[1] Recently, Kalama together with close friend Laird Hamilton have been actively promoting and mastering an ancient Hawaiian mode of water transportation and watersport called SUP, "stand-up paddling", and he has begun a series of increasingly longer solo paddle events between various Hawaiian islands.
Kalama is a part-time coach to SUP competitors Kai Lenny (2010 and 2011 SUP Surf World Champion) and Slater Trout.
For survival, they surf together and only with other wave riders they absolutely trust (critical life-saving rescues from the tow-in watercraft are commonplace—they take turns piloting the craft—trust is paramount).
[citation needed] Kalama appeared in the opening sequence of the James Bond film Die Another Day.
In October 2006, Kalama, along with friend and celebrity waterman, Laird Hamilton, biked and paddled the entire Hawaiian Island chain—more than 450 miles—in a week.