If you are searching for more surfers to look up to, this movie is a great place to find one.  Riding Giants is a classic film that documents the past and recent surge of big wave riding around the world.  I watched the movie for my first time a few years ago and have watched it many times since.  The plot of Riding Giants ranges from the progression of surfing in the 20th century to the discovery of spots around the world.  The director, legendary skateboarder Stacy Peralta, brings together people that revolutionized big wave surfing.  Peralta’s interviews include Greg Noll, Laird Hamilton, and Jeff Clark among others.  Each surfer clearly explains what they were thinking as they rode these massive waves for their first time.

When big wave riding was first starting up, wave catching was limited by the paddling power of the surfer and the materials they had available locally to produce a board.  I liked that as I watched this film, I felt that I was going through a time machine.   As Riding Giants documented each new piece of equipment I imagined what it would be like to be a surfer in that time, realizing that so many possibilities were opened.

Some cool parts included a segment on what Laird Hamilton’s life was like as a blond boy growing up among native Hawaiians, and his journey leading him to become one of the most respected watermen in the world.   In addition, as a northern California surfer myself, it was great to see a solid portion explaining the discovery of Mavericks by a teenager with a dream to conquer the sleeping giant…without telling his parents of course!   Who knew that such a big wave wouldn’t be exposed until almost 15 years after someone had been surfing it alone and trying to convince others that it was real!

One aspect that stood out was the fact that the movie had a strong focus on how the surf culture developed.  They have a lot of great vintage footage that was taken during the surf revolution and rebellious culture in the 20th century.

In all, this movie is a must watch for surfers.  If you are like me, moving into a college dorm, ordering massive posters of surfers riding the waves shown in Riding Giants is a must!   From the ancient Hawaiian kings to modern day surfing kings, I realized that the most consistent urge in surfing is the passion to ride and discover bigger and badder waves.

Remember the courage of the boy in the bestselling novel, “The Power of One?” Well multiply that by three, bring them together, and give them a few boards. The Powers of Three explores the friendship of three surfers ruling the sketchiest shores in Ireland. Mickey Smith, Fergal Smith, and Tom Lowe put a gold star on Ireland’s reputation for big wave riding. We saw a rough sneak peak of Fergal’s action in High-5, but it was nothing compared to what this 30 minute film has in store for us.

The Powers of Three really shows the spirituality and commitment these men live by. You can tell they all are passionate about what they do, even though they are not pulling in the big bucks. Fergal especially; he has been charging the giants since the young age of 16 and makes it look like a walk in the park.

One of my favorite parts is how the director uses cinematography to put into perspective how small we are compared to the ocean. The coast of Ireland is portrayed magnificently throughout the entirety of the film. The director is able to blend the beauty of the coastline and the aggressiveness of the waves to create an equilibrium that I haven’t seen in any other movie minus Castles in the Sky.

Sure this film documents the rad waves they caught, but it also scratches the surface about the cost these waves can deal to you if you wipe out.

I really liked the soundtrack to this movie. Although there are no songs that have lyrics, the surfing speaks for itself. What surprised me was that they were able to throw in some Mozart which fit the scene perfectly!

In the end, I’d have to say almost everything about this movie is heavy: the dialog, waves, and especially the cojones these guys have to surf. If you have 30 minutes free during your lunch break or right before bed, go check out The Powers of Three – you will not regret it. After all, it is free! Here’s the link to the film: http://www.relentlessenergy.com/films/view/powers-of-three

After finding out the local surf shop had Transworld Surf’s latest flick, High-5, I was excited to check it out, especially because of all the hype in the magazine over the past few months.  When it was over I was a little surprised because I felt like something was missing; Unlike Taylor Steele’s Castles in the Sky, High-5 has almost no dialog and rarely shows clips of land.  Instead of focusing on the voyage itself, the flick jumps right into the action.  On the bright side, there is more room for all the massive cutbacks and insane airs (even the ones they can’t land).  Filmed within a 5 month window, Andrew Doheny, Eric Geiselman, Wade Goodall, Fergal Smith, and Andy Irons definitely had their fair share of amazing clips.

One of the cooler parts of the video was a small segment on Fergal Smith killing it in Ireland.  In addition to the fierce slabs he dropped in on, Fergal Smith took it to the next level by carrying a camera while being shacked to give a perspective we don’t usually see in these films.

Of course, throughout the 40 minute film, Andy Irons doesn’t fail to amaze and Eric Geiselman lands countless gnarly airs.

To vamp up the flick, Transworld included various special effects which may or may not include an animated shark, a 400lb woman, and an occasional gnome; make sure to look out for them, some are easy to miss!

Among others, the soundtrack had bands on the down-low including “The Soft Pack,” “The drowning men,”  and “Future Islands,” which blend in well with the flick, especially one of the opening songs, “Answer to Yourself.”

