Competition Rules

Students had exactly four days to conceptualize, plan, shoot, write, and edit their stories. No teacher or adult hands-on support was allowed. Teams had to explore the human story behind a particular food or food-related business

Featured Stories

Stellar Entries (Non-Award)

1. Kandi’s Drive Inn (Waiākea High School, Hawaiʻi Island) Profiles an iconic Hilo drive-in celebrating 50 years of family legacy. Owner Kandace continues her father’s mission of community service—not just serving plate lunches, but giving back through volunteering and supporting local schools.

2. Chamorro Grindz (Moanalua High School, Oʻahu) Features Jaynel Perez and his mother, who run a Chamorro food truck honoring the memory of Jaynel’s late father. Despite losing his dad, Jaynel continues the family business as a way to heal, spread Guam’s culture, and preserve his father’s legacy.

3. PadiCakes (Waiʻanae High School, Oʻahu) Profiles Kelly Kepka, a stay-at-home mom who started a mochi business named after her daughter’s pet sheep. Using local ingredients grown by her children, the family-run operation brings them closer together while sharing delicious treats with the community.

Honorable Mention – $100 in Production Equipment

4. Feeding the Little Leaguers (Farrington High School, Oʻahu) Explores how the 2018 Hawaiʻi Little League World Series champions dealt with homesickness while spending a month on the Mainland. Away from familiar local foods like rice and Spam musubi, the boys found comfort and connection through shared meals—proving that food is deeply tied to home and identity.

Third Place – $200 in Production Equipment

5. Pono Market (Kapaʻa High School, Kauaʻi) Highlights a family-owned Kauaʻi market spanning three generations. Originally a meat market in 1968, Pono Market now serves Hawaiian-style food with aloha, opening early to feed local workers and students. The owners close during school vacations because they believe keiki need their musubi.

Second Place – $300 in Production Equipment

6. Aunty Lia’s Baked Goods (H.P. Baldwin High School, Maui) Profiles Malia Webber, a mother of six who runs a baked goods stand at the Maui Swap Meet. Facing cancer while pregnant with her sixth child, she started selling her grandmother’s 100-year-old banana bread recipe to support her family. She credits food with saving them during their most difficult times.

Tied for First Place – $500 Each in Production Equipment

7. Maui Chef (Kamehameha Schools Maui High School, Maui) Features Chef Jonathan Mizukami, a Kula native whose creativity and island roots define his culinary style. Driven by self-motivation and a desire to create happy memories for diners, he encourages others to dream big—proving that coming from a small place like Maui is no limitation.

8. Spam Musubi (Kauaʻi High School, Kauaʻi) Tells the origin story of the Spam musubi, created by the late Barbara Funamura at her Kauaʻi restaurant Joni-Hana in 1983. Her husband and children share how the iconic snack—originally triangular with Spam chunks inside—spread across Hawaiʻi within six months. Though humble about her invention, Barbara’s legacy lives on in every musubi sold today.

HIKI NŌ celebrates student storytelling under pressure, highlighting how food connects us to family, culture, memory, and community across Hawaiʻi.