Royal Lahaina Resort 2780 Kekaa Drive Lahaina, HI 96761 808-661-3611

http://www.hawaiihotels.com/Main/Sub.cfm?Id=113&Ref=HHR

The Royal Lahaina Resort was built in 1962 and is still going strong as a Kaanapali vacation destination. Nestled along the Kaanapali strip of resorts, but on the Honokowai (North) side of Black Rock, and full of old school charm. They have recently stepped up their entertainment and committed to a concert series kicking off with Five for Fighting in April and Toad the Wet Sprocket in May. Their latest announcement is the renovation of their lawns, and the opening of the Oceanfront Barefoot Bar. Gary Hogan, President of Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts says, “The time was right to update the existing oceanfront bar and refurbish our beautiful expanse of oceanfront lawn.  Interestingly the shuffleboard court was brought back to life after years of dormancy…now our guests are loving the chance to get up and play bocce ball and shuffleboard while enjoying a fresh hand mixed drink or cold draft beer.”

The Oceanfront Barefoot Bar is a perfect place to take a Pau Hana effort, I don’t think there is a bar with better views of the beach and ocean. Turn down to Keka’a Drive by the Fairway Shops and hang a right, and drive down to the self parking area, or valet park. Kick the shoes off and enjoy their handcrafted sangria with pineapple and Bacardi gold, or the chi with coconut cream, basil and Ocean Vodka. While local liquor laws prevent you from wandering off premises with your drink, you can leave the cocktail and take a quick dip in Kaanapali’s gorgeous ocean. Kick your shoes off and your bare feet will enjoy the gorgeous lawns and gaming areas. Tom Bell, Director of Operations of Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts says, “If its your first time visiting definitely try a Mango Margarita. Its perfectly balanced, the sweetness of the mango coupled with the heat from the fresh serrano chili is over the top refreshing. Pair that with our pupus like the Seared Ahi Tacos served on a crispy shell with ancho chili, or Mahi Cakes with ginger and Maui onion.”

FRESH! starts at 8pm at I’o, at 505 Front St. Lahaina, HI 96761, 661-8422

It is going to be so fun tonight at Fresh. The vibe at 505 at I’o is so chic and chill at the same time. I caught up with I’o's General Manager, Solana Tao to ask her about their new cocktail menu and what it was all about.

JR: what are you most excited about on the new program?

ST: The ability to thin out all the extra liquors in our bar and focus on the local ingredients to enhance and create the chemistry in our libations. Use hand selected specialty liquors to give true depth and history. One example is an absinthe rinse in our house Manhattan recipe glass before we pour the cocktail in. Another is activating a fresh sprig of O’o Farm rosemary in our “Chi”,   house version of a tropical chichi. Amazing!

JR: Are you featuring any new spirits that you haven’t had before?

ST: Yes. Working with Joey Gottesman from Better Brands has been a treat, bringing on a new absinthe and St Germaine liquor with elderflowers. But really our focus is to thin out flavored filler liquors and bring in the best of each category and put them together clean and well balanced. Each drink working on the perfect chemistry and farm to drink flare.

JR: Is there a theme to the drinks?

ST: Balanced, fresh and clean.

JR: Will future wine clubs at I’o be featuring cocktails?

ST: I would like to, it raises the energy in the room. Not just cause of the different libations available but with someone creating a fresh item in the room with island ingredients laid out and shakers going, it’s a blast.

JR: what kind of pupus are you planning?

ST: I still feel like not enough people know how great our new menu is, I would like to show it off. The format of the menu is so updated to modern style of eating, all kinds of diners will find their senses and dietary needs met.

Princess and the Pea

I am not sure what I should be more excited about, the champagne, or what Chef David Paul will be pairing with the champagne. David Paul’s Sommelier Mark Du Mez, Better Brands Anthony Moore, and Southern Wine & Spirits James Wadsworth will be hosting and they have a lot of bubbly to pour. End your February with a bang or a pop in this case.

I love champagne so I cannot wait for this event. Chef David Paul’s pairings are always out of the box, I am hearing truffle popcorn, oysters with Champagne sorbet. I am begging the powers that be for more details but I guess we will have to be surprised on Monday.

