The Smartest Surfer In The World: Cliff Kapono

Dr. Cliff Kapono is not your average surfer. A Native Hawaiian, professional wave rider, and molecular bioscientist, Cliff fuses science, culture, and a deep love for the ocean in ways no one else does. Director Ben McQueen travels to Hilo to uncover what drives Cliff’s mission, capturing powerful moments and reflections from legends like Gerry Lopez, Rob Machado, Tony Alva, and Arto Saari. The result is an intimate look at a man forging a unique path—both in the lab and out in the lineup. Through his nonprofit MEGA Lab (Multiscale Environmental Graphical Analysis Lab), Cliff is leading a global push to map one million reefs by 2030, enlisting citizen scientists from all walks of life—surfers, divers, skaters, and anyone who feels the pull of the ocean. As the only pro surfer using his platform and Ph.D. to protect marine ecosystems, Cliff is proof that purpose, culture, and curiosity can fuel real change. #surfing #vice #surf Please check out the Mega Lab here: https://themegalab.org/ Like reading? Sign up for the newsletter https://themegalab.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9b3390c2d3913dc3475df2971&id=6c6fcc2160 or check out https://www.instagram.com/themegalab/reels/?hl=en for photo and video. Click here to subscribe to VICE: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE About VICE: The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE. Connect with VICE: Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/VICE-Videos Videos, daily editorial and more: http://vice.com Like VICE on Facebook: http://fb.com/vice Follow VICE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vice Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/vice Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vice?lang=en The VICE YouTube Network: VICE: https://www.youtube.com/VICE MUNCHIES: https://www.youtube.com/MUNCHIES VICE News: https://www.youtube.com/VICENews VICE TV: https://www.youtube.com/@VICE-TV/featured Noisey: https://www.youtube.com/Noisey Motherboard: https://www.youtube.com/MotherboardTV https://www.youtube.com/@VICESports Waypoint: https://www.youtube.com/WaypointVICE