2008 Hawai'i Star Ball: You KNOW you want to!

[Laura]

So I was just posting on the "lessons" thread, and came up with the idea that it would be tres' cool (tres' froid?) if as many DF'ers as possible came to the HSB next year.

Never been? Well, it's in Hawai'i! The hotel is very fine, right on the beach. It has a small but nice pool with a great outdoor bar that makes all kinds of delicious frozen drinks. The Sheraton is on the Waikiki strip, so you can walk along the beach to other hotels to go out for dinner, or see hula dancing, or hear Hawaiian music, or whatever.

The comp is not huge--but it could be! Really! If we started saving our pennies and/or frequent flyer miles now, and started lobbying our teachers and/or partners now...wouldn't it be so cool if a big bunch of us from DF showed up to meet and compete?

So think about it.

I went last year, so if you have any questions about the comp, the organizers, the venue, or whatever I'm happy to try to help.

By the way, Southwest Airlines now flies to Hawai'i, so airfares might not be as nasty as the have been in the past.

The only downside is that Hawai'i is 6 hours earlier than New York (3 hours earlier than San Francisco), but still...oh come on people, it's a nice mellow comp and it's in HAWAI'I!

(Hee hee hee heee.)

 

[ballroomdancertoo]

Hey Laura,
Just to add some kick to the offer, I have a friend who manages many vacation rental properties in Waikiki. May be I can have her offer a DF members discount.

 

[Laura]

Wow. That rocks.

By the way, and I know this is blasphemy to some organizers, but when I went last year I booked the AAA rate at the Sheraton Waikiki. It was lower than the competition rate, and was easier to cancel in the event of an emergency. I actually had another AAA-rate room booked for this year, but then decided not to go.

There are so many hotels and condos etc. etc. in the area, it's like Vegas.

The one weird thing about this comp is that if you're doing Pro/Am, the organizers REALLY WANT your pro to handle the paperwork. I did all the paperwork last year, and it caused some friction. So, if you're a do-it-yourself student, do it all for your pro, but make it look like it all came from him/her. It's vaguely annoying, but that's the way the game is played there.

 

[fascination]

not enough anti-anxiety drugs to get me through an entire year of thinking about flying and then actually doing it....could drive out west and then boat??????

 

[fascination]

Wow. That rocks.

The one weird thing about this comp is that if you're doing Pro/Am, the organizers REALLY WANT your pro to handle the paperwork. I did all the paperwork last year, and it caused some friction. So, if you're a do-it-yourself student, do it all for your pro, but make it look like it all came from him/her. It's vaguely annoying, but that's the way the game is played there.

lol....that could also be a problem

 

[samina]

.could drive out west and then boat??????

or swim? imagine the great shoulders after that one... course, the shark bites might not look fetching in your latest gown...

 

[Laura]

not enough anti-anxiety drugs to get me through an entire year of thinking about flying and then actually doing it....could drive out west and then boat??????

Unfortunately there is no passenger boat service, other than cruise ships, and due to a complex web of laws known as "the Jones Act" you can't just get on one in California and get off and stay in Hawaii and then catch another back to the mainland.

I had no idea you had flying issues. Interesting, that...I have a friend with severe flight anxiety issues, and I'm going to Vegas with her next week so she can practice flying. She thought that doing a short trip or so would help her get over her fear enough so she could fly more. She got some book from the library that she says is really helping her, but I don't recall the name, something like "Fearless Flyer". (Oh wait, that's the Trader Joe's circular!)

(And Joe, before you humorously ask if it's "Fear of Flying," the answer is no. )

 

[mamboqueen]

You know, I am convinced if I signed on to do this comp, I'd never make it into the ballroom. Except for SFO and LV, I don't know that I've been outside of a hotel during a comp weekend at all (well, and when I checked out a wig store in Brooklyn *LOL*).

Is this one generally attened predominantly by locals? I would love to go to Hawaii -- probably about a day of travel for me, though. Some day...

 

[etp777]

Heh, I can just picture look on pro's face after she had to chase down to the beach to find me and get me back into ballroom for a heat. Scary.

 

[mamboqueen]

And try to convince the pro that the sand all over your clothes are a new breed of stones for your dress.

Just looked at expedia for the heck of it. Quickest from Boston-Honolulu is 13 hrs 8 minutes; tack on another 1.5 hours for transport/early arrival at airport and it's close to a 15-hour day. All for $1875. Yeow!

 

[Laura]

You know, I am convinced if I signed on to do this comp, I'd never make it into the ballroom.

It's not a huge comp, but it's not too tiny either, so you can get out of the ballroom and have some fun. When I went last year I flew in Thursday morning, watched the Pro Rising Star events in the afternoon, and danced the next morning in my Pro/Am events. Then I had Friday afternoon/evening and Saturday to enjoy the outside

It's mostly mainlanders coming for a comp/vacation, with a good sprinkling of people (Pros and Amateur couples) coming over from Japan for the same reason, and of course the local dance community turns out for it as it's the only big competition there each year.

When I went last year there was a semi-final in the Open Standard Pro-Am Scholarship. They played the theme from Hawaii 5-0 as a quickstep, it was very fun

 

[Laura]

Quickest from Boston-Honolulu is 13 hrs 8 minutes; tack on another 1.5 hours for transport/early arrival at airport and it's close to a 15-hour day. All for $1875. Yeow!

What dates did you put in? If it was a date in the winter time, the flights are a lot more expensive then. I just checked as far out into the future as Expedia would let me, and I got $644 on Continental for the last week in August. Looking in mid-March, which might be analogous to the prices in early October, it's $768.

I'm seeing $397 from San Francisco.

Airfares for next October will probably be available in December, so I'll check again then.

 

[VTDancer]

Laura, you are a wicked temptress.

 

[elisedance]

I know this might sound rediculous at first but maybe it woulod be cheaper to charter a plane? The Hawaii dancesport special....

I'm tempted Laura - but the cost of flying your coach out there too would make this a 5K or more competition. Have to be Am!

 

[madmaximus]

not enough anti-anxiety drugs to get me through an entire year of thinking about flying and then actually doing it....could drive out west and then boat??????

::imagining::

Long outrigger boat.
Big white sails.
Sailing off towards Hawaii...
Big bare-chested men (or wo..., never mind) paddling in cadence to a drum...

[cue the music: Faint strains of Bali Hai...]

Deckmaster to paddlers:
"I have some good news and some bad news."

"First, the good news: Triple food rations for lunch today!!"

Crew yells in approval: "YEYYY!!! Woohoo!!! You Da Man Boss!!!".

"Now the bad news:"

[palpable silence]


"The Queen has decided to go water skiing..."


[yeah, I know... really need some strong brew this morning...]





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