30 Sunday, April 16, 2017 Hawaii Tribune-Herald 2017 Merrie Monarch Festival Aloha & Good Luck Merrie Monarch Participants! • Residential & Commercial • Electrical Service • New Construction • Remodels • Service Upgrades COMPLETE SOLAR SERVICES Electrical & Solar Experts CT-8876 Locally Owned & Operated for 38 Years Home of CT-33190 Owners: Lucille & Kaimi Chung Solar Hot Water Systems Solar Energy Equipment 808-935-1868 • 741 Kanoelehua Ave., Hilo walterselectricinc.com CT-33190 e Home of Hula Hilo's most iconic landmark resort, the newly restored Grand Naniloa Hotel, is excited to welcome Merrie Monarch visitors and participants with aloha and the spirit of hula. We offer panoramic views, contemporary accommodations and traditional resort amenities from meeting spaces to golf, fitness and dining. #(%#+/54/52&%34)6)4)%3$52).'-%22)%-/.!2#( 808.969.3333 | WWW.GRANDNANILOAHILO.COM couple will be decked out in period-appropriate styles. “The last few years Iris Gil has been designing new gowns for the Royal Court,” Peralto said. “This year, we will use gowns previously designed by Iris Gil in combination with gowns made by George DeMello. We will introduce two brand new mo‘i kane jackets designed and made by Iris Gil. I have only seen the drawings which were exciting and cannot wait to see the final pieces. Iris’ designs have a way of bringing the past to present day.” In the festival’s 54-year history, the Kipiliis are just the second married couple to assume the roles of the Merrie Monarch and his queen. The first was Kendall and Zelda Kelson, who reigned over festival proceedings in 2005 and 2006. Peralto said the Kelsons were invited to return the second year because their dressing room was under renovation in 2005, providing the couple a perhaps somewhat less than royal experience. She said the Kelsons “were gracious enough to repeat the role.” Zelda Kelson has been battling lung cancer with the toughness and grace of a mo‘i wahine. The founder and coach of Cuzins volleyball club, Kelson returned home from Rehab Hospital of the Pacific on Oahu on March 31, just in time for the AA men’s and women’s finals at the 60th annual Haili Volleyball Tournament. For the Kipiliis, their turn presiding over Merrie Monarch festivities is destined to become a treasured family memory. “Our older daughter is part of the Royal Court, as well,” Lokelani explained. “She’ll be a lady in waiting to Princess Ka‘iulani, we’ve been told. It’ll be a family affair. We went to our (costume) fitting together and she was just elated to be a part of it. Not too many 10-year-olds can say they’ve had this privilege and honor.” In their spare time, the family enjoys the outdoors, she said. “We’ll be at the beach or camping or doing archery. My husband’s been doing it for years, but this Christmas, I got my very own bow. … And we’re just here, there and everywhere supporting our daughters in their extracurricular activities.” Those activities include volleyball, jiu-jitsu and, yes — hula. The girls dance for kumu hula Johnny Lum Ho’s Halau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua and will be a part of the halau’s noon performance during the festival’s Ho‘olaule‘a at Afook- Chinen Civic Auditorium. “They’ll be there on Easter with all of his halau, from the littles all the way up to the gracious ladies. That’s something that we look forward to each year,” Lokelani said. As it turns out, Kipilii always looks forward to Merrie Monarch. “My husband and I go every year. We’ve been going for more than 10 years,” she noted. “It’s like a date week, I guess you could say. Some couples have date night; we have a week. We have a wonderful support system on our side that provide care for our daughters, so we can be there every night until 12, 1 a.m. We haven’t missed it for a year. And this year will be the first time that we get to view it from different seats, obviously, so we’re super excited.” The queen said she’ll need to remind herself to remain regal and not flash “an overthe top grin.” She said another challenge is the one faced by all the Royal Court — having to remain in their seats from their procession into the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium at 6 p.m. each night from Wednesday through Saturday until their regal exodus at the end of activities each night. That’s almost always after midnight on the three nights of competition. “There’s no breaks, so we just have to stay there the entire time. That’s going to be a challenge, for sure. But we’re really excited, we’re looking forward to it and we couldn’t be more blessed to have this experience.” Email John Burnett at jburnett@ hawaiitribune-herald.com. Royal From page 29
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