Johnny Tsunami
Movie, 1999, Original movies, Set in Hawaii to Vermont
Johnny Tsunami is #5 of 23 in release order and #5 of 23 in chronological order in the Disney Channel Classics.
The story
A Hawaiian teenage surfer shows off his skills when he takes to the snow slopes in Vermont.
Johnny Tsunami recap
Thirteen-year-old Johnny Kapahala is a surfer in Hawaii and the grandson of a surfing legend, Johnny "Tsunami" Kapahala. When his father Pete is transferred, the family moves to Vermont. Johnny is enrolled at Skyline Academy, a private school whose students are skiers, the Skies, while the snowboarders, the Urchins, go to the public school, and the two groups are split by the mountain itself. Johnny takes up snowboarding with a new friend, Sam Sterling, and gets close to Emily, the headmaster's daughter, which sets off the skier Brett. Pete, who sees his own father as a bad influence, forbids Johnny from boarding. When Sam's Marine father is reassigned to Iceland, the two boys run away to Hawaii and stay with Tsunami until Pete comes around.
Johnny Tsunami ending explained
Tsunami comes back to Vermont, turns out to be a good snowboarder, and talks Pete into letting Johnny learn from his own mistakes. Brett challenges Johnny to a race for the mountain, and Johnny wins despite Brett cheating, so the skiers agree to share. The twin owners of the mountain's two sides, Randy and Ronnie Edison, reveal they were the original Sky and Urchin and reunite the mountain. Johnny and Emily dance. A sequel, Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board, followed in 2007.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Johnny Tsunami
Johnny Tsunami is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.
Ratings
IMDb 6.3/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Smart House, before Life-Size.
- Chronological order: after Smart House, before Life-Size.
Cast
- Brandon Baker as Johnny Kapahaala
- Yuji Okumoto as Pete
- Mary Page Keller as Melanie
- Lee Thompson Young as Sam Sterling
- Kirsten Storms as Emily
- Zachary Bostrom as Brett
- Gregory Itzin as Headmaster Pritchard
- Cylk Cozart as Sgt. Sterling
- Steve Van Wormer as Randy/Ronnie
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Johnny Tsunami
- Gabriel Luque as Matt
- Taylor Moore as Jake
Directed by Steve Boyum.