Lights! Camera! Cowabunga! (The Surf Movie Thread)

I love the idea of surfing, but I can’t surf. I have to get my vicarious big wave thrills from watching surf movies and wishing I could hang ten with the cool kids. Today I’m watching Ride The Wild Surf. Not an Oscar winner, but a lot of fun. Decent surf footage, interesting cast, some good tunes, and Barbara Eden’s uncensored bellybutton to boot!

Who hasn’t put on Endless Summer…just to take a laid-back sea and sand virtual vacation from the real world? (try it if you haven’t!) Where else are you going to see Stevie Ray Vaughn and Dick Dale along with Pee Wee Herman and OJ in the same film? This thread is for all Doper Gremmies, Hodaddies, Kahunas and Gidgets–what kind of surf movies are in your line up?

About a month ago I caught Barefoot Adventure on TCM. Bruce Brown is a god.

The original was from 1960 had no audio, he played a soundtrack tape while narrating in the old rent-an-auditorium days. This version had a newer opening/closing and an updated narration but original music. His relaxed, funny voiceover style is amazing.

Riding Giants
For pure surfing, incredible footage.

Also, checkout PBS’s Nature: Condition Black

Endless Summer 1 and 2, of course.

The complete Frankie and Annette oeuvre.

Did you happen to catch the young “Wilt Chamberlain” in it?

Are you sure about that? Stevie Ray Vaughan would have been about 12 years old in 1966 and Pee Wee about 14.

I didn’t phrase that very well, did I? I should have said something like, “Where else but in a surf flick(Back to the Beach) would you see Stevie, Dick, PeeWee and OJ in the same movie?”

Step Into Liquid is a marvelous surf documentary. (Perhaps a bit one-sided – it’s a celebration of surfing and doesn’t get into the territoriality and all that. But you’re probably not looking for negative stuff.)

I’m looking for any movie with surfing in it, including Surf Nazis Must Die.

(Of course, using that definition, even Apocalypse Now qualifies!:p)

Riding Giants is the truest, purest surfing film ever made. It is honestly emotionally moving. Also, it takes five minutes to take a crap on all the beach blanket dreck.

Top Secret isn’t a surf movie, but Kilmer’s character is famous as a surf-movie actor and the beginning of the movie has surf scenes. Skeet Surfin!

Psycho Beach Party

Apparently I wasn’t the only one wondering about that!

I loved it when Greg Noll took a crap on them all.

BTW–Greg Noll IS in Ride the Wild Surf…look for the striped trunks.