University of Hawaii Cheer videos!

Monday 9th October 2006 - 2:52:22 PM

Aloha!
As the UH Cheer squad gets ready for this years nationals, here is a glimpse back at last year!



Video from the 2006 UCA Nationals, check out the skills they put on the nationals floor LAST January!



Another angle on that same finals performance.



Here is the highlight reel promoting the UH Cheer program, sent out all over youtube.com, viewed over 20,000 times!



Couldn’t be prouder of this guy! George and Amanda performing their routine they did at Partner Stunt Nationals!

And this???? This is what happens when you lock George and Mateo in a gym overnight!


“I’m all hopped up on Mountain Dew!!”

UH Cheer leads Warrior fans in Victory over Nevada!

Saturday 7th October 2006 - 3:21:10 AM

Aloha Y’all!
Awesome game tonight!

Warriors Hold Off Nevada, 41-34, In Thriller
HONOLULU - Warrior running back Nate Ilaoa gained 219 all-purpose yards (151 rushing, 68 receiving) and the Warrior defense forced two turnovers and made key stops, including a goal line stand at the end, to help Hawai’i win its first Western Athletic Conference game, 31-34, against Nevada Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.

The game featured a little bit of everything. There was back-to-back fumbles, instant replay reviews and reversals, personal fouls, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, you name it. Hawai’i (3-2, 1-1) racked up 579 yards of total offense, quarterback Colt Brennan threw for 419 yards and four touchdowns (36 of 47) and also ran for a score, while Davone Bess (10-139) and Ian Sample (5-107) combined for 15 catches for 246 yards and three touchdowns.

And check out some pics of the UH Cheer Squad warming up before the game!


061007 UH vs Nevada Football Game Cheer Warm up Photos

Oct 7, 2006 - 73 Photos

My first month in Hawaii!

Tuesday 3rd October 2006 - 2:09:54 AM

Hey friends!
Here are a few photos from my first month in Hawaii!
More to come, stay tuned!

Mahalo and Aloha!

~Andrew


Andrew's Life in Hawaii

Sep 2, 2006 - 81 Photos

Hawaii Cheerleaders led Aloha Stadium in victory over Eastern Illinois!

Tuesday 3rd October 2006 - 12:31:07 AM

It was a complete butt-whooping last Saturday at Aloha Stadium!

Excerpt from UH Athletics Department website:

Warriors Tackle Panthers, 44-9, In Non-Conference Action
HONOLULU - The University of Hawai’i Warrior football team gained 571 yards of total offense to win its second game of the season, 44-9, over Eastern Illinois Saturday night at Aloha Stadium. Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan threw for a season-high 409 yards, 369 in the first half, and five touchdowns in less than three quarters of action.
Full article available at:
Warriors Tackle Panthers, 44-9, In Non-Conference Action

Here are the UH Cheerleaders leading the crowd and showing their skills!


060930 UH vs EI Football game

Sep 30, 2006 - 78 Photos

UH Cheerleaders in action! UH vs UNLV Football Game!

Saturday 16th September 2006 - 10:14:04 PM

As some of you know, I am out here in Hawai’i to help out with the University of Hawaii Cheer Program. My former coach at UW, Mike Baker, is now the Head Coach of the UH Cheer Program.

UH Cheer

In addition to coordinating camps and clinics for UH, I have been on the sidelines of the home UH football games at Aloha Stadium. I forgot how much I enjoy college football! So while I’ll be missing my Dawgs this year, I’ll be rooting on the Bows!

I’ll be updating weekly with photos of the UH Cheerleaders in action, so bookmark my page and check back often!

Mahalo and Aloha!

~Andrew

From Solo Photos

Andrew Gustafson with Danny Kaleikini, Hawaii’s Ambassador of Aloha!


060916 UH vs UNLV Football game

Sep 16, 2006 - 120 Photos

Microwaves and Mopeds

Thursday 14th September 2006 - 8:04:45 PM

There is no microwave in our new kitchen. I recognized this right away when I toured the 2bd/2ba unit at the beginning of the month, but didn’t think much of it. I was awestruck by the view of the water and downtown Honolulu off the huge covered lanai. I signed on the dotted line, got the keys and moved in, me and all of my belongings in 4 suitcases.

