One man. Twenty-foot waves. The last of a dying breed riding giants.
Nihi is a film biography of Titus Kinimaka, one of the last remaining professional big-wave riders of pure Hawaiian descent. As a boy, he won surf contests against those twice his age; by his teens, he was recognized as one of the best surfers to have ever hit the waves. In 1996 at age 41, Titus was named Waterman of the Year by the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association for outstanding rescues as a lifeguard. He has spent over twenty years spreading aloha spirit, traveling the world as an ambassador for surfing and Hawaiian culture
Cinematography
Stunning big-wave footage that'll make your stomach drop from your couch.
Practical Effects
No CGI waves here—just Kinimaka actually risking his life for the shot.
Director
Brooks P. Guyer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kinimaka represents a specifically threatened lineage: Native Hawaiian watermen trained through family tradition rather than commercial surf schools. The sport's professionalization in the 1990s largely excluded this mentorship model.
Director Brooks P. Guyer was primarily a surf photographer making his directorial debut; this 44-minute runtime suggests it may have originally been conceived as a TV segment or festival short rather than theatrical release.
US