Here are the details:
February 28th 2011
6:30 pm Reception
7:00 pm Dinner
4 Course Dinner with pupus to start
Paired with various labels, including: Nicolas Feuillatte, Vilmart, Tattinger, Bollinger, & Piper Hiedseik
$125++ per person
Diva Discount DOES apply! (15% off)

This friday’s Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa is hosting their third annual Fall Festival of Wines, starting at 7pm on Friday, Nov. 5th. Each guest of the Fall Festival of Wines will receive a souvenir wine glass and be entered to win great door prizes from around Maui. There will also be a silent auction on site. Auction items include two night stays at the Sheraton Keauhou, Sheraton San Diego, and Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. Other auction items and door prizes include certificates to Tropica, Pulehu, Kobe Steakhouse, Old Lahaina Luau, Hard Rock Café, UFO Parasailing, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Leilani’s, Maui Jim, The Spa at Black Rock, Flatbread Pizza Company, and Outback Steakhouse.

Some of the wines featured are Ferrari Carans Chardonnay, Whitehaven Sauvingon Blanc, Yangara Shiraz Mclaren, Freemark Abby Viognier, and Apothic Red Blend. This year Maui Brewing Company beer is also featured as well as a select group of Sakes. You can enjoy their line up of wine, beer and spirits with tastings from the Chef. A platter of salami, mortadella, prosciutto and cheese and fruit, edamame, spicy ahi poke, hummus, breads, chicken medallions, meatballs and more will be offered. Sheraton is also offering special room rates so you may make an evening of it.

The Fall Festival of Wines raises funds for the Maui Youth and Family Services. Jud Cunningham, CEO of Maui Youth and Family Services said, “We are extremely appreciative of the staff of the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa for selecting Maui Youth and Family Services for their annual benefit. The current economic status has made it very difficult to make ends meet for the services the community needs and it really means a lot to have the business community step up for us.”

Maui Youth & Family Services is active in the Hawaiian community through programs such as emergency shelters, outreach interventions, outpatient substance abuse treatments, therapeutic foster homes, drug prevention, pregnancy prevention, and many more services.

The entire event is organized and managed by the interns as a community service project. Samantha Clavey, Food & Beverage Intern, says, “This event has been a lot of fun to plan and I am very excited to see how everything turns out. Each year the Fall Festival of Wines gets bigger and better so I’m sure this year will be no exception. Maui Youth and Family Services is a great cause and I’m happy we are able to help.”

This is the third year that the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa has hosted the Fall Festival of Wines, and the second time that the event has benefited Maui Youth and Family Services. Last year the event was very successful, collecting over $2,000 for the cause.

Saturday at Club House Cafe in Kaanapali

This is my chance to check out the Club House Cafe, while I cheer on Hilo Boy BJ Penn against his current nemesis Frankie Edgar. Its a greatly anticipated fight, since Edgar shook the foundation Penn stood on and stole his title. REMATCH!

Click here to view the embedded video.

No cover before 1pm, $10 after. UFC 118 starts at 4pm.

Just in case all the fight action isn’t popping, the Cazadores Tequila specials, 7 Tiki and Torched Cherry Rum and wine specials will keep the party interesting.

See you there!

2290 Ka’anapali Pkwy, Lahaina, HI 96761 (808) 667-5911
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Mai Tai Me Up

Kailua Kona Town Early Morning

Amy Day, Mixologist, Lahaina Grill, Juan Coronado, Bacardi Brand Master, Liz Gaudzels

The Royal Kona Resort at the south end of Kona

Ahhhh, Kona, Hawaii. You think sleepy little Kailua town on the big island. Think again. Once a year the town wakes up in a wash of Bacardi rum when the Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival kicks off its weekend competition. With top mixologist talent showing up from all across the state, and international participants and judges like William Ramos from Bacardi, Puerto Rico, and Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Rum expert, the town goes all out. But here is a little secret, Kona is packed with fun bars and cantinas, a charming and easy walking distance to the Royal Kona Resort where the Mai Tai Festival is held. It makes it the hot spot place to party once a year in August. For this year’s Second Annual crowning of the king of Mai Tais, the event stepped it up a notch with a concert with Third Eye Blind, food booths and tasting contest, entertainment by Henry Kapono and Eric Gilliom, ten thousand dollars and mai tais as far as the eyes can see.

