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Truth from Dare: Pro Bowling it

BY DERIN DEREGO / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Super fans of professional sports intrigue me. I can see having an affinity for a team from a school you went to, or a team that you know one of the players on, but it baffles me that people get so excited about franchises they have no tie to. Maybe it’s because I never played any sports, so I don’t know the passion of competition tied to such adoration.

If you’re wondering where all this is coming from, take a walk through Waikiki this week and you will understand. The Pro Bowl and all the characters who come with it have descended upon Oahu, and Waikiki has become a sea of football spirit.

Of course, along with the biggest sporting event of the year in Honolulu comes an abundance of events and parties revolving around it.

Probably the most well-known Pro Bowl party is the annual Warren Moon-hosted event at Pearl Ultralounge tomorrow, Jan. 24. Slated to attend are NFL superstars Tony Gonzalez and Eric Dickerson; for $50 you can attend a VIP reception that includes an open bar and hosted appetizers.

Also happening tomorrow is the 2 Chainz concert. The Grammy-nominated rapper, best known for appearances on hits from superstars like Nicki Minaj and Kanye West, makes his Hawaii debut at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower.

Friday, Jan. 25 is a big night. With the game on Sunday, a lot of the players don’t stay out too late on Saturday.

My first stop Friday is the Red Bull “Thre3Style” DJ competition Hawaii sub-qualifier at Ginza Nightclub. This year’s event will includes DJs Kowai Kowai, Sssolution, Packo and Mike D sharing the stage with last year’s winner, DJ Compose. Also returning are judges G-Spot, DJ Jimmy Taco, and DJ Delve. The premise of the competition is each DJ is given 15 minutes to incorporate three different genres of music in their set. Judging is based on track selection, creativity, mixing skills, stage presence and crowd reaction.

Another party going down Friday features DJ Lupe Fiasco and DJ Sky Gellatly at The Republik. The duo, known as SNDCLSH, allows Fiasco (best known as a Grammy-winning rapper) to show off his DJ skills. While most would expect him to play hip-hop, while wearing his DJ hat Fiasco spins an ecelctic mix of music that spans from electronica to dancehall.

Saturday, Jan. 26 will see another well known hip-hopper showcasing his DJ skills. Legendary producer Jermaine Dupri takes to the decks at The Republk.

Of course, Sunday is game day. I’m not sure if I’ll attend, since its quite possible by the time Sunday comes around I’ll have had my fill of team jerseys, beer guzzling and frat boy behavior. But you never know.
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When he’s not out and about at the hottest parties and other events in Honolulu, Derin “Dare” Derego works as an account executive at a local radio station group. Reach him via email at derinderego@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter.