Aloha Stadium, home of the University of Hawaii Rainbows and has celebrated over 20 years of service.
The stadium is a multi-purpose facility designed to accommodate more than just football. With movable grandstands, it's the first of its kind anywhere in the country. It is a multipurpose facility, designed for football, baseball and special events. Working on a "air film" principle, the stadium can transform into three efficient configurations: (1) a traditional diamond for baseball that can double as a wide rectangle for soccer, (2) an oval for football, and (3) a unique triangle for concerts or staged plays. Each of the four moveable sections holds 7,000 seats, weighs 3.5 million pounds, and can be moved in place via compressed air within 30 minutes to provide spectators with the best possible viewing. A small crew is needed to change the stadiums configuration in about 24 hours.
Beneath the stands are professional caliber facilities for home and visiting teams. There are four spacious locker rooms with 56 lockers each, plus two additional team rooms. The locker rooms are also equipped with training rooms, areas for saunas and hydro-therapy units, lounges, press rooms as well as offices for coaches, trainers and physicians.
The Rainbows made their debut at the stadium on September 13, 1975 before a crowd of 32,247. Hawaii, however, was rudely defeated by Texas A&I, 43-9. Hawaii's first sellout at the stadium came on Dec. 2, 1978 when some 48,467 fans witnessed the Rainbows' final game of the season against the Trojans of Southern California.
Hawaii's year-round sunshine, makes the Aloha State and stadium a favorite destination for the many athletes who compete in the NFL's Pro Bowl, Hula Bowl and Aloha Bowl. The stadium also hosts a multitude of events including soccer, concerts, tractor pulls, motorcross racing and a flea market - a popular weekend shopping site for local residents.
The stadium provides services for first aid, security and lost and found. Concessions, telephones, and 36 restrooms are located throughout the stadium on both concourses. By designing a menu that is very diverse and rich in culture, Aloha Stadium administrators hope to emphasize customer service to all the patrons of the stadium. "We want to provide a menu that is diverse so patrons cannot only enjoy the game, but the food at Aloha Stadium as well," says Eddie Hayashi, Aloha Stadium Manager.
Located in Halawa, the 104-acre complex is just 30 minutes from downtown Honolulu. There are entrances from Salt Lake Boulevard, Kamehameha Highway and Halawa Heights Road, including a pedestrian bridge running from `Aiea Elementary School to the stadium's parking area.
* Completion date: 1975
* Cost: $37 million
* Capacity: 50,000
* Parking: 7,800 spaces for cars, 140 stalls for buses
* Seating: Individual theater-style seats, complete with backs and arm
rests, are included throughout the 50,000-seat complex. The distance from
the first row of seats to the sidelines varies between 22 and 40 feet, and
from 25 to 60 feet at the end zomes.
* Playing surface: Monsanto Astroturf. The Aloha Stadium surface lies
in a North-South direction.
* Lights: Mercury Vapor
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
February 8, 2004 - Attending a Pro Bowl in Honolulu is your tailor made, quintessential "road trip". After all, Aloha Stadium is about as far away as you can get from the gravity center of the NFL's 32 cities. And each year, thousands of fans from the mainland converge on the Island of Oahu, to bask in the sun, party into the nights, enjoy the breathtaking tropical scenery, the local Polynesian culture, the friendly Hawaiian people, and the annual exhibition of the AFC and NFC All Stars, heralding the finale of another football season.
Aloha Stadium has hosted numerous sporting events throughout the years as the home of the University of Hawaii, minor league baseball, and numerous post season college bowl games. But it is the Pro Bowl that is its premier contest, and for the past quarter century this event has put the eyes of the sports world squarely on Honolulu like nothing else. The marriage of Honolulu and the Pro Bowl has lasted for such a long period of time that the two have become synonymous and it is very difficult to imagine this game being played anywhere else. And during Pro Bowl week the good news was announced... the game will be played here through at least 2009.
