More than 900 people attended the Hawai‘i Esports Invitational Presented by Zippy’s — from March 22 to 23 at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu Academy for Creative Media (ACM) Facility — an esports event that brought together collegiate teams from the mainland and Hawai‘i, including UH West O‘ahu and UH Mānoa.
The Hawai‘i Esports Invitational welcomed players from Boise State University and Michigan State University, who battled against local teams from UH Hilo, UH Mānoa, and UH West O‘ahu; Kapi‘olani, Kaua‘i, and Leeward community colleges; Chaminade University; and Hawai’i Pacific University. Players competed in Valorant, a tactical shooter game, and Super Smash Bros., a platform fighter game.
The event was organized by Vanta, an inclusive youth esports platform and league that educates and inspires future esports leaders.
“The turnout far exceeded previous years, with players, families, and friends coming together from across the United States to celebrate esports in Hawai‘i,” said Paul Todkill, Vanta Director of Marketing. … “We want to give a huge thank you to Zippy’s for making the event possible and to the University of Hawai‘i for not only being such gracious hosts but also fostering such a wonderful and welcoming community for esports to thrive.”
High schools also competed, bringing out their Valorant teams to showcase their skills in front of potential scouts.
The overall winners of the Hawai‘i Esports Invitational were:
- High School Valorant Champions: McKinley High School
- Collegiate Valorant Champions: Boise State University
- Open Super Smash Bros. Competition: Rydra – Michigan State University
- Collegiate Super Smash Bros. Crews Battle: Michigan State University
UH West O‘ahu Vice Chancellor for Administration David McDonald said the invitational was a significant event for UH West O’ahu and the local community.
“Esports is one of the fastest growing youth and young adult activities in the country,” McDonald noted. “It offers players an inclusive space to be a part of a community and a team. Participants gain many of the same skills and experiences that players in traditional sports gain.”
He continued, “For UH West O‘ahu students, esports is our most visible and most accessible competitive team activity. Hosting the event at ACM opened the campus to many potential students and their families. Hopefully, some of the attendees will one day apply and enroll at UH West O‘ahu.”
Noah Padilla, a UH West O‘ahu player and accounting student, described the event as a “really cool” experience.
“Seeing our campus facilities being used for hosting a tournament and being a player gave me a feeling of excitement for what the future holds for our campus,” Padilla said.
UH West O‘ahu team manager and creative media major Garrett Lau similarly said he hopes for more esports events on campus.
“I think it was a great opportunity for our students to witness an exciting and unique experience,” Lau said. “I have been involved in the Hawai‘i Esports scene for a long time so I was grateful to attend and witness such a spectacle.”
UH Mānoa student Kula Wheeler, who played for the UH West O‘ahu team, said, “I thought the overall experience was amazing — not only for the players, but for the state as this was our chance to show off Hawai‘i talent.”
Wheeler continued, “I think the significance is huge because for a lot of people on the island it was their first introduction to esports and (because) the potential it can have as a spectator sport and its potential to unite communities.”
In addition to the over 900 people who attended the Hawai‘i Esports Invitational, the event also drew 1,100 daily concurrent online viewers and over 2.5 million digital impressions, according to organizers.
See Hawai’i Esports Invitational Presented by Zippy’s videos, courtesy of Vanta, from Collegiate Valorant Day 1 and Day 2. Click here to see an event recap video, courtesy of Heather Giugni/Rock Salt Media.
