“You surf in New York? Really? Where?”

That’s the perplexed reaction I usually get when I tell my friends in California that I grew up surfing in New York.  Little do they know that New York has over 100 miles of pristine ocean beaches from New York City to Montauk, and that’s not counting the New Jersey coast.  It’s not as consistent as California or even the Outer Banks, but it can get good.  Really good.

Suffice it to say that a very vibrant surf culture has risen and thrived under the radar in New York – but it won’t stay secret much longer.

Hosted at Tribeca Cinemas from September 24 – 26, The New York Surf Film Festival is in its third year, and in this short time has become one of the most diverse and popular surf film showcases in the country.  Founded in 2008 by Adam Cannizzaro, Tyler Breuer, Michael Machemer, and Morgan Rae Berk, the festival has been home to the world premieres of several high ticket films, including Taylor Steele’s Castles In the Sky at last year’s event.

This year promises to be even more exciting, with several locally based films as well as international hits .  The opener, Shadows of the Same Sun, is a home grown documentary focusing on the roots of surfing in Rockaway Beach, New York.  Accessible by subway from the city, Rockaway – also known as the Not So Secret Spot or NS3 – is where Manhattan’s surf community goes to surf.  Year round.  Yes, New York gets biting cold and icy in the winter, but those dedicated few who endure the frigid temperatures are rewarded with some of the best waves of the year.  The cold winters are thankfully balanced with balmy, sunny summers, and the mild fall is host to hurricane season.

Other films of note that are screening at the festival include the much acclaimed God Went Surfing With The Devil, Julian Wilson’s Scratching The Surface, Being Captain Zero, Darkfall, Stoked and Broke, and the first ever theater showing of Taylor Steele’s Momentum.  This doesn’t include the numerous short films that are also being shown.

Get some more information on the festival, check out the schedule, and see trailers and synopses of the films over at the New York Surf Film Festival website.

We had the chance to talk to Thomas Brookins, director of Shadows Of The Same Sun, to get a little more information on the festival opener.

Thomas Brookins

What inspired you to make a documentary about Rockaway?

It’s a great human story.  I’ve been surfing in Rockaway for many years.  I live on the peninsula & have seen a lot of changes over the years. There are three times the amount of surfers now, tons of development, and visitors from all over the world.  It’s been quite a ride for people who have been surfing for some time, but now it’s become a bit bastardized and it seems a lot of people only know what they see in the water lately.  Inside the community there are some great people.  They are close–like family.  It’s not just a resort where you come ride the ride & go home.  There are generations of surfers living here with great lives, and many you’d look at and never know they even surf.  Not to be a wannabe local or anything, but I don’t think people get it.  We have such a vast surfing history here, and many of the new transplants and surfers don’t know about it.  I’ve heard the great stories some of the local guys tell, and I just thought that it was such an amazing story that someone should try to tell it before it just gets paved over with all the development and crowding.  We have a legit surfing history.  It’s an age-old culture passed down through the years and it extends through national borders.  NYC is no different then the rest of the surfing world.  Hopefully people can see this movie and walk away with a new perspective.  And to the people who have lived it for generations, I hope they can walk away with a sense of pride. They are legends and should be held in the highest regard.  Love ‘em or not, without them we may have never had surfing in New York City.

How long has the film been in production?

A little over 3 years in production.

Was it tough to stay on the beach and film when the waves were good?

[Laughs] It’s the worst! Its a love / hate relationship.  You’re looking at all these perfect waves and standing there on a beach for hours waiting to get one usable shot.   This movie isn’t about pro surfers, so you have to pick one person out of a super crowded line up as they’re dropping into a wave and hope they’re decent enough to make it or actually ride it well.  I’ve burned through hours of footage and had nothing many times. It’s like a needle in a haystack.  For Hurricane Bill I shot all morning to get a few good clips.  By the time I paddled out, it was only good for maybe thirty minutes before the wind switched and I surfed huge closed out chop till it faded.  That, and you really want to body slam everyone running by with a surfboard yelling, “Dude why aren’t you out there?”  It gives me a nervous twitch in my eye.  It’s really tough to shoot on a good swell.

Did the film evolve much as you were making it?

Yes, I made a surf action movie a while back called Etched In Sections, a basic movie showcasing surfers from NY as well as showing the mood of the seasons.  I originally thought I was going to do a more advanced version of Etched.  As I surfed and talked to my friends I realized that these people’s fathers, uncles, and grandparents are legends.  They are the surfing heroes that paved the road for all of us to surf here, so once I got that in my head it was all she wrote.  I started studying the area and asking lots of questions.  It wasn’t long before I was trying to convince people to do interviews.  I also didn’t have proper training.  I never went to film school, so along with just shooting I had to study text books on production as well as do research online to learn how to do everything–from sound recording to using my camera correctly.  It taught me how to become what I am today.  This movie evolved in more ways than one.  You can see my whole career develop in this film.  Since then I’ve been involved in shooting commercials and also released  a film last week called “Living for 32″ at the IFC theaters in Manhattan.  So this has been more than just a movie to me.  It’s changed the way I look at everything.  I think many of my friends can tell you that I have changed since the beginning of this film.

When will we be able to see Shadows Of The Same Sun after the NYSFF?

Hopefully there will be other screenings. I plan to enter it in other festivals if possible as well but I never expected both showings to sell out so fast at the NYSFF.  I definitely want to have a showing for the people who couldn’t get tickets.  I’ll have the good people at NYSFF.com and NYNJsurf.com know whats up & where there will be local showings.  Maybe the Mollusk fellas can help as well.  I am still in awe of everything that’s happened.  For now, I guess I’ll see you all there!

