Charles and Suzanne Nakoa are amazed it has continued for so long. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the gymnastics meet named for their daughter Luka. The event isn't a big one — only 23 girls will compete this year — but it has become one of the most respected traditions in local gymnastics. Girls dream of taking home the first-place trophy bearing Luka's likeness.

On March 23, 1980, 12-year-old Luka Nakoa was crossing Kane'ohe Bay Drive on her way to gymnastics practice when a car overtaking two trucks struck and killed her.

In the grief that followed the loss of the bright and happy girl, her teammates at Kokokahi Gym wanted a way to honor her memory. Her parents agreed to the Luka Nakoa Invitational, a competition for advanced female gymnasts at the same level of proficiency as Luka was. Luka loved gymnastics and, by all accounts, was very talented.

"We always talk about how gymnastics is a marvelous sport for young girls," Charles Nakoa said. "During Luka's time, we never met a gymnast who didn't do well in school."

The Nakoas set up a foundation in Luka's name and have given money each year to help the sport on O'ahu. For the annual competition, they buy roses for each of the competitors and special lei for the winners: first place gets ilima and maile; second place gets pikake and maile; third place gets ginger and maile and fourth, fifth and sixth place get white carnation lei.

All previous winners are invited to attend and are presented with red carnation lei — the big "George Ariyoshi-style" lei, as Nakoa calls them, which are hard to come by these days.

"Luka loved flowers," Nakoa said.

When people ask, he'll share stories about his daughter — how at her memorial, a stranger came up to him and said Luka had given her her seat on the bus every morning, or how they didn't know until after she was gone that she had taken it upon herself to volunteer at her school's special ed classroom.

"Luka was real olu olu," he says, using the Hawaiian word that means things like happy, kind and gracious.

These days, the event belongs more to the gymnasts, Nakoa says, though it still bears Luka's name. The program for the meet has Luka's picture on it, "but we don't do that," Nakoa said "The kids do that." Some of her former teammates now have daughters who compete.

The Luka Nakoa Invitational will be held Sunday at the Kokokahi Gym.

The Nakoas will be there with their lei and flowers.

"It is an honor for us that they've maintained this for so long," he said.

"It feels good."

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.