It has a narrow galley kitchen with a huge window that looks out at the ocean. There is a stove with decorative tins covering the burners, the oven part underneath which is a great place to hide things that you later want your roommate to “accidentally” bake, a newer fridge, and a toaster oven. No microwave and no dishwasher.

I’m not too broke up about the dishwasher, they make single guys lazy, we use them as storage for clean and dirty dishes. Sometimes both at the same time. Besides, I only use 10 items everyday that require washing, fork, steak knife, spoon, big cereal bowl (doubles as small mixing bowl, plate, small sauce pot for oatmeal, small skillet for omelets, heat temp spatula, protein shaker cup, coffee mug.

If I had a dishwasher, those 10 things would always be dirty, and pretty soon I’d be mixing eggs in a dusty Christmas coffee mug with my fingers, and pouring milk directly into the cereal box. That doesn’t work by the way, the cereal bag always leaks milk, it is much easier to cut the top off a half-gallon of milk and pour in the cereal.

But no Microwave, now this is an issue. Walking into a kitchen with no microwave is like waking up without your left arm. It’s your left arm, the one you use for mindless tasks, it’s the ugly stepchild of your body’s 4 appendages. If we lived in most 3rd world countries your left hand would be relegated to the most demeaning of personal care issues. But you would instantly recognize its worth and value if you didn’t have it. Every task would remind you how cool the left arm really is. Squirting toothpaste, left hand; holding eye open for contact lens, left hand; the WHOLE left side of the keyboard, left hand!

Same with the microwave. True, I don’t NEED it. Somehow people made it thru to the ’70s without microwaves. But not having it interrupted my daily habits, my comfortable daily habits. I have had to change the way I do things because of something that ISN’T in my kitchen.

For example, I used to buy one-minute oatmeal packets, 60 seconds in the microwave and breakfast is served! Now I buy the whole oats, the ones that take 5 minutes on the stove to cook, and another 5 min to clean up the pot. Turns out the raw oats are better for you, no added sugar. Who knew?! Turns out raw oats NEED sugar if you hope to eat more than a spoonful. I promptly solved that problem with a squirt of honey, a handful of raisins, some finely chopped walnuts, and milk. I know, gourmet, right? It’s the chopped walnuts, thought of that myself.

Now normally, not having a microwave would be a problem for about an hour upon moving in to a new apartment. They cost what, $50 for a cheap one, $150 for a nice one? No sweat, just roll down to Costco in the Durango and pick one up. Right, the Durango, yeah, left that in Bellingham, WA with the parents. The absence of my truck here in Hawaii has forced another series of habit changes in my life.

Turns out, my truck was a giant man purse. I had everything in my truck. iPod dock on the dash, 3 car chargers for 3 cell phones, 2 of which were broken, A change of dress clothes and dress shoes, a backup gym bag with extra gym cloths and shoes incase I forgot my main gym bag, a small duffel sized first aid and trauma kit, all types of tools, never used, but there just in case, and a LARGE cooler loaded with water, sport drinks, protein bars and shakes JUST IN CASE I ever got trapped in a blizzard for several days… in Washington…
Come to think of it, a lot of the contents of my truck were classified “just in case”.

Now, I ride a moped. There is a compartment under the handlebars big enough for my cell phone, and storage under the seat big enough for my helmet and lock. Everything else goes in my backpack. When I first got it, I thought mine was special because it had a little hook under the handlebars for hanging a bag of groceries between your legs. Fortunately I observed that all mopeds have that hook, before I started bragging.

I named it “Hardly”. I really want a Harley, but for now all I can afford is a moped, and since it is HARDLY a HARLEY… I named it, ah, nevermind, you get it. After naming it I realized Hardly is a girl, she is temperamental, hard to get started, but once you learn what buttons to push in what order, and how to give her just enough gas, she starts right up and is an easy ride.

Hardly gets north of 50 MPG. Buying gas at $3.40 a gallon isn’t so bad when you are only buying one gallon. But Hardly has her drawbacks. She can take me to Costco or Wal-mart to get the Microwave, but there is no way we are getting home with that big box swinging between my legs from the little hook.