Willie Ramos, Brand Master, Bacardi; Joe Fairchild, Better Brands; Juan Coronado, Bacardi Brand Master Apprentice during the opening reception at the Royal Kona Resort

The festivities began with an opening Friday evening reception including a meet and greet with Third Eye Blind, that gave way to a DJ Brad Hargraeves dance party. I knew I was in the right place when I noticed all of the Brad Parker art in the lobby, they had his originals and prints for sale in the lobby gift shop. The Mai Tai bar has over ten different mai tais available, and its built over a lava jetty so there is ocean all around you. A perfect polynesian tiki bar setting, replete with beautiful big tikis. Third Eye Blind drummer Brad Hargraeves rocked the spot till the wee hours. His drum sounds flowed over his dance mixes, while we tested the Bacardi waters with many cocktails. We took the late night crew on a few walking distance pub crawl missions, Lu Lu’s, Humpy’s, and Rosa’s Cantina.

Third Eye Blind (@3eb) with Julie Henderson, Mixologist, Kahale's Beach Club; Photo Courtesy of Kevin Olson

Da Braddahs came out to check out DJ Brad Hargraeves

Kelii Heen shows off the Cazadores Belt Buckle Bling at Lu Lu's

Chris Teves, Mai Tai Judge, Hawaii Beverage Guide

Blair Anderson, Mixologist, Mala Ocean Tavern, and wife Ashley

Battle of the Barbecue

Battle of the Barbecue

If there is one thing Big Island can do its pulehu. There was mad skills out for Saturday’s Battle of the Barbecue tasting. Eric Gilliom performed stage side while folks got to sample fine meats slathered in homemade barbecue sauces from the likes of Roy’s, Big Jakes, Huli Sue, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and more. Big Jakes BBQ was People’s Choice winner and Jackie Rey’s was voted Best by the Judges.

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On the sippable side was Kona coffee sampling, with lots of home farmed, small batch coffee’s to try (good for sagging eyes and aching heads). After a night out on the town in Kona there is nothing like taking a dip in the ocean. The salt water, partially man made, partially nature intact pool at the Royal Kona Resort is fantastic, there was nothing like it that I have ever seen at a resort. Other festival goers tried beaches down the road and reported swimming with turtles. The ocean is certainly wild and full of life here. Later at the Mai Tai Bar poolside Henry Kapono warmed up the mai tai crowd and the mixologists got ready to roll.

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Beachbum Berry‘s Rum-ology

Beachbum Berry offered an awesome opportunity in the insight of the mai tai mystique and the history of Don the Beachcomber with his seminar “Tiki’s Big Daddy: The Life and Drinks of Don the Beachcomber.” Jazzed up with demonstrations of three rum cocktails including the mai tai and zombie, Beachbum is a walking rum cocktail encyclopedia and historian. According to the Bum, Don the Beachcomber was ahead of his time about 70 years. Now we can understand the intricate stylings of his rum cocktails, the food pairing vision and his tiki art themed restaurant as a pop culture phenomenon not truly appreciated during his own time. Donn Beach’s, as he came to be known, palate was right on the money with strong tropical drinks made with fresh locovore ingredients served alongside of “polynesian” inspired but mainly asian influenced cuisine. Donn Beach, the creator of the international marketplace in Waikiki is perhaps the unrecognized predecessor of our own very popular beachside bars that mix lava flows and polynesian themes with pupus. He passed in 1989, but lucky for us his mai tai lore lives on in Beachbum Berry’s books and recipes.

