A funny thing happened to local funny man Tumua Tuinei.

While he was playing football at the University of Hawaii, he discovered his real talent.

“I took a standup comedy class. I took it just for fun, just to fill up my classes, and to get the easy A. I’d seen it in the class description. I said, ‘Standup comedy? Okay, I’ll try it.’ Did it. Ended up falling in love with it,” he said.

Tumua’s popularity really took off during the pandemic.

His live events were shut down, so he posted comedy sketches on social media. That grew his fan base by leaps and bounds.

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Just about anyone who plays the ukulele has heard the catchy name Jumpin’ Jim. Jim Beloff is the man behind the world’s most popular series of ukulele songbooks.

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In our latest Tell Me a Story podcast, we introduce you to an endurance athlete.

He runs races with a much bigger goal in mind than just reaching the finish line.

Every step that Todd Crandell takes is one more step away from the lifestyle that threatened to kill him. And every IRONMAN he completes is a victory for the people he's trying to help to break free from the grip of addiction. 

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In our latest Tell Me a Story podcast, we take a deep dive off Oahu's North Shore.

In the water world surfers speak of pipeline with reverence, awe and even maybe a little bit of fear. It's one of the most famous surf breaks in the world and can be one of the most dangerous.

But in the scientific realm the reef that shapes the waves holds clues to the Earth's climate and two surfer scientists are exploring it.

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In this episode of "Tell Me A Story," Jim Mendoza sits down with Hawaii's own Jake Shimabukuro to talk about his new album. "Jake and Friends" took four years to complete and features a long list of musical heavyweights, from Willie Nelson to Bette Midler to Kenny Loggins. 

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If you've never given up on a dream, you can relate to Dr. Sian Proctor. The SpaceX astronaut has her feet firmly planted back on terra firma, but her mind in still on her out-of-this-world mission aboard the Inspiration4 flight in September.

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In his new documentary "Waterman," filmmaker Isaac Halasima chronicles the incredible life of Olympian and ambassador of surfing Duke Kahanamoku. In this episode of "Tell Me a Story," featuring a new and improved format, Jim Mendoza will delve into Duke's legacy on surfing, culture and on the islands.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.