So for now, my life here in Hawaii consists of an air mattress for a bed, luggage for tables, an $8 plastic lawn chair for my “home office” out on my Lanai, max of 2 bags of groceries per trip, only packing what I absolutely need in my backpack when I head out on Hardly, putting sunscreen on everyday, and taking 10 minutes to cook my oatmeal every morning on the stove.

And I am grateful there is no microwave. I came to Hawaii to get out of my self imposed ruts, to shake up my life, to follow an adventure or create one along the way. No Microwave, no Plasma HDTV, no Durango, no closet full of clothes I never wore, no extras, just the basics.

Yep, just me out on an adventure, breaking free of the old habits that used to chain me down, free of all the “stuff” that used to be so important to me, just me with just the bare necessities in life…

…and my two laptop computers… and my 19″ LCD docked to both machines… and my iPod with 3 different sets of headphones and two different sets of speakers… and both my cell phones… and three pairs of running shoes… and 6 of the same Nike Drifit shirt in 6 different colors… and a duffle of supplements and vitamins… and 5 different kinds of chap stick…

From Andrew's Life…

Andrew Gustafson, New Moped, 50ccs of raw horsepower.. all 2 horses…

From Andrew's Life…

Mopeds get stolen here in Hawaii, make sure to always chain yours up to… ah… something…

From Andrew's Life…

Time for the weekly fill up! This tank holds a whopping .99 gallons. I’ve tried to get a gallon in, ended up with gas on my slipper.

From Andrew's Life…

$3.41 a gallon is completely reasonable… when you only buy a gallon a week!

From Andrew's Life…

Here’s what I need to get for my moped, a surf board rack!

Repost from UHM Alumni Magazine: “Skilled, dedicated athletes compete in the most spirited sport.”

Friday 1st September 2006 - 10:38:30 PM

Here is a neat article from the September issue of Malamalama, the Alumni Magazine for the University of Hawaii about the UH Cheerleaders.

From UH Cheer Misc…

back row: Pua, Kainoa, Kehau front row: Kelvin, Allen

Cheerleading
Skilled, dedicated athletes compete in the most spirited sport
by Karla Brown

Next to football, it’s one of the riskiest collegiate sports for catastrophic injuries.

(AG NOTE: Not true! It is one of the lowest risk sports, 2nd to the bottom of the list at the college level only to golf! This is a common misconception about cheerleading. AG)

The coach is a University of Hawai‘i at Manoa letter winner who led University of Washington Husky teams to top-five national finishes two years in a row. Recruited locally and nationally, his UH squad stands best in the west and fifth in the nation. Members say things like “you just have to stay strong and keep on working at it.”

We’re talking cheerleading.

Cheerleaders combine dance and gymnastics elements with stunting to root on other teams—the Manoa squad cheers at football, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball games—as well as competing themselves.

Their fifth-place finish at the National College Cheerleading Championship in Orlando in January 2006 was bittersweet, says Head Coach Mike Baker. “This was the best team UH has ever had. We came into nationals with the highest skill level and a great amount of creativity. A missed stunt in the second half of the routine threw us out of our rhythm and we ended flat. On another note, anytime you can place in the top five in the country, it’s a great honor.”

And a lot of work. “I don’t think people realize how much time it takes and how much effort we put into it,” says cheerleader Kehau DeMello, new this season from Mililani. “It takes personal toughness, patience and perseverance. The stunts and tumbling that we do doesn’t just happen; we have to keep trying over and over and over again.”

Consider tryout requirements: three standing back tucks in a row, a back-handspring back tuck, a round-off back-handspring back tuck layout…and that’s just the tumbling portion. Candidates are judged on partner stunts, gymnastic skills, motion placement and sharpness, showmanship and poise, attitude and routines.

Everyone must tryout, whether they’re incoming freshmen, transfer students or returnees, and more is expected of veterans—a freshman female must execute three partner stunts, a returning male must do 11.

“The tryouts are very competitive. We look for the type of person who is dedicated to representing UH and the state of Hawai‘i in the highest esteem.” Baker says. “During summers, I travel across the country looking for good representatives for UH.” He also focuses on developing local talent.

