Koi (Nishikigoi) Keeping
Zen Nippon Airinkai is an international organization based in Beppu, Japan. Their goal is to spread the hobby of Koi (Nishikigoi) keeping and to improve the knowledge of husbandry techniques and the appreciation of Nishikigoi as living art.
Show Reports for March 2007
We Had Two ZNA Shows in March: CFKS2007 and the ZNA Southern California Chapter 33rd Annual Show. Shows pictures and results will usually be featured here on the home page and then moved off to the Archive page as new shows are reported. To see the past show coverage we have so far go to the Archive page. All ZNA show chairs or club presidents are asked to send announcements of shows and the results to for the ZNA America web site to the Webmaster.
The Central Florida Koi Show 2007 in Orlando was host to the ZNA Presidents Annual Meeting. Judges for the show were: Galen Hansen, Head Judge, Don Kobashigawa, Art Lembke, with Alan Stein and Nicole Lembke, both ZNA candidate judges. There were 209 koi in the show with 45 show tanks and 30 participants.
Alan has fulfilled his show requirements to become a ZNA Local Certified Judge with this show, and Nicole satisfied her show requirements the following at the ZNA Southern California Chapter show in Gardena. Congratulations to both Alan and Nicole. The next step is formal confirmation from the ZNA office in Japan.
Ron Gorforth, fully Certified ZNA judge and USA District Chairman, led another well attended ZNA Judge Seminar on Friday. Ray Abel owner of Nishikigoi of Niigata supplied the fish for this judging exercise.
The ZNA Southern California Chapter 33rd annual show was held March 24th and 25th at the Gardena Civic Center. This show is one of the premiere koi events of the year organized under the leader ship of Chai Taevanitcharoen - Show Chairman Don Kobashigawa – Club President. The show honored long time koi hobbyist and ZNA judge Charlie Seu in the form of a Memorial Award for the Best Shiro Utsuri. Charlie Seu will be missed by all.
As always, the show hosted several Japanese cultural activities. On Saturday, there were the Taiko Drummers and an ensemble of Japanese Singers. Also participants learned about Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), Origami (Japanese paper folding), Bonsai tree trimming, Orchid care, and Sumi-e (Japanese water color painting) from experts in each of these arts.