals Kick-Off Block Party fundraiser was held in downtown Honolulu last month, with proceeds benefiting future fests. But you can attend the next one: the Taste of Helumoa Food & Wine Festival, happens on Sept. 25 at the Royal Hawaiian Center’s outdoor Royal Grove in Waikiki.

Taste of Helumoa is a tasting event featuring food from 10 of the center’s restaurants, wine and a Primo Beer Aloha Festivals ale. Tickets are $45 each. The Royal Hawaiian Center is located at 2201 Kalakaua Ave. Visit the Aloha Festivals website for tickets.

Can't make it to Aloha Festivals this year? Organizers have already set dates for the 2011 fest's big events: Sept. 17, 2011, for the Waikiki Hoolaulea; Sept. 24, 2011, for the Floral Parade.

 

If you enjoy cocktails—and we mean REALLY enjoy cocktails, from taste to how they're crafted—it’ll be a weekend of choices at the Halekulani hotel in Waikiki.

Tropical Hawaii cocktails by the Orchid Pool at House Without A Key? Or learn how to craft a few Island cocktails of your own, and other libations, from some of the best mixologists in the world at the Halekulani’s first ever “Art of the Cocktail” weekend.

For cocktail fanatics, it’s quite a schedule. Events at the Friday through Sunday event include cocktail parties with master mixers crafting their finest original cocktails, learn-how-to-mix master classes, cocktail and home bar discussions and an end-of-the-weekend Bloody Mary Brunch.

Among the cocktail cognoscenti on hand to host the weekend’s cocktail parties and classes, chat with attendees and mix up a profusion of exceptional cocktails will be world-renowned master mixologists Dale DeGroff, Julie Reiner, Tony Abou-Ganim and Simon Ford, Halekulani head bartender Tim Rita and Hawaii cocktail consultant Chandra Lam.

On the Halekulani's “Art of the Cocktail” schedule:

Fri., Sept. 17

• Art of the Cocktail Kick-Off Cocktail Party

6-8 p.m.,
Hau Terrace, $125 per person 

Meet and talk story with the mixologists, while sampling their original cocktail creations, alongside appetizers, live jazz and an outdoor view of Diamond Head and the ocean at sunset.


Sat., Sept. 18

• The Evolution of the Cocktail

11 a.m.-noon, Garden Terrace, $40 per person
A panel discussion with 
Dale DeGroff, Julie Reiner, Tony Abou-Ganim and Simon Ford on the current state of the cocktail arts and expectations for the future. These group is opinionated and erudite, so expect a lively discussion.

• Gin: The Noblest Spirit of Them All?
12:15-1:15 p.m., Kalia Room, $40 per person
Simon Ford gives an overview of the history of gin and hosts a tasting of five gins, while Julie Reiner mixes up a few classic and modern gin cocktails.

• Tequila: The Treasured Agave Distillate

1:30-3 p.m., Garden Terrace, $40 per person
Same concept as the gin class above, but with Dale DeGroff and Tony Abou-Ganim talking up the story of tequila, pouring five tequilas for tasting and mixing tequila cocktails. Bonus? Learn how to make the perfect margarita.

• Island to Island

3:30-4:30 p.m., Kalia Room, $40 per person
Julie Reiner and Simon Ford show off cocktail creations utilizing Island ingredients and flavors (he: representing the U.K., she: representing Hawaii) They craft. You taste. As you might expect given the island theme, we’re seriously excited about this class.

• Stocking and Tending Your Home Bar 

5-6 p.m., Kiawe Room, $40 per person
Tony Abou-Ganim reveals everything you need to know to make cocktails as great as the pros ... in your home—from the bar tools you'll need to ingredients to spirits to mixers and how to use them. At the end of class, you show Tony how much you’ve learned by mixing up your own mojitos and margaritas.


• Cocktail Palooza

8 p.m.-midnight, Lewers Lounge, menu prices apply
The weekend’s full cast of mixologists take turns behind the Lewers Lounge bar to craft their signature cocktails and talk story.


