Photos by Finn Gallagher | Hawaii 24/7 Student Reporter

MEDIA RELEASE

The Ueshima Coffee (UCC Hawaii) Corp. Kona Coffee Picking Contest event attracted coffee pickers of all levels and experience including coffee pioneers, pros, novices and keiki (children).

Winners received cash prizes and gifts from UCC for picking the most Kona coffee within the 3-minute time limit.

2010 Kona Coffee Picking Contest winners:

PIONEERS (76 and older) HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st  	Betty Matsuo Capt. Cook 1.21 kilograms

2nd	Thomas Matsumoto Kailua Kona .555 kilograms

3rd	Ellen Kato Kealakekua .40 kilograms

SENIORS (59 - 75) HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st	Earnest Kunitake Holualoa 3.42 kilograms

2nd	Lucila Magana Kealakekua 1.53 kilograms

3rd	Deleon Artillero Holualoa 1.41 kilograms

MEN’S OPEN (18 - 58) HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st 	David Vazques Kealakekua 3.26 kilograms

2nd 	Alex Reyes Kona 2.33 kilograms

3rd 	Molses Orellana Kona 2.125 kilograms

WOMEN’S OPEN (18 - 58) HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st 	Marisa Valdovinos Kealakekua 3.27 kilograms

2nd	Angela Magana Kealakekua 2.1 kilograms

3rd	Mireya Cisneros Kailua Kona 1.82 kilograms

JUNIOR BOYS & GIRLS (13 - 17)  NET WEIGHT

1st	Shoyo Tsukamoto Kailua-Kona 1.87 kilograms

2nd	Mai Tsukamoto Kaliua-Kona 1.58 kilograms

3rd 	Samantha Miller Holualoa 1.275 kilograms

KEIKI  (8 - 12) HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st	Vicente Cacino Kona 1.94 kilograms

2nd 	Christian Mendez Kailua-Kona 1.685 kilograms

3rd	Claudia Vazquez Kealakekua 1.3 kilograms

PEE WEE (5 -7) HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st	Miriam Mendoza Captain Cook 1.86 kilograms

2nd	Mayra Mendoza Captain Cook 1.69 kilograms

3rd	David Vasquez Kealakekua .96 kilograms

AKACHAN (under 4 years) HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st	Fabian Valdovinos, Jr Kealakekua .47 kilograms

2nd	Leah Wilson Captain Cook .10 kilograms

3rd	Sophie Larson Kailua-Kona .07 kilograms

AMATEUR HOMETOWN NET WEIGHT

1st	Julieta Lupian Los Angeles, Calif. 1.472 kilograms

2nd	Yeo Soon Seo Holualoa 1.272 kilograms

3rd	Noboe Sato Tokyo, Japan 1.075 kilograms

Tadao Ueshima started Ueshima Coffee Company in Japan in 1933 in order to revolutionize a new coffee trend in a country of tea drinkers. He sought to bring the taste of great coffees to Japan and helped spur Japan to be the third largest consuming nation of coffee in the world.

Ueshima Coffee Company is now the largest provider of coffee products in Japan and with this growth is in a position to provide the high quality, great coffee taste that brings a “Good Coffee Smile” to the faces of coffee lovers the world over.

As a part of bringing about this “Good Coffee Smile”, UCC established Ueshima Coffee (UCC Hawaii) Corp. in Kona in 1989. Ueshima Coffee UCC Hawaii Corp. has been a proud sponsor of the Kona Coffee Picking Contest for the past six years.

The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is recognized and supported as a ‘Major Festival’ by Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) as the Festival showcases Hawaii’s unique culture and diversity. HTA was created in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future.

Its mission is to strategically manage the growth of Hawaii’s visitor industry in a manner consistent with its economic goal, cultural values, preservation of natural resources and community interests.

– Find out more:
www.konacoffeefest.com