Official Press Release: 

Dude Cruise is the first movie from Irons Bros. Productions, the new film company formed by Bruce and Andy Irons, and the first-ever movie featuring the DC surf team and just the DC surf team.

It’s true that there are only three guys on the elite DC surf team. But between Bruce Irons, Dane Reynolds, and Ry Craike, who else do even need in a surf movie these days? Combined, the crew stands at the forefront of modern progressive surfing. The boys have earned a rep as some of the best rippers on the planet, all the while keeping unique styles in and out of the water.

It’s those unique out-of-the-water styles that make Dude Cruise so damn interesting. We all know that sometimes on surf trips (or a Dude Cruise, as we’ve dubbed this one) things can get weird with a strange brew of testosterone, cabin fever, and ale. Dude Cruise offers a look at the type of weirdness that goes down with individuals like Bruce, Dane, and Ry in the mix, plus, of course, plenty of footage of the boys shredding spots worldwide.

Dude Cruise also serves a new take the standard surf video; you know, the atypical two-minute quick-edit parts seen in nearly every surf flick out there. Directed by Matt Beauchesne (previously residing in Taylor Steele’s camp, now heading up Irons Bros. Productions), Dude Cruise shows sessions start to finish–not just the banger clips–to offer a more realistic look at what happens when you’re just out with your friends having a good time.

Sheesh.  Now this is what pisses me off about computers–and technology in general.  I spent an hour (read: thirty minutes) ranting and raving on this blog about the current state of the surf video business, just like I always do.  I actually got a little more specific: the lowly retail buyers are the slipshod gatekeepers who are supposed to be protecting the consumer from crap product, most surf videos today are like bad pornos from the 80’s (hot chick on the boxcover and snaggle-toothed hags in the video), yadda, yadda, yadda.  Of course, I save the damned thing to the Drafts file, went to a friend’s wedding in Florida, come back to finish the post and all that’s sitting there waiting for me is the official press release that I copied and pasted into the beginning of the post.  So, all of my creativity has been swallowed up by the cyber-void once again.  And to tell you the truth, the press release is pretty straight-forward.

Bruce Irons, Dane Reynolds, Ry Craike and some cameo appearances make up the movie.  Although the press release won’t mention it, the video is relatively short by surf industry standards.  At approx. 25 minutes, it falls quite a bit short of the average TRT of 42 minutes.  Since I’m feeling a bit weeded after losing my original rant, I’ll just lay it down:

Yes, Bruce Irons still rips and is one of my favorite surfers to watch.  Unfortunately, I don’t know whether he needs to knock off a little WCT three-to-the-beach formatting in his surfing or if he’s just not as dynamic as he used to be, but his surfing in Dude Cruise didn’t excite me the way he did in Magnaplasm.  Maybe he’s matured, maybe Dude Cruise is “Sonic Temple” to Magnaplasm’s “Electric”, but it just wasn’t the same.  The magic’s still there, though, and I’m hoping that time away from the Tour will bring back the full force of animal aggression that defines his surfing.

Dane Reynolds: I’m not a hater, but I’m probably one of the only people I know that are not completely blown away by this guy’s surfing.  I can’t quite put my finger on it.  Does he rip?  Definitely.  Is his style impeccable?  Surely.  But there’s something missing here.  Could be the same reason that I like Taylor Knox’s style, but can’t seem to appreciate Bobby Martinez.  Too polished?  Possibly.  He definitely doesn’t surf like a robot, but it’s possible that his “Devil-may-care” attitude is projected in his surfing.  I’m absolutely certain that the guy loves what he does, but for some reason, it doesn’t convey the same sense of urgency that I get from Slater, AI or even Fanning.  Regardless, every other person on the planet loves this guy’s style and will therefore love his Dude Cruise Sections.

In my humble opinion, Ry Craike is the sleeper star of the video.  Sure, some of those waves are tow-ats, but they’re still the most ridiculous frontside roundhouses I’ve ever seen in my life.  This guy’s built for surfing.  Just like Occy and Tom Carroll before him, he’s a stocky bastard with a low center of gravity and will bash any lip that comes at him.  In my book, his section alone is worth the price of admission.  Bonus Fact: Ry goes right in this video!