Rigorous tryouts are just the beginning. Kristin Kowalkowski, a third-year Manoa cheerleader and Honor Society member from Snoqualmie, Wash., explains: “At some points in the year, especially getting ready for football season and nationals, we practice six days per week, and many of those are twice per day. Practices include weightlifting, sprint conditioning, stunting and tumbling and executing routines over and over until they are perfectly synchronized.”

Competing requires fundraising. A paid bid covers hotel, fees and travel within the continental U.S., but the team pays airfare to Los Angeles. Baker may send just a few couples to compete in partner stunts this year while setting up funding for the program.

“It is fun to represent UH on the mainland. We really like to put on a show,” he says. “We most likely have the highest level of skill in the country, but the entertainment aspect is what we really focus on. We show our aloha spirit when traveling, and everyone seems to like our style.”

Former Maryknoll cheerleader and NCA national squad member Kelvin Lam, agrees. “Here, I actually get a chance to improve my skills with a fantastic group of people who are incredibly talented, and we all get along marvelously.”

The squad loves being part of home games and school activities, says Baker, promising some new ways to get game crowds as loud as possible this year.

“The fans in Hawai‘i are some of the best in the nation. Women’s volleyball is one of our favorite sports to cheer for because the crowd is so fun. College squads across the country are now trying to emulate the way the University of Hawai‘i does things. That’s a great feeling.”

Karla Brown (AA ’04 Windward) is an External Affairs and University Relations student writer

From UH Cheer Misc…

Pua Castagnetti executes a bow-and-arrow with a boost from Kelvin Lam.

Posts and Pics

Andrew’s Aloha Seattle Aloha Hawaii Going Away Party

Friday 18th August 2006 - 5:33:15 AM

To celebrate my Life Changing Adventure, I invited all my friends to my Aloha Party at O’hanas and Belltown Billiards.

See all the action here!


060818 Andrew's Aloha Seattle Aloha Hawaii Party

Aug 19, 2006 - 69 Photos

Michelle’s 25th Birthday Party!

Saturday 12th August 2006 - 4:08:07 AM

One of the best parties I have ever been to has got to be Michelle’s 25th birthday party, August 2006. The photos here only tell part of the story, the beginning of the evenings adventures, at Twist in Belltown. Private room in the back, catered food, bottle service, we even had the service of one Ali Dudek, Waitress at Twist and Seattle Super Sonics Dancer.
Michelle went all out for her friends planning her own birthday party and inviting her 25 closest friends. I was honored to be included! You can only have a party like this though when former college cheerleaders are involved, and we were well represented with Mooses, Cougars, Beavers, Ducks, and Huskies.
But the best parts of the evening never made it on film!
I left my keys, cell, and camera in Jackie’s car when I loaded Michelle’s presents in it after we left Twist. She was driving Michelle home later that evening, and I knew that they weren’t leaving before me. I made sure to confirm with Jackie that she knew my stuff was in here car. No problem she said. We all went dancing at Tabella’s in Belltown. Everyone was having a great time for a couple hours, and people started heading home around midnight. We were scattered around the dance floor, and at some point Michelle and Jackie disappeared. I looked around for a while, then caught up with Damien, the Mariner Moose Mascot, and he pointed to the door, said they left 15 minutes ago!
I run up to the parking lot, sure enough, Jackie’s car is gone. Found out later, Jackie, not Michelle, got “sick”! And so Michelle took HER home! I head back to Tabella’s where Bill and Michelle Nelsen were just leaving. They drove me up to Michelle’s apartment in Fremont, where we called and buzzed Michelle’s number repeatedly, to no response. They were both out cold!
With no way into the building, and no other tenants coming home, I was getting desperate. I needed my keys! I wanted to go home!
Michelle lived on the 2nd floor, and shared a common balcony with 6 other units. The only way up to that balcony was to scale a 2 story rebar trellace. Seems simple enough, until you get up close and see that the builders had covered the rebar with chicken wire to PREVENT intruders from climbing the trellace. AND, the bottom of the rebar trellance was 8 feet off the ground. I tested it a couple times, and figured I could reach it if I committed.
With no other options, and Michelle not answering, I took off my shirt to keep it from getting ripped and took off my shoes and socks to try to wedge my toes into the chicken wire and got ready to do my best imitation of Spiderman.
I lined up at the base of the wall, jumped up and caught the bottom “rung” of the rebar trellace and the chicken wire immediately cut into my hand. But I was up, so I started climbing, arms only for the first 6 feet till I couple get my toes on the trellace. Then it was 20 feet up to the 2nd floor, with the wall behind the rebar coming flush with the trellace duing the last 10 feet, leaving me to climb with litterally only my fingertips and toenails. I hauled myself up and over the railing, then looked down at the distance I had just scaled. Sure, nothing for a 160lb rock climber, but I’m 240, and NOT a rock climber!
After banging on Michelle’s window and waking the dead, I finally got my keys and cell and was on my way back to my truck and then home, thanks to Bill and Michelle Nelsen. All that excitement and I’m the only person who was sober to truley appreciate it all!
Oh well, it made for a great story the next day!

