Genesis of Ete Bowl*
One hot day in September 1978, Diane Ho was sitting in the library wondering how she would endure the rest of her third (she thought, boring) year. While checking her weekly parlay sheets, she was struck with the idea of having a women’s intra-class athletic challenge. Diane shared her thought with classmate Ricki Amano, and together they chose football, the game they knew best.
In her usual kolohe manner, the seeds of future bowls were sown. Diane first approached second year students with the challenging information: "Hey, you guys hear what the third year women are saying? They say the second year women are wimps, and they want to challenge you to a football game." Diane then carried bruising information to her own classmates: "You hear what the second year is saying? They say third year women are old and fat, and a football game will prove it." And so it began.
At that time, the Ete Bowl was known as a 3L v. 2L challenge. Following 2L’s resounding loss in 1978, the game was almost shelved permanently. However, in 1979, to carry on a 'tradition' (and that word is not used loosely) the 3Ls dutifully challenged the 2Ls. Owing to the publicity that surrounded the first game, the then 2Ls did not hesitate in turning down the challenge, on the basis that they could not get enough people to play. True to form, when Dani Ho found out, she rounded up the rest of the Bruzers, and they challenged the Law School to put a team together. The rest is history as we now know it — Bruzers v. Etes.
Looking back it’s hard to believe anyone could have envisioned this event would have lasted [thirty] years and become a tradition in the true sense of the word. It’s even harder to believe that any original players would have lasted [thirty] years, but they have endured. (Remember when Granny Ho’s hair was black?).
Every woman who has played in an Ete Bowl will agree it’s a unique experience. The game has been a vehicle to promote camaraderie, continuity among classes, and an invaluable network system. Moreover, the level of sophistication of the game itself has progressed radically from its humble beginnings. Playbooks of opponents will fetch a fortune if a person is talented enough to find one.
Our thanks to our coaches for taking us seriously and teaching us the game. But most of all for sharing their time and talents with women who believe in the democratic society. As one coach so aptly stated, “Democracy has its place, and it’s not on the football field.”
*Excerpt from 10th Anniversary Ete Bowl 1987 commemorative edition, except as indicated in brackets, author unknown