The Competition

With $10,000 on the line the mixologists brought out all their stops. Judged on presentation, nose, palate, finish, balance, creativity, and true to form the mai tai could earn up to 350 points. They had just seven minutes to prepare their drink and serve it with memorable flair. Judges sniffed, scrutinized, sipped, and scored. Some mixologists stripped, some forfeited, and some served up amazing concoctions that wowed the judging panel that consisted of William Ramos, Bacardi Brand Master; Juan Coronado, Bacardi Brand Master Apprentice; Chris Teves, Publisher of Hawaii Beverage Guide; Eric Gilliom, of the Barefoot Natives, and BeachBum Berry, author and rum expert. Joey Gottesman, Hawaii’s expert mixologist, emceed and narrated the event. Maui had five mixologists vying for the prize, Julie Henson from Kahale’s, Blair Anderson and Ryan Burden of Mala Ocean Tavern, Amy Day of Lahaina Grill, and Jeff Felice of Pailolo at Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas. (For more on the preliminary Bacardi Mai Tai Mix Off held on Maui Click Here)

The Contestants
Christian Self
Brice Ginardi
Amy Fujiwara – Greenleaf
Christina Maffei
Jeff Felice
Jessie Klinger
Leah Snyder
Jesse Greenleaf
Tim Rita
Jana Raqual
Blair Anderson
Garrett Gresham
Ryan Carvalho
Brian Flynn
Amy Day
Bryan Oakley
I’lona O’Brien
Ashley Schenk
Ron Davidson
Craig Tabandera
Cary Peterson
Julie Henson
Ryan Burden

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There was some stiff competition with money on the line, and in the end it was Christian Self, with his white shirt black tie and shades on, from ThirtyNineHotel who took the top score with his amazing Mai Tai Twist. Looking like a secret service agent of molecular mixology he whipped up the judges favorite with a finesse worth ten grand.  He made a mai tai on the rocks topped in foam taking the flavor notes of lemongrass and lime and combining them with Bacardi rum, serving it with a gelee of the same flavor notes minus the liquor served in a saimin spoon. Judge Juan Coronado said of the winning drink, “If you closed your eyes and took a sip it was identifiable as a mai tai, when you opened your eyes to look at it it was 3-D with texture, lemongrass, lime, the foam. He created a complex cocktail with all the hard labor and delivered it with balance.”

Judge Beachbum Berry said, “I liked the way Christian applied the principles of modern molecular mixology to the Mai Tai — deconstructing the classic 1944 recipe into a solid gel, then pairing it with his own very contemporary interpretation of the drink, which tasted balanced, layered, and complex, but not too fussy.” You can check out his experience at the ‘Fest in his blog post titled Kona Coasting, where he shares his top 5 Mai Tai contest recipes.

Gallery of Christian Self below courtesy of Kevin Olson, all rights reserved:

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Brice Ginardi, owner of the coming-soon OkoleMaluna Tiki Bar in Kona, came in a close-but-no-cigar second. I was surprised to find that he used Maui’s own Haleakala Distilleries Okolehau liquor in his Mai Tai Twizzle recipe. He’ll be featuring other cocktails with Okolehau on his menu as well. “When we heard of it becoming available, we bought a bottle as soon as we could,” Ginardi says. “Immediately we noticed it has a very sweet, herbal aroma and a grassy, complex flavor. It tastes very smooth, and we first enjoyed it just as a sipping liquor. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I wanted to make it part of my mai tai recipe for this year’s contest.”

For those of us with some Okolehau in the cabinet, Ginardi was kind enough to share this recipe:

After Christian’s crowning the crowd reassembled itself outdoors to enjoy Third Eye Blind under the stars and right next to the ocean. The audience was full of people singing along. The band said they were staying a while and working on a new album on the Big Island, and even treated us to a new song or two. Lots of mixologists went out to celebrate losing that night, while Christian flew back to catch his shift at ThirtyNineHotel.

For the bartenders that still had two legs to stand on there was a boat trip out of Kona bay to turtle heaven with some of the judges and festival crew. Juan Coronodo and Keli’i Heen, of Better Brands, got up early to make a Bloody Mary mix from scratch which was exceptional. I furiously took notes as I sat at a table with Beachbum Berry and Willie Ramos discussing all things rum. Fancy bottles, old school collectors in New Orleans and passionate debates on chromatographic lab results ensued. “Everyone asks me what my favorite rum is,” Ramos said. “What rum am I drinking? But that means nothing, that is only what I like. Everyone’s palate is different. What may be the best rum to me is not going to be the same thing for you.” I realized I have a lot of rum tasting ahead of me.