On the back cover of the DVD there is a byte in a large font that reads, “Can someone tell me what this is for?” This film is highly recommended for anyone looking for a film that focuses on the surfing rather than the lifestyle.  You can buy the DVD online at Swell.com or your local surf shop may carry it. As a bonus, it comes with a free one year subscription to their magazine, so go check it out!

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.

Rip Curl's Rubber Soul II

Heads up for a free download!

Looks like there’s a new trend of company sponsored free surf vid downloads optimized for your ipod / iphone!  The latest offering is Rip Curl’s Rubber Soul 2, featuring Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore, Owen Wright, Taylor Knox, Matt Wilkinson, Dean Brady, Ricky Basnett, Stuey Kennedy, Frankie O, Nathan Edge, and Ben Dunn.  The whole thing is only about 186 meg.  This is great for your next plane flight or long car ride.

You don’t need an ipod or iphone to watch the vid.  You can watch it in segments right on the website, or download it and watch it in itunes.

Check It Out Here!

This movie gave me chills multiple times.  I have such a fascination with the way that Aspberger’s syndrome can produce savant-like talents in certain individuals.  In Clay’s case, he is one with the water.  He seems to have this innate sixth sense that puts him in tune with the ocean and the waves.

After doing a lot with Surfer’s Healing back home in Montauk, NY, I am in awe of the way that kids with severe autism seem to be soothed by the ocean.  It’s a little uncomfortable at first; sometimes those kids do NOT want to go in the water, and they get dragged kicking and screaming.  You find yourself thinking, “Is this really such a good idea?”  But then those same kids return to the beach after their session and there is such a change.  Sometimes they want to go back in again, and a third time.  In the movie Just Add Water, there was a comment about how one mother had never heard her child speak a word…until he came out of the ocean after his session with Surfer’s Healing.

Anyway, back to the point…this movie will get you stoked on life, and surfing as a sport and way of life.  Of course the surfing is phenomenal.  I can’t understand how Clay can pull some of these moves.   He has definitely become one of my favorite pros.

Clay can be blunt at times, but sometimes what he says is quite poignant.  My favorite quote was his line “Waves…are toys from God.”  It doesn’t get any more true or simpler than that.

P.S. – If you buy this DVD, you get a sweet card of wildflower seeds that you can plant (just add water..haha) and a portion of the proceeds goes towards Surfer’s Healing.  Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

Still One Of The Best

Thicker Than Water
Directed and produced by Chris Malloy
Directed/Filmed/Scored by Jack Johnson
Directed/Edited by Emmett Malloy

Sweet as a nut.

Thicker Than Water is a classic, and definitely belongs in any self-respecting surf video collection. TTW focuses on the element of the family and friendship involved in surfing—whether you’re stuck together on a boat in the middle of nowhere, or you opt to surf your home break with friends instead of go on yet another fancy boat trip. Voice-overs of surfers nostalgically recalling their first waves and first cutbacks are enough to bring a tear to your eye.

There’s a fun section where a number of different surfers all try to use this green singlefin board. It’s a great comparison of styles and approaches to surfing. Of course Slater puts it through moves like it’s the most cutting edge hi-performance board on the market.

I wasn’t too sure about the random New York City section, but it doesn’t hurt the film. Being from New York I was disappointed they didn’t show some shots of New York surfing!

Surfing: All shortboarding here, but it’s good. Nothing breakthrough—no 360 loop-de-loop aerials or anything, but good clean shortboarding. Surfers aren’t named—you’ll probably recognize a few faces. The beginning of the movie features a tiny Jon Jon Florence.

Waves/Locations: Good mix of “local” breaks and perfect Indonesian tubes. Cold and windy Ireland, California, Indo. Most spots are not named.

Music: Thicker Than Water offers an excellent mix of ethnically inspired folk, techno, soul, bluegrass, vocal and instrumental. Some songs are a little repetitive, but most of the tracks are instant hits. There’s even a chain-gang song on here. Make sure to purchase the special edition that comes with the soundtrack CD. I especially liked the African type spiritual chant that accompanied the T’eaupoo section.

Editing: One of the most well edited movies out there. Synched up with the music expertly, the wave sections are excellent: never too quick or too long.

Cinematography: Done entirely in 16mm (yeah!), Thicker Than Water offers a good mix of land and water photography. Most shots are very crisp and colorful. The film doesn’t slo-mo you to death either—there are some sections where the surfers are going so fast it almost seems the film was sped up. The framing is always very tight, and I wish there were more wide perspectives. Very artistic shots of kids jumping off bridges, Kelly Slater building a guitar, Irish castles and pubs, thunderstorms, crowded Indonesian streets, etc.