I’m going to keep the accompanying rant relatively short.  This video alone exemplifies the utter bullshit that has become of the once-revered SURFER Poll Video Awards.  Year after year, the graft and corruption has become so bald-faced that a good number of independent producers I know won’t even submit their titles anymore.  Now, I’m sure that the good people at SURFER don’t register the importance of their little awards show to surf film makers–or maybe they do.  In any case, the flagrancy of the paybacks for marketing dollars has reached its peak in the last several years. 

For the layman: SURFER Magazine announces the nomination process for their annual SURFER Poll Video Awards each year and with that announcement comes a list of qualifying rules for consideration in the awards including, among other things, the stipulation that in order for a title to be considered, it must be for sale by a certain date.  Know this: this and any other rules do not apply if your title is a corporate marketing piece bearing the following logos: Quiksilver, Billabong, Volcom, or in this case, DC Shoes (owned by Quiksilver–double whammy!).

In the past three years, we’ve seen the following award-winners: Freebie dvds shrink-wrapped in SURFER Magazine in marketing co-ops with Billabong; titles that are available for sale–in Australia!–but will not release in the States for another eight months; Movie of the Year winners (on more than one occasion) that released a month or more after the awards show. 

Well, in this case, what was originally a likeable and fun short video garnered the prestigious Breakthrough Filmmaker award–and my ire.  No offense to Matt Beauchesne.  I don’t know the guy and he’s done some great work on Taylor Steele’s vids in the past.  Likewise, I’ve already said that Dude Cruise is a fun little video.  But Breakthrough Filmmaker?  C’mon.  At best, it’s a short romp tied together by a sophomoric prank (Bruce Irons rolls their rental car on the beach).  I know I’m not alone in this, either.  Virtually every person I’ve talked to has agreed that the car-rolling incident was funny–the first time they showed it.  But they used this bit as the glue that holds the whole video together and it gets old, fast. 

The only thing that makes any sense here is that Rick Irons and the rest of the boys at SURFER were either on glue when they bestowed this award on Dude Cruise, or more likely, they were looking at the ad revenue that the combined forces of Quik, DC and specifially, all of the double-page Dude Cruise ads represented.  I could go on, but this is so on-its-face ridiculous, that I think you can decipher whatever else I haven’t spelled out for you. (Just in case you can’t:  Art is dead.  Cash is king.)  All hail the Bible of the sport.  All hail Quiksilver (Current stock price at the time of this Blog: $1.18)

MSRP:  $24.95

BUY IT HERE

ARCHY: Built For Speed, Born To Ride documents the incredible rise, fall and rise again of surfing’s most famous—and infamous—Wild Child.  Matt Archbold’s story is told in gripping detail through explosive surfing footage and gritty interviews in this highly-acclaimed film by veteran producer/director Bill Ballard and editor Ryan Ray.

When Matt Archbold started surfing back in 1979 at age 11 the world had no idea that it was about to witness one of the most explosive surfers to ever set foot on a surfboard. With a career spanning nearly 3 decades now, Archy is considered to be the most successful free-surfer of all time and one of the originators of high-performance surfing.  As Martin Potter was setting the stage globally for high performance surfing in the early 80’s, a young crew out of San Clemente led by Archy was about to blow the roof off of surfing.

From dropping out of high school as a freshman at 15 and turning pro, to becoming the poster child of surf clothing giant MCD, Archy’s young life was no dull moment.  After he struggled with competitive surfing for the next 5 years and had some success winning a handful of Bud Tour events, Archy quickly learned pro surfing’s three turns to the beach format wasn’t for him. He then decided to set out on a fairly new frontier, “free surfing”; getting paid to simply go out and get photos was something that had not been done up until now.  In his early 20’s, his name became synonymous with the legendary surf spot known as “Off The Wall” all the while riding shorter boards in bigger surf–something that most had never done or dreamed of doing. Archy’s aeriel attack in the water and explosive surfing revolutionized what we view as high performance surfing today.

ARCHY is a timeless film that tells the story of 3 very different generations in surfing. Spanning the 80’s, 90’s, 2000 and on, Archy’s amazing story is one of survival thru surf stardom at an early age, fame, drugs, alcohol, sponsorships and the surf rock star lifestyle. Light will finally be shed on the true-life story of one of the most charismatic and legendary surfers in history.