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From ono eats to beautiful scenery to excellent company, balance was what this weekend was all about. That, and some really good mai tais.

For more photos on the event check out the the TGIF post: http://tgif.staradvertiser.com/archives/6651

and http://tgif.staradvertiser.com/archives/6868

Vimeo Vid posted by Hawaiian Ryan is Fantastic:

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Left: Ricky Supnet, Wendy Augustine, Ryan Burden, Jeff Felice, Dia Asada, Joel Fleck, Eric Martinez, Sasanna Babashoff, Julie Henson, Blair Anderson

You can’t be a bartender in Hawaii with out knowing the Mai Tai. While some may despise the drink,  others are willing to turn it into a creative outlet which I bore witness to at last week’s Mai Tai Mix Off preliminary competition at the Royal Lahaina. Ten bartenders went head to head in five seven minute rounds with their own personal recipes. The top three competitors will get a place at the Second Annual Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival held on August 14 at the Royal Kona Resort.

Judging Mai Tais, Its a Difficult Job But these guys are up for it From Left: Eric Gilliom, Chuck Bergson, Joey Gottesman, Sommer Meyer

Burdened with the hard job of tasting and scoring, judges Joey Gottesman, Better Brands, who also emceed the rounds, Eric Gilliom, Barefoot Natives, Sommer Meyer, Bacardi and Chuck Bergson of Pacific Radio Group did the major lifting.

The Competitors and their drinks:

Wendy Augustine, Tai Mai, Haliimaile General Store, Makawao, HI

Blair Anderson, Kamaaina Mai Tai, Mala Ocean Tavern, Lahaina, HI

Dia Asada, Summertime Mai Tai, The Fairmont Kealani, Wailea, HI

Sasanna Babashoff, “3 Tai”, Three’s Bar and Grill, Kihei, HI

Ryan Burden, Kipona Aloha- Mai Tai, Mala Ocean Tavern, Lahaina, HI

Jeff  Felice, Maita’i roa ae, Westin KOR, Lahaina, HI

Joel Flack, Full Boat, Royal Lahaina & Maui Brewing Co, Lahaina, HI

Julie Henson, Maihitotiatini, Kahele’s Beach Club, Kihei, HI

Jason Kashtan, Mai Tai Flip, Canoe’s Restaurant, Lahaina, HI

Eric Martinez, POG Tai, Four Season’s Maui, Wailea, HI

Ricky Supnet, The Peoples Mai Tai, Royal Lahaina, HI

Its good in the winner's circle, Jeff Felice, Blair Anderson, Ryan Burden

Blair Anderson from Mala Ocean Tavern in Lahaina took top honors with his Kama’aina Mai Tai. His recipe featured a very familiar combination the flavors of pineapple and orange, lime but he mixed it up with flavored Bacardi Limon and Bacardi O and Select, and featured a pineapple wedge infused with Bacardi coco, and a cocito garnish, a resulting understated but spectacular flavored drink. Anderson says he will have it available at Mala Ocean Tavern if you want a taste. Ryan Burden, also of Mala Ocean Tavern, was a close runner up with his Kiona Aloha Mai Tai. His concept was to create an organic, natural Mai Tai, and in doing so his 7 minutes on stage was a show stopper. He pressed his sugar cane juice on stage and ran off to the side to hack open a coconut with a macheteto harvest fresh coco water and young meat. His Mai Tai was creamy and dreamy. Also going to Kona to compete is Jeff Felice, from the Westin KOR, his Mai Tai featured fresh mint and local ingredients, but the highlight was his pineapple spear garnish that he designed a face out of raspberries and lime.

