Tinian Hot Pepper Festival holds heat, humor, hospitality

The island community of Tinian offered a delightful weekend of heat, humor, and hospitality at the Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, as both island residents and visitors got into the spirit of the festivities on Feb. 14-15, 2009.

The island trademark donni sali (Chamorro for the indigenous hot pepper of Tinian) took center stage throughout the weekend, selling by the bottle and being featured in favorite island dishes like chicken kelaguen (chopped chicken, grated coconut, donni sali and other seasoning wrapped in a fresh tortilla) and barbecue lunch with mouthwatering finadenni dipping sauce (soy sauce with a generous squirt of lemon juice and sensible dap of donni sali). Bragging rights for the best estafao pika (a juicy chicken appetizer laced with donni sali) went to Tinian mother-of-three Vanessa Aldan.

A number of hardened islanders and innocent visitors tried their luck at the donni sali eating contest. While Tinian’s own Napu K.Aldan and Sylvia Biz walked away with cash prizes and the well-earned titles of “hottest” festival male and female, each of the participants gained respect for their courage to even participate.

While the donni sali eating competition caused considerable excitement and elevated heart rates for both participants and spectators, things were quite slower but no less exciting during the annual umang (Chamorro for hermit crab) races. Children ages four to 12 lined up their beach-dwelling, arthropod contenders to compete.

“The speed of the umang depends on their mood,” observed one Tinian native. “The fastest umang can finish the race in less than a minute.”

“But sometimes they may just refuse to come out of their shell, much to the embarrassment of their owner,” she added with a chuckle.

One visiting couple waiting all day to witness the race and said they were not disappointed. Neither was 4-year-old Alex Rankin of the U.S., whose umang finished the race first.

Intergenerational, homegrown stage entertainment was provided during the festival by I Man Natibo Trio (Three Natives) singers, 1980s recording artist Ben Muna, Project Impact Hip Hop Dancers, 4Play band, and Tinian Elementary School My WAVE (Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically) dancers. From Saipan, Hapi the Clown mesmerized the children and singer Maggie Naputi lured Cha Cha fans out of their seats, including cha-cha contest winners James M. San Nicholas and Sonia Taitano. Fourteen-year-old Chloe Hofschneider also wowed the crowd in garnering the top spot in the karaoke contest.

A professional TV filming crew from Asahi News Star was on hand filming the festival for an upcoming 20th Anniversary Special program targeting the show’s 4.5 million viewers in Tokyo. Famed Japanese movie director Eiji Uchida headed up the shooting series on Tinian.

“The people are very friendly here, and I feel welcomed,” said Miho Harada, the producer of the news program. “What a lovely island, and such a natural wonder of trees and color!”

The weekend’s activities at Tachogna Beach also featured a beach volleyball competition, won by the young Team Donne of Tinian Junior/High School. In a nod to the island’s multi-cultural population, there was also a dragon boat race. While some contestants claimed the strength of the legendary Chamorro chief Taga—who is believed to have pulled a coconut tree out of the roots as a young boy—the deciding factor in the race proved to be teamwork for repeat champions JC Café Team. The race was not without its own moments of mirth, as the shoreline crowd was loudly thrilled when one of the canoes went off-course quite a distance before realizing their mistake.

“Once again, the Tinian community has reminded us all of what good island living is all about—working together, sharing, and enjoying the company of friends and the simple pleasures of life,” said Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio. “The celebration was a success, and we’re looking to more visitors at next year’s festival.”

Visitors to Tinian can also explore white sand beaches, stunning cliff lines, ancient Chamorro limestone pillars called Taga stones, relics from the Japanese administration of the islands, and WWII ruins. World class gaming is also available at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.

The Tinian Hot Pepper Festival is an annual signature event of MVA and the Tinian community. MVA thanked the Tinian Mayor’s Office, Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, Hafa Adai Scooter Rental, Huang Shun Corp., JC Café, DLC Entertainment, and the Department of Public Safety for their support.

Tinian is accessible within minutes of the main island of Saipan via airplane or ferry, or via connecting flights from Rota and Guam. [B][I](MVA)[/I][/B]