Compelling interviews, explosive surf action, timeless photos matched with Narration by Henry Rollins from the legendary band Black Flag and set to an all time soundtrack including The Clash, Social Distortion, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Devo, and many others, ARCHY is sure to effect audiences of all walks of life worldwide. This is a story that needs to be told.

Well, that’s basically the press release for the movie, and you can find all this info, plus trailers and more at the official website, but here’s my take:

About 40% of this film was edited in my offices, so I was fortunate enough to see the creative process go down.  I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical in the beginning.  How much good Archy footage from back in the day even exists?  How hard would it be to bring it all together for one project?  Is Archy even relevant in 2008?  Did he really surf as good as everyone thinks they remembered?  Will anyone even care?

The bottom line is that Bill Ballard pulled this one off in fine style.  This film is by far Bill’s biggest undertaking in his career to-date.  His previous films, which cemented his reputation in the late 90’s and early in the new millenium as a powerhouse surf video producer and peer to Taylor Steele were well-produced surf porn. (Again, as I’ve stated in previous posts, I don’t use the term “surf porn” disparagingly; it suits a sub-genre of surf film-making and I generally use it in the context of videos or films that simply mirror the current state-of-the-art in high-performance surfing and don’t purport to be anything more than that.) 

In making Archy: Built For Speed, Born To Ride, Bill took on one of surfing’s most controversial characters in his bid to truly represent Archy’s life; he also took on a whole bunch of headaches, not the least of which were Archy’s San Clemente cohorts who managed to morph from armchair critics to exercising some real muscle in the creative direction of the finished project.  Archy’s old-boy network is deep; Bill needed these guys to be on board to get the real story and these are fiercely loyal friends to Archy.  Even though they didn’t pull any punches when interviewed, there were some real tensions that arose during the post-production process in how Archy would be portrayed in the final product.

I went to the Newport Beach premiere of the movie at the Lido Theater and the place was sold out–slammed.  I guess that answers my question about Archy’s relevance–at least in Orange County.  What a cast of characters.  Everyone from San Clemente’s famed artist Roy Gonzales (in a red zoot suit, no less) to new-school hipster Alex Knost were in attendance.  And Good Lord, the San Clemente Mafia in the second floor balcony was going off!  From derisive heckling of PT’s aspirations of turning Archy into a uniformed NSSA clone to raucous hooting at stories of partying madness and footage of Matt boosting, this was their night and they were living it up.

The final product is on the shelves now, and while essentially the same movie that we saw at the premiere, the peanut gallery eventually had their say and the movie now includes actual interview footage with Archy (the version we saw at the premiere was Bill’s original vision, in that Archy’s story was told by his family, friends and rivals–there was no interview footage with Matt in the original version and very little contemporary footage).  Most everyone tends to agree that the re-edit is a stronger final product, and while I tend to side with Bill’s right to his artistic vision, I think the new interview and action footage compliments, rather than dilutes, the story.

Archy: Built For Speed, Born To Ride is a crazy ride through the life of one our sport’s greatest–and most flawed–heroes.  Did Archy really rip as hard as we remembered?  Definitely.  Was Bill able to pull together virtually every sick clip ever shot of Archy in his youth and heyday?  Sure looks like it.  Is Archy still relevant in 2008?  Hell, yes!  Will anyone even care?  Apparently so, based on the copies flying off of store shelves.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE DVD

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TRAILER

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE OFFICIAL MOVIE WEBSITE

Drew Brophy and Seven Films have released a new instructional dvd called Paint Pen Techniques with Drew Brophy, distributed by Mutiny Media, Inc.  A year in the making, this video is a gold mine of information, revealing the techniques originated and perfected by Drew Brophy, possibly the most prolific–and popular–surf artist since Rick Griffin.  Although Drew was not the originator of this particular technique for customizing surfboards, his graphic style and the work he did for …Lost set the standard, both stylistically and technically, for the myriad production artists who’ve followed in his footsteps.

Working independently under the Drew Brophy label, as well as his brand Son of the Sea, Drew has attracted more attention and acclaim than any other surf artist in recent memory.  His handiwork is colorful and approachable, while depicting the totems that most appeal to surfing’s counter-culture mindset, particularly skulls, demonesque fishies, tikis and of course, the female form in proportions that make Jessica Rabbit look like Olive Oil.     A press release issued with the video lays out the basic facts:

There is no question as to why Drew Brophy is the top licensed surf artist today.  Drew’s painting style is very distinct with its bright colors, playful characters and beach scenes.  Drew has created thousands of paintings while traveling and surfing around the world.

