NINE COMPETITORS ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS OF WORLD FIREKNIFE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER

Junior World Fireknife Champion Will Be Crowned Tonight

La‘ie – May 14, 2004 – When the drums began to beat last night in La‘ie signaling the start of the 12th Annual World Fireknife Championships, 28 competitors were waiting to take the stage to prove their skills as the “World’s Best.” When the smoke cleared there were only nine left standing.

Fierce competition with fireknife dancers from around the world took center stage in the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Hale Aloha Theater for the preliminaries last night. The competition continues tonight where the field will narrow to the top three finalists will be chosen to vie for the right to claim that he is the fireknife champion of the world. The top three will compete for the championship tomorrow night, May 15, in the PCC’s Pacific Theater during the intermission of the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Horizons night show.

The nine finalists competing tonight are:

Alexander Galea‘i from La‘ie, Hawai‘i
David Galea‘i from Rarotonga, Cook Islands (defending champion)
Latai Lesoa from Samoa
Trumaine Oto from La‘ie, Hawai‘i
Jerome Slade from Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i
Kapeneta Teo-Tafiti from La‘ie, Hawai‘i
Hogan To‘omalatai from Samoa
Tuione Tovo from Henderson, Nevada
Scott Zuziak from Hanover Park, Illinois

Before these nine competitors take the stage, junior fireknife dancers as young as six will showcase their skills in the Junior World Fireknife Championships starting at 8 p.m. in the Hale Aloha Theater. The 6-11 year olds will have 17 competitors, while nine challengers will compete in the 12-17 year old category.

Sponsored by Cirque du Soleil, Coca-Cola, Hawaiian Airlines, Laie Inn, Electric Pencil, Henry S. Mataalii & Company, Turtle Bay Resort, and the PCC, this annual competition draws spectators from around the world.

Tickets for tonight’s competition for kama’aina are $8 for adults, $6 for children ages 5-11. Seats are almost sold out for the finals tomorrow night. Tickets for the finals are $35 for adults and $24 for children ages 5-11. Call 293-3333 to make reservations. Visit the PCC website at www.polynesia.com for updates on the results of the 12th Annual World Fireknife Dance Competition.

Since its beginning in 1963, the Polynesian Cultural Center has entertained more than 30 million visitors by preserving the spirit, culture and people of Polynesia. This week, all guests are invited to attend the Fireknife Competition and even learn the ancient art of fireknife dancing during free, on-site seminars.