Gino Monopoli will be rockin’ and rollin’ on the river again this summer.

The Peach City’s adopted son will be headed south to Memphis next month for the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist event after winning the professional division of the weekend Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival.

Along with the $2,000 prize money, the Toronto performer also received airfare and accommodation for the best-of-the-best in M-Town, where he placed in the top 10 last year.

Runner up in the Penticton pro event was Stephen Kabakos and Corny Rempel was third. Tiger Man won the amateur division followed by Bret Wiggins and Eternal E.

Monopoli will be among the more than 20 other people competing for the King’s crown who qualified at similar tributes in the U.S. and Canada.

And while the winner’s soul may be in the south, a large part of his heart is in the Okanagan.

“This is my eighth year in Penticton and I always get such a great reception here,” said Monopoli. “What I like most are the people — it’s all about the people — they just make you feel so welcome.”

It was 10 years ago after receiving comments about his physical similarities to a young Elvis, he first got interested in the tribute events and entered the Collingwood, Ont. competition.

At one point in the span of just over a year he won five titles including his biggest thrill to date, hearing his name called out at the prestigious Las Vegas festival.

“That was Las Vegas, Nevada,” he said. “Walking onto the strip with the bright lights and the action I felt this was for real.”

However even with all his personal notoriety Monopoli has never forgotten his entertainment roots.

“We’re here for one reason and that’s to pay tribute to the one and only,” he said. “His music, his style, his overall demeanour.”

Laura Miller who came from Calgary just to be a part of the celebration agreed: “I first heard Elvis when I was 13 years old and I loved him always. These artists are so good. If you close your eyes you can imagine it is really him up on stage.”

Topping off the event for her is being able to meet and talk to people like D.J. Fantana who was the King’s drummer for 14 years.

“To see D.J. is a connection to the real Elvis and it doesn’t get better than that,” she said.

While it has been over three decades since his death — if the weekend numbers are any indication — the popularity of the man who became an international, cultural icon is growing.

“It was fantastic, we sold out the convention centre for the first time ever,” said director Stacey Tonita, the festival’s tribute artist co-ordinator.

“We had people sitting on the floor Saturday night and at the gospel show in the park (Sunday) we had over 4,000.”

She added there was also a record number of competitors this year, 31, and plans are already being finalized to make 2010 even bigger and better.