 

Drew Brophy’s art has been in publication in various forms for about 20 years.  Drew’s art is firmly established in the surf industry, is well known by surfers and is very popular among artists and youths.  There is a large segment of the youth population that has shown their love for Drew’s art by tattooing it on their bodies.  Drew is respected as an avid surfer of some of the most challenging surf spots in the world.  However, Drew’s paintings include subjects that transcend out of surf and into mainstream rock & roll and youth oriented lifestyles.

 

Drew became known for his beautiful surfboard art and is credited with popularizing the art of surfboard painting.  Drew’s painting techniques have impacted the art world by changing how surfboards are painted.  This legacy has fueled his fan base growth, as well as lent him credibility as a pioneer in his field. Drew has taught his techniques to many artists, and continues to do so with his soon to be released video “Paint your Board – Paint Pen Techniques with Drew Brophy.”

Drew continues to maintain his original art commissions and sales.  His original pieces are sold to galleries and collectors worldwide, and his client base includes musicians and celebrities.

As an ocean conservationist, Drew contributes his time and efforts to charities such as Surfrider Foundation and Ocean Institute to help in their quest to keep our oceans healthy.  Drew was recently awarded the prestigious Surfrider Foundation Board Appreciation Award for his contributions. 

Drew is a Southern California surfer who travels and creates colorful, playful paintings that depict his lifestyle.  Drew’s mission in life is to continue to live this lifestyle to the fullest while inspiring others to enjoy the same.  Drew’s all-time motto is “life is good.”  And it is.

Drew shows, step-by-step, how anyone can paint using his techniques.  In his easy-to-follow style, Drew covers creating unique compositions, preparing the surface, blending colors, finishing details and how to seal your work.  He demonstrates on surfboards, skateboards and a pair of canvas shoes.

Special bonus features include fun clips of Drew painting a guitar and a helmet.

In short, Paint Pen Techniques with Drew Brophy is an exhaustive guide to using paint pens on surfboards–or anything else you can think of.  At first glance, it might be expected that this video will only appeal to the artistic types, but having watched it, I really believe Drew’s ultimate goal has been achieved: making art accessible to the average person and offering advanced techniques to young artists everywhere.

I expect to see an explosion of art on surfboards, skateboards, shoes — anything — following the release of this DVD.  For years these techniques have been closely guarded secrets within a small community of artists.  I hope that this DVD will inspire generations of young artists to customize their lives with their art and imagination!–Drew Brophy

The video retails for $29.95 and can be purchased at any of these online stores (as well as surf shops everywhere and select art supply stores):

BoardSportsVideos.com

ActionTrail.com

Amazon.com

Wholesale Inquiries: Mutiny Media, Inc.

In California: 949.443.9020

Out-of-State: 1.866.342.6334

Email: Sales@Mutiny-Media.com

Ads Currently running in Juxtapoz Magazine, SURFER Magazine and Eastern Surf Magazine:

Sponsors of the DVD include Converse, Sector 9, Surfline and Surfer Magazine.

So I just signed up for a new Blogging directory called rssHugger to increase exposure for my little blog, Caught Inside: The Surf Video Newswire.  There are a number of blogging directories out there, but rssHugger is the only one that I’ve come across that’s viral.  Founded by a fellow named Colin LaHay, it was originally a pay-for directory, but is now free to all bloggers, provided they post a review on their blog.  As such, here is mine.  rssHugger has over 112 million registered blogs and this site is dope. 

You can check my blog on rssHugger at THIS LINK.

Newport Beach’s Chad Towersey has released his third surf film, Sons of Sickness on DVD through distributor Mutiny Media, Inc.  Billed as “A Surf Flick Generating Radness Globally” and featuring Newp’s own wunderkind Andrew Doheney on the boxcover, Sons of Sickness clocks in at an astounding (for surf videos) hour-plus of surfing footage. 

“Organically created” by Chad Towersey and featuring a rogue cast of surfers filmed on location in Panama, California, Australia, Mexico, Cabo, Hawaii, Indo, Costa Rica and more, Sons of Sickness returns us to the days of epic surf videos like the original …Lost movies (What’s Really Goin’ On, What’s Really Goin’ Wrong, The Decline) and the fabled Snapping Turtle Productions’ releases Voluptuous and Voluptous 2 (currently out of circulation).

