Ho‘okūkū Kīkā Kila Part 1

The 1^st Annual Ho‘okūkū Kīkā Kila Hawaiian Steel Guitar Contest was held on Wednesday, July 8. 12 contestants competed in three compete divisions: Keiki, Open Amateur, and Kūpuna. Winners received cash and merchandise prizes. The TRY non-compete division included three steel guitarists. The contest emcee was Monte McComber.

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• Backup musicians Helene Woodward, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Ho'okūkū Kīkā Kila judges Kilin Reece, Mālie Lyman, and Christo Ruppenthal.
• Kilin Reece, Alan Akaka, Mālie Lyman, Monte McComber, and Christo Ruppenthal.
• Ho'okīūkū Kīkā Kila emcee Monte McComber with Kūpuna Division contestant Waka-chan (Masako Wakamatsu) and Lion Kobayashi on piano.
• Waka-chan with Lion Kobayashi.
• Kūpuna Division contestant Sakae Machida with Lion Kobayashi on piano.
• Sakae Machida picking her selection for the Hat Draw Challenge with Monte McComber, NextGEN+ Isabella Bertelmann, and Lion Kobayashi.
• Sakae Machida and Lion Kobayashi.
• Kūpuna Division contestant Vickie Van Fechtmann.
• Vickie Van Fechtmann picking the Hat Draw Challenge selection with Monte McComber and NextGEN+ Isabella Bertelmann.
• Kūpuna Division contestant YUKIO KATAGIRI.
• YUKIO KATAGIRI picking Hat Draw Challenge selection with Monte McComber and NextGEN+ Isabella Bertelmann.
• YUKIO KATAGIRI.
• Kūpuna Division contestant Papa Zawa.
• Papa Zawa with NextGEN+ Isabella Bertelmann.
• Papa Zawa.
• Open Amateur Division contestant Kevin Speyer.
• Hoʻokūkū Kīkā Kila guests. Event judges are on the left.
• Kevin Speyer making his Hat Draw Challenge selection with NextGEN+ Isabella Bertelmann and Monte McComber.
• Open Amateur Division contestant Pat Sullivan.
• Pat Sullivan making his Hat Draw Challenge selection with Monte McComber and NextGEN+ Isabella Bertelmann.
• Kūpuna Division contestants Waka-chan, Vickie Van Fechtmann, Sakae Machida, YUKIO KATAGIRI, and Papa Zawa.

Back to Gallery: 2026 Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week

Photography by Larry Holu ©2026 by HIMELE.