Entertainment

Johnny Kapahala Sure Looks Different These Days

by Mary Grace Garis

The turn of the millennium was a premium time for Disney Channel movies, and one of the most glorious examples is Johnny Tsunami. Oh, come on, you remember Johnny Tsunami: a classic fish out of water story where Hawaiian surfer Johnny Kapahala moves to Vermont, clashes with the snobby prep school kids, and snowboards his way into winning the respect of his peers, the cutest girl in class, and mountain privileges for all. It debuted way back in 1999 and was beloved enough to prompt a belated sequel, Johnny Kapahala: Back On Board. But, even with the second film coming out in 2007, it's been 5ever since we've seen Johnny Kapahala himself, Brandon Baker. Which makes us wonder, what does Johnny Kapahala look like now?

Well, as heartbreaking as it sounds, it looks like Baker has since ditched that majestic, floppy haircut and the ever-popular thermal-under-a-Hawaiian-button-down shirt. He took a sabbatical from acting to attend UC Santa Barbara and emerged a whole new man (although, um, chances are he wasn't rocking that look outside of the film, either). And, thanks to the blessing that is social media (that is, Baker's Instagram account), we have a solid peak of what Johnny Kapahala is looking like these days.

Hanging Out With His Grandma At The Beach

It's good to see he finally decided to relocate back to the water. I wonder if she's a professional surfer, too.

Picking Up Non-Board Related Sports For Fun

And he seems to be decidedly proficient in this too.

And Never Forgetting His Roots

You can get a haircut and a degree, but you can't run away from the truth.

Anyway, I'm glad to say that Baker has grown from a decidedly ill-dressed-for-Vermont child into a cute and seemingly fun-loving adult. And who knows? It's never too late for Disney to revive Johnny Kapahala for one final ride. Somebody get that guy a hoverboard!

Images: Disney Channel