Towersey is no stranger to stuffing as many minutes of high-performance surfing into a video as possible.  His prior releases, SNAPT and SNAPT 2: The Next Hit, co-produced with former Potent Productions partner Logan Dulien were both on the order of an hour or so, plus bonus footage.

Chad is a high-profile figure, both in his hometown and internationally.  The 28 year-old N.B. native has spent time on both sides of the camera.  A graduate of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in TV production, Towersey hosted Fox Sports Net’s popular “54321″.  His brother, Punker Pat Towersey was a longtime Volcom team rider who recently hung up his Billabong sponsorship to join forces with RVCA as their team manager (ironically, replacing Chad’s old Potent Productions partner Logan Dulien in this position).

Sons of Sickness premiered March 29th, 2008 at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano and featured hipster Alex Knost’s band, The Japanese Motors along with Orange County favorite The Pricks.  While I spent a lot of time behind a bottle at this event, the energy in the room was killer and the kids (I think I can get away with that now that I’m thirty-eight) were stoked.

Sons of Sickness features many of the surfers that Chad loves to point a camera at–and who seem to respond by taking their performance in the water up a notch–including Australia’s Asher Pacy and Josh Kerr, Andy and Bruce Irons, Dustin Barca, Chad’s bro Pat Towersey, Gorkin, Fanning, Parko and Dean Morrison.  Also featured are some newer faces, including James Lovett, Bol, Alex Knost (a little longboard twist and N.B. shout-out) and possibly most significantly Andrew “Droid” Doheney, making his video debut and a big statement.  This kid’s got quite a career ahead of him; smooth style, tech moves and clean carves–the whole package.

Australia, Panama, Maui, California, Tavarua, Indo, East Coast talent, Chris Ward, Danny Fuller and a grip more locations and talent make this surf video a classic Chad Towersey production that will keep you couched, possibly over several sessions.  Dump two hours(!) worth of bonus footage on a DVD-9, including a behind-the-scenes look at Andrew Doheney, NorCal segment with Anthony Tashnick, Teddy Navarro and Ryan Carlson flying Huntington Beach’s friendly skies, Robby Gordon going mad off-road truck racing, “Brenno” getting stitches in his lower lip (Extreme Close-Ups–ouch!) and Dusty Payne and the boys lighting up Honolua Bay–it’s enough to make your head explode.

Suffice it to say that Chad Towersey’s done the boys–and his hometown–proud yet again.  Sons of Sickness is an apropos title for a feature of this length.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW YOUTUBE TRAILER

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

Distributed by Mutiny Media, Inc.

949.443.9020

CLICK HERE TO EMAIL

Back from the ashes, Chris Bystrom’s classic 1985 surf film, Beyond Blazing Boards, has been digitally remastered and re-released on DVD.  Carl Ackerman, famous for his 101 Series featuring master shaper John Carper has teamed up with Mutiny Media, Inc. to bring a piece of surfing history back to life.  Featuring boxcover artwork by surfing’s most renowned artist, Rick Griffin, Beyond Blazing Boards is a cinematic crossroads for the evolution of surfing into the shortboard era.

Chris Bystrom (1950-2001) left an indelible mark on surfing’s culture, as a filmmaker (Blazing Boards, Beyond Blazing Boards, Blazing Longboards, etc.), a publisher (Pacific Longboarder Magazine, The Glide) and surf shop owner (Retro Groove Surf Shop in Coolangatta, Australia).  His tragic death left a void which won’t soon be filled.

In re-releasing his movies (Ackerman and Mutiny Media have plans to release each of his titles on DVD), post-VHS generations will have a chance to not only appreciate Bystrom’s contributions to surfing and surf videos, but also to gain insight into the shortboard revolution of the early 80’s.

Beyond Blazing Boards is much more than a high-performance surf video wrapped in a pretty picture.  Chapter selections include:

• The ‘85 Stubbies Pro at Burleigh Heads
• Scorpio Island, Mexico featuring Chuy Reyna and Peter King
• Kong vs. Gerr in an analysis of where radical surfing was headed in 1985
• Mike Stewart and John Damm at Pipeline in a dueling tube battle

Add in classic Uluwatu footage with legend Ronnie Burns, Gold Coast (when Kirra was king and there was no Superbank), Big Monday at Padang Padang, Aussie ripper Stuart Cadden, an epic soundtrack by The Untouchables and the Hoodoo Gurus and you’ve got yourself a masterpiece of surf cinema.