Extras: Great extra clips – some great cinematography and surf clips, and some great songs. I loved “Carnival.”
Jack Johnson’s “Holes to Heaven” song with accompanying video was great. I wish they played this on MTV. You’d probably never know Holes to Heaven was a song about surf travel unless you saw this. All the lyrics are illustrated with some great cinematography into a little narrative.
The feature commentary is worth the price alone…it’s like having a second movie with all the interesting tidbits they talk about.

Thicker Than Water: 5 out of 5

SUPER SLIDE (1999)

Our Rating: Stoke: 9.5/10 Music: 5/10 DVD Features: 7/10 Replay Value: 8/10 (with the music videos) Value: 8.5/10 Overall: 8.0/10

Super Slide, produced in 1999 by Ira Opper, is a semi-documentary about classic “hotdog” longboarding and its resurgence. It’s well known for its claim to be the first surf video produced specifically for the DVD format. With a narration similar to the classic Endless Summer franchise, it is a fun romp through the history of surfing and the progression of longboarding.

Great historical film clips are interspersed with modern video, giving an interesting perspective on how boards, styles, and certain surf spots have changed. One segment that really shined was a trip to Hawaii where present day pros Joel Tudor, Wingnut, and Bonga Perkins rode some historical redwood longboards from the early 1900’s. Bonga’s redwood board weighed 120 pounds!

This movie really gets you stoked to go surfing. There is a good mix of surfing locations, taking the viewer on a tour of many classic surf spots including Malibu, Windansea, Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, Hawaii, and Australia. The waves are not perfect Indonesian tubes but rather a grab bag of different sizes and conditions—all fun looking waves that you might find on a good day in your own backyard. One thing I don’t like about many high profile surf flicks today are the perfect waves and conditions that I really don’t see on a typical day at my home break. Super Slide is a great example of surfers having fun on small waves as well as large; a showcase of surfing ability in all conditions.

Super Slide also has an excellent mix of pros, semi pros, amateurs and recreational surfers. There’s no lack of talent—the moves they pull are spectacular—but the fact that the film is not limited to big name sponsored surfers makes this an everyman’s (or every woman’s) film. You’re not left feeling like you just watched the impossible, but like you want to catch some waves! Some recognizable names that were featured include Joel Tudor, the late Jay Moriarty, Wingnut, Daize Shayne, an interview with wetsuit inventor Jack O’Neill, Greg Noll, an appearance by Kelly Slater.

There are some good interviews with historical surf figures as well as present day pros, but some of these interviews might have been better left out of the video. There were a few cringe-worthy clips that show being a pro surfer doesn’t mean you’re good with words

For the wahines among us, this film gets an extra star for the positive section on women’s surfing. Super Slide takes a look at the surge in popularity of surfing among women, as well as the fact that there are some very talented ladies out there. It’s a nice change of pace since the surf video industry now seems to be moving in the direction of segregated surf videos.

The music featured in Super Slide is good, but not great. The soundtrack is a varied mix of classic rock, big band, and funk, but none of the tracks really stood out.

The DVD features some extra footage as well as some music videos. The music videos don’t really feature new footage, it’s just footage from the video chopped up to some songs, but it’s a good option if you just want to watch a few minutes of pure surfing.

The video is long, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s got a lot of great footage and historical tidbits packed in. You might not want to watch the full feature over and over again because of all the interviews, but the replay value is increased by the music video options in the DVD extras.

Overall this is one of my favorites. If I’ve just had a good session, this is one of the first flicks I want to pop in my DVD player. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I wish more surf flicks would follow its informal, fun-loving tone.

Grab this classic video to round out your collection!

Run Time: 90 minutes

Single Fin: Yellow

Directed by Jason Baffa
70 min
90 minutes bonus features (including director commentary)

I really liked the concept of Single Fin: Yellow. Man (Tyler Hatzikian) builds a surfboard, then ships it off to a friend with a simple note stating: enjoy it. Friend then ships it to another friend, and so it goes. Over the course of the film the board heads to Australia, Hawaii, and Japan to name a few destinations.

Yellow was shaped by Tyler Hatzikian to be a vintage noserider, something that you wouldn’t normally find on shop racks. The dimensions were taken from a board that his father had shaped and it speaks of earlier generations, and a time when surfing was more about the journey and friendships than sponsorship and contests. The board itself sets the tone for the whole film as a quest for the true sprit of surfing that has been largely lost through years of commercialization.

Each surfer describes their own surfing journey, their take on longboarding, the spirit that drives them to surf, and their experience with “yellow.” The common thread of the yellow longboard was the starting point for each of their perspectives.

Don’t be scared off by the fact that this film might be classified as a longboarding movie. In fact, it’s more about the sport of surfing than longboarding by itself. The film explores the way that all types of surfers take on the challenge of a vintage board-something they might not otherwise ride.

