Rex Kamakana loves the adrenaline rush of rodeo — the speed, the challenges, the competition, the cheering spectators. His pani­olo (cowboy) roots go back more than a century; his great-grandfathers James Tooaha and William Kama­kana were two of the first 10 cowboys hired by Molokai Ranch in 1908.

Born and raised on Molo­kai, Rex Kama­kana began riding horses at age 7. His late uncle, Allen Tancayo, owned many horses, and he would let young Kama­kana, his friends and cousins ride whenever they wanted.

"Uncle Allen gave me my first horse when I was 20 years old," said Kama­kana, Molo­kai Ranch’s utility manager. "That was the beginning of my pani­olo lifestyle. As I got older, I started to buy my own horses, trucks and trailers. Later my wife, kids, parents and grandkids also got excited about riding horses. It’s now a passion for my whole family."

Kamakana has competed in numerous rodeos in Hawaii and on the mainland, but at this year’s Molo­kai Ranch Heritage Rodeo, he will be watching the action from the sidelines because of his role as the arena director.

"The arena director supervises the overall operation of the rodeo: making sure the facilities are ready for the public, prepping cattle and horses, and coordinating participants and volunteers," Kama­kana said. "I decided not to compete because I want to focus on making this year’s event really great."

The inaugural Molokai Ranch Heritage Rodeo was held in 2013 to observe the retirement of longtime ranch pani­olo Jimmy Du­vau­chelle. The ranch’s rodeo arena was named in his honor at that event.

After taking a break last year, the rodeo is back, featuring some 150 cowboys and cowgirls from all over Hawaii in 10 events, including bull riding, barrel racing and calf roping. Competitors range in age from 5 to their late 70s.

For each event, riders will be competing in age categories: adults (18 and older), juniors (9 through 12) and keiki (8 and younger). Among the prizes awarded will be Champion Buckles to the top entrant in each event and Overall Champion Saddles to the cowgirl and the cowboy with the highest cumulative scores.

Although they’re experienced riders, competitors devote many hours to honing their skills and training their mounts. "My family owns 25 horses and we use nine for rodeos," Kama­kana said. "Training them is a long, ongoing proc­ess. We start from when they are young so they get used to chasing cattle. We train them in all types of events, including team roping, barrel racing and even for parades."

Kamakana’s wife, Ha‘a, and three of his four sons — Kainoa, 20; Rex Jr., 14; and Lane, 11 — will be competing in the rodeo this year. In a few years, 2-year-old Cinch no doubt will also be displaying his riding prowess in the arena.

"Kainoa was Reserve All-Around State Rodeo Champion in junior high and high school," Kama­kana said. "In 2009, when he was in the eighth grade, he went to the Junior High Nationals in New Mexico. Rex Jr. was junior high All-Around State Rodeo Champion last year. The pani­olo lifestyle is in my family’s DNA. We live it every day. That is what home means to us."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.

RODEO EVENTS

Barrel racing

Horse and rider gallop around three barrels set in a cloverleaf pattern. The goal is to finish the course in the fastest time without knocking over barrels.

Bull riding

Cowpokes try to stay on a bucking bull for eight seconds. Bulls have been known to attack fallen riders, so rodeo clowns provide distractions.

Calf roping

The rider lassos a running calf around the neck, dismounts, runs to the calf and ties three of its legs together.

Double mugging

For this event, a cowboy on horseback ropes a steer. He then dismounts to help his partner, standing nearby, wrestle it to the ground. The object is to lay the steer on its side and tie three of its feet together.

Steer undecorating

In this just-for-cowgirls event, the rider gallops along the left side of a running steer, leans down and removes the ribbon attached to its shoulder. She is allowed to have the help of a "hazer," who rides his horse on the other side of the steer to keep it from veering away.

Team roping

A "header" and a "heeler" on horseback make up the team. The header is tasked with roping the head of the steer around the horns, neck or one horn and the nose. Once he does that, he wraps the rope around his saddle horn and maneuvers his horse to turn the steer to the left. The heeler then ropes the steer’s hind legs. It’s the only event in which men and women compete, either in single-gender or mixed-gender teams.

Wahine breakaway

This cowgirls-only event is a variation of calf roping. The rider’s lariat is tied lightly to her saddle horn with string and a flag. After she has roped a calf’s neck, she brings her horse to a quick stop. Instead of being brought to the ground and tied, the calf keeps running, pulling the flagged rope taut until the string connected to it breaks.