Chris Bystrom will always be remembered through his films, books and magazines.  Beyond Blazing Boards, as such, is a must-have for every surfer’s library.

Beyond Blazing Boards is available online at www.BoardSportsVideos.com, www.ActionTrail.com and Dealer Inquiries are invited by Mutiny Media, Inc. at 949.443.9020.  MSRP: $29.95

Mitch Abshere and the boys at RVCA have just released a new, twenty-five minute longboard movie titled Tales From The Black Van. 

As longboard surfing evolves and new-school rippers like Alex Knost, CJ Nelson and Robin Kegel become household names as the most identifiable of the longboard hipster generation, this sub-culture is bound to spin off a few precious pieces for surfing’s collective historical record.  Kegel’s Gato Heroi clothing label, Knost’s artistic endeavors (evidenced by his signature-style boxcover art) and Steve Cleveland’s top-selling longboard dvd, Another State of Mind, featuring CJ Nelson are a few of the initial shots being fired across surfing’s collective bow.

Tales From The Black Van adheres to the hipster image.  A quick twenty-five minutes, all rendered in black and white and stuffed with enough radical longboarding and music from bands including Knost’s own Japanes Motors is a lesson plan for wannabe’s in far-flung locales who don’t have immediate access to the streets of Newport Beach and Laguna, the centrifuge for this post-modern beatnik culture.

Surf videos and more recently, surf DVDs to be more exact, have been the major torch-bearers of surfing’s historical record for over fifty years.   With the advent of video and the eventual lowering of the price barrier to make filmmaking more accessible to the masses, surf DVDs have documented the niche categories that might otherwise go largely unnoticed by the surfing populace at large.  Big wave surfing, contest surfing, the fish revolution of the 90’s and feral hell-men like Timmy Turner have all found an outlet–and an audience–in surf videos.  Witness Timmy Turner’s landmark movie from 2004, Second Thoughts.  What started out as the documentation of a group of young Huntington Beach pros on pilgramage to Indo became a full-fledged commercial success and secured Timmy’s place in surfing’s pantheon.

Tales From The Black Van may not have this kind of impact, but Mitch’s contribution to surf dvds will likely be reflected upon as a lens through which to view the changing image of longboarding and a moment in time when a small group of surfers had an influential impact on the style consciousness of surfers globally.

Tales From The Black Van is available on DVD from Mutiny Media, Inc.  Dealer inquiries can be directed to 949-443-9020 and the video is available online for $24.95 at www.BoardSportsVideos.com and www.ActionTrail.com.

Goin’ Big:  Gotcha and the Evolution of Modern Surf Style chronicles the crazy up and down journey of one of the surf industries’ most pioneering and influential brands: Gotcha – a brand whose visionary marketing and design became a gateway to the action sports industrie’s future. It is a story of bold action and innovation, of ambition and overreach and of how success can so easily become its own biggest enemy. 225 pages including 150 pages of award-winning advertising and product designs.

How did Surf Culture become a multi billion dollar global phenomenon? The tipping point came in the late 80’s and nineties when a few pioneering brands captured the surf identity and translated its style into clothing for the masses.  One company more than any other set the table for the feast to come. That company was Gotcha.

Gotcha was a risk-taking idea factory, a creative foundry that took gambles and broke rules.  It created a blueprint that action sports brands still follow and its designs, widely considered to be a creative benchmark, are still referenced throughout the industry today.

This is the inside story of how the brand rose to prominence and then fell dramatically – a manual for the do’s and don’ts of branding in the action sports market, and a must have for anyone interested in how surf culture became youth culture and how creativity is still the single most important factor in building a youth franchise.

A book release party for Goin’ Big: Gotcha and the Evolution of Modern Surf Style will be held Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at Mozambique in Laguna Beach, CA from 7:00 pm–11:00 pm.  Invite and RSVP required for admission.

