Kalama Valley, Oʻahu

Born in Wainiha, Kauaʻi, Amimoto was raised in Kalama Valley, where the ocean and shores of East Oʻahu became his classroom. At sixteen, his mentor, Pwo Navigator Bruce Blankenfeld, brought him into the Hōkūleʻa ‘ohana through dry dock work, beginning a relationship with the canoe that spanned more than three decades. He has been involved with the lashing, fiberglass and woodwork on the iconic vessel and has risen up to the ranks of deep sea captain on some of the longest voyages of Hōkūleʻa. His work on land has followed the same commitment to ocean and community, including ten years of marine management with The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi and his current service with the Honolulu Fire Department’s Rescue 2 Company.