Attending a Pro Bowl in person is quite different than going to the "other" NFL signature event, the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl is much more like an event for the average fan, where the Super Bowl has become the massive corporate event. Of course, the magnitude of the game itself is far less than the preceding week's championship game. But here at the Pro Bowl it is refreshing to be able to buy tickets to the event for $30-$85. There are no corporate hospitality tents, no premiere parties that are out of reach for anyone but the rich and famous, no scalpers demanding four figures. The league does sponsor an "official" tailgate party, where for $140 you can enjoy a Hawaiian buffet and hobnob with celebrity types and collect autographs, but that is about the only example of excess, and not a bad one at that.
Although the event does traditionally sell out, tickets are easy to obtain by purchasing them directly off of the NFL's website, and even on game days there are tickets to be had, since unused tickets returned by the teams are made available for game day sales. Parking? A cheap five bucks gets you into the stadium parking lots.
The Pro Bowl is generally regarded as a snooze of a game, so our expectations going in were low. And as the AFC raced out to a 25 point third quarter lead, our thoughts turned to heading for the exits to enjoy what was left of a sun baked Hawaii day.
But suddenly the NFC caught fire and time and time again they crossed the goal line for six and the next thing we knew, they were on top by 48-45 score. The battle continued on as both teams added another TD to make this game the highest scoring Pro Bowl game ever at 55-52. STILL, the game was not decided until the AFC's Mike Vanderjagt missed a game tying field goal as time ran out. A super ending to an exciting game.
Marc Bulger of the NFC was the game's MVP as he threw for four TD passes, and also was assisted by some critical second half AFC turnovers that led to more NFC scores. Peyton Manning threw for 3 TD's and 2 interceptions in the loss (actually 4 TD's, as one of the two picks was caught by Dre Bly and returned for a touch).
Another interesting sidenote was the presentation of the halftime show. One week after the "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl, the NFL decided to sack 'N Sync artist J.C. Chasez as the headliner, and left the performance to Hawaiian singers, hula dancers, and marching bands doing their song and dance routine to the theme of "25 Years of Aloha". An overrreaction by the NFL? Perhaps. But a wholesome and enjoyable show nonetheless, and those in attendance seemed to enjoy it.
After taking a commanding 38-13 lead early in the third quarter, the AFC special teams gather at the 35 to do an "in your face" dance. As it turns out, their strutting was very much premature.
If you have never been to Hawaii, then your first visit here will certainly overwhelm you. The beauty of this island can not be fully described. One has to experience it in person to fully appreciate it. Here in Oahu, the first time visitor has to do two obligatory missions, and we accomplished them both. The first is the climb to the top of Diamond Head. This dormant crater sits at the far end of Waikiki Beach, and this means an eight tenths of a mile climb up a trail to the 760 foot precipice. The walk is a strenuous one; walking shoes and plenty of bottled water are musts. But the finish line is worth it, as the views from the top are absolutely breathtaking.
The second is a visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. These sacred grounds were the location of an event which changed the course of the world for all time, the infamous Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. That horrifying day is dramatically depicted with exhibits and a film, and a boat trip to the sunken ship and the Memorial gives one a chance to pause and reflect on the courage and sacrifice made by those who defend our freedom.
The hottest place to stay in Honolulu? Definitely Waikiki Beach! Here you find high rise hotels, endless shopping, nightlife, shows and entertainment, restaurants, marinas, luaus, water recreation, pretty much anything you want is right here! On Kalakaua Blvd, the main drag, you can buy a t-shirt for five bucks at the International Market, and find the same shirt two doors away at a swank boutique for $149! Tourists from all over the world come here to Waikiki, but foreigners from Japan are probably the leading visitors' demographic.
For the Ultimate Sports Road Trip, this was the biggest trip in terms of distance traveled, and from the sense of adventure and excitement, clearly ranked as one of the best. The weather, the friendly people, the scenery, and "the best Pro Bowl ever" all combined for a journey we will always remember. When can we come back?!!!