From 060812 Michel…

The birthday girl Michelle and I! Love you Michelle!
Andrew and Michelle

From 060812 Michel…

Me with the delicious Sara! Yummy!
Andrew Gustafson Sara Winkleman

From 060812 Michel…

Super (Hot) Sonics Dancer Ali Dudek hamming it up with me!
Andrew Gustafson Ali Dudek

From 060812 Michel…

This classy woman is beautiful inside and out! Lucky me got to dance with her the rest of the night!
Andrew and Jackie

Check out all the photos from the party at Twist here:


060812 Michelle Flanigan's 25th Birthday

Aug 17, 2006 - 33 Photos

Andrew’s 30th Birthday Party (err, parties…)

Sunday 9th April 2006 - 4:39:09 AM

My 30th Birthday party was more like several parties over the course of 2 weeks! I had dinner with the family up in Bellingham to celebrate mine and my mother’s birthdays, then my friends planned a Surprise party for me in Bellevue, then there was the party I planned at the Ram, and then I went to my friend Ji Ae’s 30th party a few days after mine, Whew!
Big thanks to Michelle and Blaine for organizing the surprise party!
I tell you, whenever you get cheerleaders together to celebrate and party, you are for sure going to have a great time!

From 060904 Andrew…

Seattle Sonics Game in the Suite with my Dad Ken
Andrew Gustafson Ken Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

My Mom with my brother’s son Owen! Mom’s Birthday was just before mine.
Trish Gustafson Owen Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

One of my absolute Favorite People and Co-Conspirator in my Surprise 30th Birthday Party!
Michelle Flanigan Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

Tricia and Neil and I at my surprise 30th
Tricia Benzinger Neil Everson Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

Lucky Me!
Andrew Gustafson Michelle Flanigan Jackie Pinkston

From 060904 Andrew…

More hot UW Cheerleaders at my 30th! Lisa and Jaime!
Lisa Ramos Jaime Rau Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

My brother from another Mother, and co-conspirator in my surprise 30th birthday party!
Andrew Gustafson Blaine Lee

From 060904 Andrew…

On my birthday at the Ram with the buffest couple, Kelli and Tim!
Kelli Wood Tim Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

Robby Doggy the life of the party!
Rob Sortore Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

Former UW Cheerleader, Future Hollywood Star Amber Boone!
Andrew Gustafson Amber Boone

From 060904 Andrew…

Former UW Cheerleaders, Future Successful Businessmen and Millionaires, Paul Chamberlain, Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

Talk about talented couples! Former UW Cheerleader Mateo Salado, former Sonics Dancer Amanda Daugherty, current owners of Connect All Stars! Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

Beautiful Little Lisamarie!
Lisa Ramos Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

My friend Ji Ae turned 30 a couple days after me, her birthday was pretty amazing too!
Ji Ae Kim Andrew Gustafson

From 060904 Andrew…

Throwing up the toss cupie on my 30th, thanks for making me look good Michelle!
Michelle Nelsen Andrew Gustafson

View all my 30th Birthday Party photos here:


060904 Andrew's 30th Birthday, Jiae's 30th Birthday

Apr 12, 2006 - 55 Photos