Above: Jeff Felice of Westin's KOR below: Julie Henson, Kahale's Beach Club

Julie Henson, Joey Gottesman and Julie's assistant who narrated

Julie Henson from Kahale’s Beach Club took away the People’s Choice Award. Her Maihitotiatini was a mash up between the Mohito and the Mai Tai and the Martini. Served in a Martini glass with plenty of mint flavor, her presentation included a narration of a the story behind the drink. From Kihei’s new Three’s Bar and Grill, Sossanna’s 3-tai featured an unusual garnish of red pepper and candy ginger, Bergson’s take on it, “The first taste is fruity flavor and you get a bit of the sugar rim, then I took a bite of the ginger for a new dimension of the drink. Then you bite into the pepper for the grand finale.” The full boat by Joel Flack, from Maui Brewing Co and Royal Lahaina, was a fruit smoothie sort of a Mai Tai. Fresh berry ice, thai basil, muddled frozen strawberries all contributed, along with the rum, the resulting Mai Tai acidic on first sip, but after a few moments the flavors bound together and smoothed out.

Torched Cherry Cocktail Anyone?

In between the competition rounds DJ Dan spun summer tunes that kept the Bacardi flowing. Bacardi launched a new flavor of rum, Torched Cherry which debuted here. In between Mai Tai’s I got a taste. On the cutting edge with flavor trends, Aloe is an up and comer and Bacardi has infused that flavor with Cherry. The rum is easy to mix and will bring a new meaning to Cherry Coke. When I first heard the name, I envisioned the aloe was “torched” or grilled or heated in some way to bring out flavor. However that is not true, the torched actually refers to the torch aloe, a particular plant. I tried it here with sprite and cranberry both flavors took a back seat to the cherry which came on strong, but not too sweet. It was quite good, like a spiked shirley temple. Gordon Chisholm, Brand Director of Flavored Rums at Bacardi explains, “The plant has not been roasted or torched. Torched is descriptive of the fiery orange and red color of the aloe blooms. The torch plant aloe is infused with the Barbados cherry rum base in order to add a complexity that is not available in any other cherry cleared flavored spirit. Torched Cherry delivers a complex rum that is refreshingly familiar and easy to mix.”

Some @Bacardi Torched Cherry Recipes to try:

BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ and COCA-COLA®
1 part BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Flavored Rum
3 parts COCA-COLA®
Pour over ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Burnt Berry
1 part BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Flavored Rum
1½ parts SPRITE®
1½ parts pomegranate juice
Pour ingredients over ice and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Torched Cranberry
1 part BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Flavored Rum
3 parts cranberry juice
Pour ingredients over ice and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ & Sprite
1 part BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Flavored Rum
3 parts SPRITE®
Pour ingredients over ice and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Pom Spark
1 part BACARDI® TORCHED CHERRY™ Flavored Rum
1½ parts SPRITE®
1½ parts pomegranate schnapps
Pour ingredients over ice, stir and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Tom and Liz Bell, Chuck Bergson, Jim Falk, Sommer Meyer and Friends

Beautiful Sunset falls on Royal Lahaina at the Royal Terrace Lounge

The pool party was a blast, and the Royal Ocean Terrace Lounge was the perfect perch for Sunset on the West side. Between the action of the Mix Off, the pupus and the featured Bacardi cocktails everyone was having a blast. I had a chance to ask Chad Metcalfe, Metcalfe Restaurants, what he thought of the new Torched Cherry, his response, “I thought it was great. Kinda like one of those too good alcohols that when out in sun or on boat catches up ta ya good!” The pupus were a perfect combo with the rum, Don the Beachcomber would have been proud, I had shu mai, egg rolls, sushi, and coconut fried shrimp. Later after the sunset live entertainment by Shawn Mclaughlin &  Riese Perry got a whole new crowd around the stage for after hours fun. I had an amazing plate of ribs and sweet potato fries. Royal Lahaina Terrace offers 50% off select bottles of wine Mon, Wed, Fri all this month.

(Catch up with the Royal Lahaina on their facebook page)

All of this Mai Tai action is a precursor to the two day Mai Tai Festival that kicks off in August at the Royal Kona Resort, that honors the Mai Tai and tiki culture and includes a BBQ competition, The Mai Tai Battle and $10000 cash prize,and a Third Eye Blind Concert. Judges Sam Choy, Sam Choy Restaurants, William Ramos, Head Distiller for Bacardi Rum, Chris Teves, Hawaii Beverage Guide, and Beachbum Berry, Rum and Mai Tai expert will judge whose Mai Tai is the world’s best from 30 contestants, with about 15 coming in from Hawaii, and 15 from mainland and international locations.