MSRP: $65.00

Goin’ Big: Gotcha and the Evolution of Modern Surf Style can be ordered online from the following sites:

• Board Sports Videos
• Action Trail
• Surfer Magazine
• Surfing Magazine
• WaveWatch
• Surfline

Wholesale inquiries:

• Mutiny Media, Inc.
• PH: (949) 443-9020
• FX: (949) 443-9040
• Email: Sales@Mutiny-Media.com

Second To None by Freddy Malone

North Shore local Freddy Malone has released his first film, Second To None, distributed exclusively by Mutiny Media, Inc.  Sponsored by O’Neill, Freedom, Surfing Magazine, Arnette and Vans, the DVD is available online at BoardSportsVideos.com and ActionTrail.com, domestic and international dealer inquiries are invited at 1.866.342.6334.  Email requests for further info can be sent to Mutiny Media, Inc.

Second To None follows in the tradition of classic surf porn titles like …Lost’s What’s Really Goin’ On, Pete Frieden’s The Game and Volcom’s Magnaplasm.  Chock full of barrels, babes and bruises, Second To None goes for the jugular, featuring epic Indo barrels, super slab sessions at famed Bra Boys’ break Ours in Sydney, Australia, ginormous Teahupo’o, including Ian Walsh’s epic barrel and the best of the 2008 winter season in Hawaii, some sessions only weeks apart from the actual shoot and the release of the movie.

Embracing this style of filmmaking within the surf genre is simply taking a realistic look in the mirror.  I’ve harped on this before and high-minded auteurs will likely deride a surf video like this, but in-the-trench producers like Freddy Malone deserve a lot more respect on a number of fronts than a guy working off of a corporate checkbook and cobbling together archival footage with talking head interviews under the guise of story-telling. 

You’ve got to respect a producer who lives and breathes surfing, travels with and is considered one of the boys by the biggest names in the sport, and on top of that, foots the bill for the entire project on his own, not knowing whether his title is going to be received by the masses as a statement on contemporary surfing or simply get lost in the shuffle of corporate marketing pieces backed by huge advertising budgets.

The primary consumer for surf dvds is a 13-23 year old male.  After a number of years in the business, I can safely say that my experience has led me to believe that most surfers are looking to surf videos for a vicarious thrill or to amp up before paddling out, maybe to study technique and style points, as well.  Is this so bad?  Does every bit of media have to have subtext, a higher purpose, a storytelling component–does surf video need to be high concept–do we want it to be?

Of course our sport and the culture of surfing deserves to have its stories told.  Of course we all want to see well-produced 16mm features on the big screen.  But do we really want 50-year old graybeards dictating the state-of-the-art to the next generation?  Aren’t these the same people that dropped their pants over Surf’s Up and wailed in their handkerchiefs when John From Cincinnati was unceremoniously (and deservedly) dropped from the HBO lineup?  Isn’t it possible to go about your own business without tearing down others for being low-brow?  Smacks of immaturity and insecurity to me.

In short, Second To None gives the primary demographic (Read:  Shortboarders Under 30) exactly what they expect in a surfing dvd:  Koby Abberton getting shacked out of his mind at Ours shot from a helicopter; Ian Walsh driving through one of the heaviest barrels ever at Chopes; ridiculously long barrels in Indo; airs, airs, airs; and a few gratuitous shots of pretty girls in bikinis.  Freddy Malone may be a pornographer, but at least he’s not a sell-out.

Trailer Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK_rzTSJdQY

 

Endless Fun Productions, the filmmaking arm of Robert August Surfboards, headed up by Robert’s son Sam August, has just released their sophomore effort, The Endless Journey Continues, Vol. 1.  Following up their first release, The Robert August 30th Anniversary Tribute DVD, Sam and his associates, Shea McIntee, Brennan Slavik and Robert Klug have put together another surf video that strips the sport to it’s bare essentials: surfing and fun.

Robert August, an icon in the sport of surfing and best known for both his starring role in the original Bruce Brown classic, Endless Summer and his success as a surfboard shaper, has been traveling to Costa Rica for over eighteen years.  He keeps a second home in the Tamarindo/Playa Grande area and spends plenty of time on the nose, along with Endless Summer II star, Robert ‘Wingnut’ Weaver.

The Endless Journey Continues, Vol. 1 follows Robert and Wingnut, Sam August (a stylish ripper in his own right), Dodger Kremel, the unoffical mayor of Huntington Beach, Bud LLamas, Mary Osborne and Costa Rican (or Tico) ripper Brookes Wilson to surf spots in Costa Rica and the untapped Guatemalan coastline.

