Kalani Vierra. Lifeguard Chief. Elite Ocean Athlete. The Hawaiian Waterman Hall of Fame.
Kalani Vierra is what I consider modern “Hawaiian Royalty.”
He looks and acts the part everyday and in every way.
The list of what he does and how he does it is incredible.
He is a renowned waterman in his personal and professional worlds and the lines between the two are very much blurred; this is who he is.
And he is as cool, humble, dedicated, determined, authentic and as compelling a leader as they come.
Professionally, Kalani is a 25+ year lifeguard, the Kauai Ocean Safety Bureau Chief, a renowned Hawaiian waterman, a personal watercraft risk management trainer, active member of the Water Safety Task Force for both the State of Hawai’i and the island of Kauai. And…
He is also a board member of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association (HLA), Program Director of Kauai’s Jr. Lifeguards, Pacific Island representative for the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA).
He trains elite military personnel in ocean rescue.
He has won The USLA Waterman of the Year, the Eddie Aikau Waterman of the Year award, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Associations Waterman of the Year award and was inducted into the Hawaiian Waterman Hall of Fame.
He has won multiple tandem surfing world championships, he paddles big water and both surfs and foils massive waves.
And… maybe most importantly, Kalani is an incredible role model and leader; in and out of the water.
0:00 – Island Childhood: Ocean over Sports
5:21 – From Chicken Farming to Firefighting
15:22 – Surf Culture Hierarchy in Hawaii
16:08 – Protecting Beaches: Tradition and Respect
22:52 – Overcoming Addiction Through Surfing
29:32 – From Low-Wage Worker to Lifeguard Chief
36:03 – Overcoming Stigma: Seeking Help
38:25 – Hawaiian Waterman: Surfing Big Waves
45:37 – Tandem Surfing Documentary Ambitions
52:34 – Foiling Revolutionizes Surfing Adventure
57:00 – “Kauai Lifeguard Leadership Reflections”
1:01:24 – Embracing Technology for Safety
1:08:20 – Expanding Junior Lifeguard Program
1:12:02 – Expanding Lifeguard and Beach Programs
1:17:40 – Hawaii Drowning Prevention Efforts
1:21:08 – “Swim Safety: Stay Near Lifeguards”
1:27:26 – Lifeguard’s Post-Retirement Military Consulting
1:33:19 – Relentless Progress and Patience
1:36:41 – Connected by Water, Saving Lives