Singlefin: Yellow is shot entirely on 16mm, which of course makes it beautiful. The cinematography is excellent and varied. We follow the board through the shaping room, past airports, and in the waves. It’s clear there was a lot of thought put into the visual look of the film. I loved the shot of David Kineshita carrying the longboard through crowded Tokyo streets-what an excellent contrast.

The idea is fresh and original-a good thing in a market saturated with copycat punk rock music montages. Despite the originality and insight that each rider gives on their own take of the surfing spirit, the pace of the film is a little draggy. I found myself getting a bit restless as the surfers waxed philosophical. At some point it gets a bit maudlin to hear all the soulful talk.

The most different perspective on surfing that I thought the film portrayed was by the Japanese surfer David Kineshita. He was very direct and to the point. I also liked Beau’s section. I was quite happy to see Daize Shayne’s section, but I thought it was too short, especially considering the lack of female representation in mainstream surf films. Her perspective, however, was quite refreshing and it helped the “all inclusive” feel of the film.

The director’s commentary in the bonus features is worth the price of the film alone. It’s extremely insightful and opens a window to the film that increases appreciation tenfold. Filmmaker Jason Baffa has some great things to say about the making of the film, surf film art in general, and trivia tidbits about the surfers and locations.

Overall Singlefin: Yellow is definitely worth a watch. It didn’t quite strike me as the “be all and end all” of surf films that many other people think it is, and I’d be lying if I said it did. However, the unique and refreshing take on the genre lift it above most of the fare that’s being churned out. Make sure to check this one out.

Postcards from Paradise
Ryan Ray
Seven Films / Joyful Noise
2006
45 minutes (+15 minutes bonus features)

Paradise Found

I was really looking forward to Postcards from Paradise, based on a few recommendations and good reviews, and it lived up to most of my expectations.

This film is all surfing, and pretty much nothing else. There are a few token interviews and some quick shots of the landscape, but nothing exceptional in this department. This was a little disappointing, since the landscape shots were pretty nice and gave the locations a little more dimension.

Postcards from Paradise is perfect for those of you who want a straight up surfing video with no artistic fluff.

Surfing: Postcards features 100% pro-style shortboarding. There were some great waves and some incredible airs, and overall the action is excellent. It doesn’t quite reach the level of Campaign or Freakshow, but it’s generally above-average. All surfers are named, with the likes of Kelly Slater, Jamie O’Brien, Taj Burrow, Dean Morrison, Chris Ward, Shane Dorian, Andy Irons, Mikala Jones, the Bali boys, and more. It was good to see the Bali boys featured here since they usually fly under the radar.

Waves/Location: Location is the star in Postcards, taking you on a tour of some of the most celebrated tropical island surf spots in the world—-paradise to anyone, but especially so if you’re a surfer. Tahiti, Indonesia and Bali, Hawaii, and the Mentawais are all showcased in their wave-filled glory. Spots like Teaupoo and the North Shore are prominently featured, as well as G Land in one of the bonus footage clips. It sometimes got confusing as to where they were, since the film seemed to jump around from location to location. I think the film would have benefited if all the location segments were kept together.

Music: Nothing groundbreaking. It had a variety of punk, ethnic and alternative, but nothing really grabbed me. Artists featured include Olivia, Mute Math, Day of Fire, Slightly Stoopid, Salvador and The Beautiful Girls.

Editing: Pretty average here. I wish they wouldn’t have cut the scenery and wide perspective lineup shots so short. Some shots were cut too short, and there were too many random “surfer walking with board” shots inserted. Thankfully there were no slow motion shots so the speed of the waves could be fully appreciated.

Cinematography: Unfortunately the only water shots in the film are in the beginning introduction. The rest is restricted to a shoreline perspective. This is unfortunate since the water shots they did have were pretty good looking. The film looks absolutely beautiful, and the DVD transfer is virtually immaculate. My version had a blue frame inserted somewhere in the middle, but I’m not sure if that’s on every DVD. Kelly Slater’s section had this strange green tint that they really should have cleaned up, and about 1/3 of the sections were shot during overcast days which I think detracts from the overall theme the film is trying to portray.

Extras: Nothing spectacular. There’s a section showcasing G-Land, and another section featuring some pros at a very “un-paradise” location. Interview outtakes from the Bali interviews were so-so. A few trailers for Shades of Bali, Kumbaya and The Circus, and some promotional trailers for surf shops and companies were also included, which I’m not sure count as extras.

Overall Postcards from Paradise is a good film, but it’s hindered by the fact that it’s pretty a run of the mill surfing video. Nothing groundbreaking here, but that’s perfect if all you want to watch is some great surfing on some of the world’s best waves.