Everyone knows that Costa Rica is a go-to surf destination.  The quantity–and quality–of surf breaks is no secret.  It’s easy access from both the East and West Coasts and it’s selection of high-performance waves give average surfers and professionals an alternative to high-cost surf trips to Indo or Hawaii and little reason to bring anything bigger than a 6′6", unless you’re a longboarder, of course.  Based on the number of Israeli, Argentinian, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian surfers in abundance in Costa Rica, the word is out that it’s the Central American mecca for consistent surf.  (Nicaragua and El Salvador are lately diverting some of the traffic, but Costa Rica’s infrastructure, people and quality of living are still attracting the biggest number of visiting surfers to Central America).

On to the surf dvd!  2006 was a great year for surf in Costa Rica, and the Endless Fun crew caught some beautiful days on film.  From Robert August trimming in perfectly peeling knee-high Tamarindo to the fun surrounding the Robert August Charity Challenge to one of the best days ever caught on film at Ollie’s Point, The Endless Journey Continues doesn’t try to map the country and it’s surf spots, but rather document the fun they had in the area that Robert calls his second home.  The Ollie’s footage is particularly good, as mentioned before.  Having been there on a few occasions, I’ve seen it’s potential, but the devilish offshore winds can turn overhead surf at this peeling pointbreak into an exercise in discretion, as a poorly executed turn will get you blown out the back while the rest of the wave fires away down the point.  In all the surfing movies that I watch–and I watch them for a living–I can’t say that I’ve ever seen Ollie’s documented on a better day.  If you’re even considering taking a surf trip to Costa Rica, this surf dvd is worth a watch to get an idea of the variety and quality of the waves you can catch in this part of the country.

Guatemala is by far the high point of this movie, and as far as surfing dvds go, The Endless Journey Continues may be the first to document this largely untapped wave zone.  Guatemala’s glaring fault as a surf destination has long been it’s unfortuitously straight coastline.  Devoid of the peninsulas, bays, nooks and crannies that make for a prime surf travel destination, Guatemala has long been battered by the same swells that cause Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador to fire, but with none of the rewards.  In an ironic twist, mankind has unwitttingly tapped into Guatemalas surf potential.  As the country’s infrastructure has improved, the creation of jetties and harbors has caused san buildup and, in turn, created epic surf where there was none.

Having been contacted by local surfer Pedro Pablo, who provided photographic evidence of Guatemala’s spectacular surf and entreated them to visit, Robert, Wingnut, Mary, Dodger and crew forged ahead into an area primarily visited by backpacking, hacky-sacking hippies and were rewarded for their trailblazing spirit. 

The (well) overhead waves peeling off a sandbar outside of two jetties in Guatemala give credit to the still-alive spirit of discovery in surfing movies.  Rivalling any similarly sized wave for quality and machine-groomed perfection, this Guatemalan gem that the Endless Fun crew mined days on end may well blow open the doors to Guatemala as a surf destination.  And it should be noted that Robert, surfing the biggest waves that he’d encountered in some ten years, according to long-time travel companion Wingnut, absolutely charged with grace and aplomb.  Bud Llamas threw everything he had into his turns, leaving boat-wakes in his path.  Wingnut, was his usual stylish self, adapting to this new wave like he’d ridden it for years, the sign of a great surfer.  And Sam August, Mary Osborne (who deserves some credit for charging) and Dodger Kremel did a fine job, nabbing set after set.

The Endless Journey Continues, Vol. 1 is another fine production from the appropriately named Endless Fun crew.  Not content to be relegated to formulaic surf movies, The Endless Journey Continues is chock-full of lifestyle, interviews and Wingnut’s trademark velvety voice-overs, as if Bruce Brown’s spirit and directorial sense has somehow rubbed off on Robert and been subsequently passed down through his bloodline.  Cinematic osmosis, if you will.  Call it what you like: Aloha, Good Vibrations or whatever.  The Endless Journey Continues has it in spades and it’s refreshing to spend an hour with smiling surfers that you wouldn’t mind having on your next surf trip.  Tough-guy tats, sneers and snide remarks need not apply.  Let the Endless Fun continue!

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