Cliff Kapono

Meet Cliff Kapono:

Film-maker, adventurer, hair farmer, Hawaiian. Super nerd, scientist, style master, story teller.

Cliff Kapono is one of my favorite humans on planet earth. A true renaissance man in the purest form. Cliff is currently a PHD candidate student at the University of California-San Diego studying chemical biology in the chemistry and biochemistry department. Keenly aware of who he is, and where he comes from. He’s always wanting to feed you, make you a bed, always hooting you into waves. Good friend, even better human, and true ambassador of his culture.

From an interview with ITO,

"Leaving Hawaii is always challenging. Just ask modern-Renaissance man, Cliff Kapono, who left the 50^th State in September to pursue a doctorate at the University of California San Diego (U.C.S.D.). The 25-year-old surfer/filmmaker/philanthropist/sailor/fisherman/scientist is originally from Hilo and graduated from the Kamehameha School’s Kapalama campus in 2005.

He attended the University of Hawaii (U.H.) at Manoa where he earned several degrees: B.S. Biotechnology and M.S. Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering. While at U.H. the tall, long-haired Hawaiian was also an active member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Kapu Na Keiki, a volunteer at Na Kama Kai, and even found the time to make a documentary about his hometown. Despite having numerous responsibilities on Oahu, Cliff always found time to surf and while his intellect elevated so did his surfing. He can shred anything from waist high Honoli’i to 8-foot Pipeline, and has a penchant for big barrels and huge punts."