Sun., Sept. 19

• Bloody Mary Brunch

11 a.m.-1 p.m.,
 Hau Terrace
, $75 per person
No pre-mixed Bloody Mary cocktails here. Instead, the Halekulani provides the glassware, spirits and all the ingredients you’d ever need (and a few you may have never thought of) to make your own signature Bloody Mary. The experts will be on hand for guidance. A three-course brunch should further calm any nerves.

Reservations are required for all events, except “Cocktail Palooza”; call the Halekulani at 931-5040 for reservations and more information.

Can't make it to Waikiki this weekend? Just for our HAWAII Magazine readers, we asked three of Art of the Cocktail’s master mixologists—each with considerable Hawaii connections—to share recipes for an original cocktail they’ll be making at this weekend. You’ll find the tasty Island-inspired cocktail recipes—crafted by Dale DeGroff, Julie Reiner and Tim Rita—by clicking on the links below:

• Yuzu Bee by Dale DeGroff

• Pacific Swizzle by Julie Reiner

• Island Lava by Tim Rita


Cheers!

 

The final count in Waikiki last night went something like this ...

More than 5,000 screaming fans sitting on beach towels and goza mats on Waikiki’s Queen’s Surf Beach. A hundred or so Hawaii, Mainland and international journalists crowded along a red carpet rolled out on the sand. Five impossibly good-looking cast members walking said red carpet. Three beaming executive producers. Much local-style pomp. Much local-style circumstance.


CBS hosted the free advance screening of the new Five-0's pilot episode at a special Sunset on the Beach event as a "mahalo" to the people of Hawaii for welcoming the production with open arms (and tax credits). The rest of the U.S. will get to see the debut of the new Five-0 in six days—Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. (Hawaii time), 10 p.m. (East coast/West coast time).

HAWAII Magazine was on the beach from sunset till screening—watching the surf and picture-perfect fall sky while waiting for the Five-0 cast to arrive, tossing questions at the cast once they did, jostling for the best views of the big screen and capturing the photos here and on the next few pages.

We had a great time! Hope it shows.







 

Want to catch the opening episode of CBS’s new Hawaii Five-0 before the rest of the country does AND ogle the series impossibly good-looking cast, live and in person?

More importantly, can you be on Oahu—preferably in Waikiki—‘round sunset on Sept. 13?

Consider yourself invited to the red-carpet screening of the classic Hawaii crime drama’s redux at Sunset on the Beach, right on the sands of Waikiki’s Queen’s Surf Beach. All you have to do is show up early.

Why early? Thousands are expected to converge long before sunset for primo seating in front of the big screen and along the red carpet to catch series cast members Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, Scott Caan, Grace Park, Jean Smart and Taryn Manning arriving. Also on hand—and hopefully posing for snaps, as well—the folks who brought the new Five-0 back to life, back to reality: executive producers Peter Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

Here’s what you get for showing up early:

• 5 p.m.: Live music from Willie K, Makana and ukulele virtuoso Taimane Gardner.

• 6 p.m.: Red carpet arrival by cast, producers, et al.

• 7:30 p.m.: Hawaii Five-0 pilot episode screening.

• 8:45 p.m.: Kurtzman and Orci detail every plot twist from the upcoming third season of Fringe, their other hit TV series.

OK, we're joking about that last one.

Seriously though, the Five-0 premiere is free. It’s open to the public. And if you’re staying in Waikiki already, all you have to do is walk the length of the beach, toward Diamond Head, until you reach the expected throng of other Hawaii Five-O fans.

Can’t make it to Waikiki? You can catch the Hawaii Five-0 premiere a week later, 10 p.m. (East Coast/West Coast time) 9 p.m. (Hawaii time), Sept. 20—the exact date the classic Five-0 bowed on CBS’s primetime schedule 42 years ago.

To hold you over till then, take an advance peek at the final version of the new Five-0’s opening credit sequence below—about a half-minute shorter than the original series opening, with one very prominent placement of a Hawaiian Airlines jet.