Although it looks like both screenings of Shadows Of The Same Sun have sold out for the NYSFF, keep your eye on Earthmover Video Production’s website as well as NYNJSurf.com for information on future screenings.

Image: ReelSessions.com

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Encinitas showing of Taylor Steele’s new movie, Castles In The Sky.  It was held at the historic La Paloma theater in front of a boisterous, sold out crowd.

I’m a huge fan of Taylor Steele’s work, so when he got up on stage and introduced the project as special to him I knew it had to be good.

If you look at the poster for Castles In The Sky you will see that it stars India, Peru, Vietnam, Africa, and Iceland.  A bit odd, considering that there are some big name surfers in the movie.  But while the surf stars in the film are A-listers, they aren’t really the stars; the film is more about the land and cultures that they visit – a visual journey through a global tapestry.  The imagery that Mr. Steele has captured is full of color, life, and culture from all parts of the globe.  Sometimes I find the “culture as opposed to surfing” routine a bit overdone, but in Castles it absolutely worked.  I think that the quality of the photography was the ticket here.

Photo: dhump/poorspecimen.com

That gorgeous cinematography extends to the surfing, where every drop of water, ripple, and rail grab is captured in full color film.  First stop was Iceland, where Dane Reynolds and crew conquer a windy but beautifully peeling righthander in what looks like some sort of bay.  You can see the swells wrapping in under huge snow covered mountains.  The crew also dips into a frigid, barreling left in what looks like a sunrise or sunset session.  The contrast is beautiful, with golden sunlight glinting off the glassy waves as the surfers pigdog into the tube.  This got the crowd going pretty good.

Jordy Smith and crew hit a throaty looking wedge in Vietnam (I think it was Vietnam but I could be wrong).  Jordy pulls some amazing maneuvers, and I’m not sure that he doesn’t  use velcro on his feet.

Rob Machado tackled Peru with his signature fluid style – the hometown hero here in Encinitas, he got the crowd hooting as well.  I know Machado doesn’t air it on every wave, but I have to say that in my opinion he has the most visually pleasing style of all the pros.   Dave Rastovich, another crowd pleaser, catches some amazingly glassy waves in India, and even shoots through a gnarly looking concrete pier.

Other surfers include Dan Malloy, Kalani Robb, Mike Losness, Tim Curran, Craig Anderson, Pete Mendia, Dion Agius, Kai Barger, Gabriel Villaran, and Mitch Coleborn.

A few of my friends commented that there “could have been more surfing,” but I have to personally disagree.  This isn’t Modern Collective, so don’t go in with that expectation.  What you can expect is a perfect blend of amazing photography of people, places, monuments, and surfing, all mixed to an excellent soundtrack.  I know it sounds cliche, but it’s amazing how much culture is out there in the world.  Sometimes we have to look beyond our personal bubbles to realize it.

Check the Castles In The Sky website for more information on the tour schedule.  If you can get to a premiere showing I highly recommend it!

CASTLES IN THE SKY from Sipping Jetstreams on Vimeo.

Taylor Steele is pushing the envelope once again.  His latest brainchild is a video contest where viewers will vote for the top 20 sections submitted to his innersecion.tv website.  While the idea itself is not revolutionary, I believe this is the first time something like this has been done in the surf industry – at least on such a large scale.  The overall winner scores $100,000.

The rad thing about this contest is that anyone can enter.  Rules on the site  mandate that entries and surfing must not be mechanically assisted.  That means no jetskis, chopper drops, or green screens.  This is paddle in freesurfing at its best.

I also like the fact that Poor Specimen is going to cover the cost of getting the rights to the music that contestants use in their clips.  This means you can have fun and search out some new music (nothing too mainstream that’s going to cost $50,000 for rights).

I’m totally stoked to see this progress.  What you’re gonna get is a showcase for some fresh filming talent – this will be like 20 cool short films in one, so you’re not gonna get bored midway through the finished product.  For example, check out one of the newer filmmakers that was mentioned on the site: Victor Pakpour (http://victorpakpour.blogspot.com/)

This is a great idea and I’ll be following it closely.  I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Steele briefly at the Encinitas premiere of The Drifter.  He was incredibly nice and took the time to chat with fans, which only increased my respect for him.

Check out:

innersecton.tv

Before the movie the audience was treated to some great music by Rob, Jon Swift, Fernando Apodaca and Todd Hannigan.  I’ve been a fan of Jon Swift since I first heard his music in the 2001 surf video “Shelter” (Jon Swift is an astrophysicist).  Getting to hear him play live was a treat, and they sounded amazing.

The movie “The Drifter” is more of a travelog / inner journey film than it is a traditional surf film.   The entire film takes place in Indonesia on the island of Bali as well as other surrounding islands, following Rob as he wanders aimlessly trying to get away from the herd.  He finally ends up pitching his tent on a hill where he’s just moments away from a flawless left.

The cinematography is excellent, and it’s almost a love letter to Indonesia in a way, highlighting the people and the unique, friendly villages.  Even though I was expecting more surfing I still very much enjoyed this film.  It’s not so serious that it’s beating you over the head with philosophy, but rather maintains a thread of self reflective humor that’s reminiscent of the Endless Summer movies.

After the film they played the bonus surf section and we were treated to Rob and Jon playing along with the footage.  Taylor Steele and Rob also did a Q+A session after the film where they got to expand a bit on the making of the movie.

Jon Swift and Rob jam before the film

Taylor Steel and Rob did a Q+A session after the movie

If you can’t make it to a premiere then catch the Drifter on DVD.

http://www.thedriftermovie.com for more info

also, check out Jon Swift’s music:

http://www.jonswiftmusic.com