Johnny Kapahala

I had a major crush on Johnny Kapahala from the 1999 Disney made-for-TV movie, Johnny Tsunami. In this film, we are introduced to Johnny in his childhood home of Hawaii, where he spends his days surfing with his two knucklehead friends and his grandpa, who is a known surf legend. Johnny is suddenly forced to move to Vermont, where he is unable to continue surfing. His dork richer father makes Johnny enroll in a private school, where the majority of the “popular kids” are skiers. He decides to try out the sport (probably to impress that one blonde broad), but fails miserably. He is taken in by local public school snowboarders, and finds that the sport is much easier for him, considering his surfing history. His dad doesn’t like the crowd he runs around with, but Johnny rebels anyways.

I really liked the movie as a 13 year-old. I recorded it onto a VHS tape and watched it over and over again. Honestly, I thought that guy was a total babe. I probably wrote him fanmail. He was just so extreme! He saves a damsel in distress, has a great tan, and doesn’t give a fuck! (ie. He gets busted for wearing a Hawaiian shirt with his school uniform; He and Sam [token] sneak on to a plane back to Hawaii when his parents try to move again, etc.). What I will say is that the crush was completely normal because I was close to him in age, and he is an actual real person (although I was attracted to the character he plays, not the actor, Brandon Baker).

Go big or go home.