Writer-director Dana Brown — whose dad, Bruce, helmed the classic surfing flick The Endless Summer — follows in his father’s footsteps and takes a 21st-century look at the sport, employing up-to-date cinematographic technology to bring the audience right into those monster waves. The film stars dedicated surfers Ken “Skindog” Collins, Laird Hamilton, Rochelle Ballard, and Gerry Lopez as they test the waters around the globe.Where Bruce Brown cast his beach bums as nomads, wandering in search of the perfect wave and sharing smiles with like-minded dudes, junior is eager to capture the sport as a broader phenomenon, showing women, kids, and men caught in curls everywhere from shores of Ireland to the beaches of Vietnam. In one sequence, he latches onto a group of top female surfers and takes to Tahiti’s famous Teahupo’o Beach.
He also follows three Irish brothers as they not only introduce some local kids to surfing but also invite Protestant boys and girls to join Catholic kids for the lessons. As can be expected, the surfing footage is heart-pounding stuff; you’ll be amazed just how close Brown will bring you to the action. Slow-motion camera work elongates some of the most spectacular rides, and you’ll feel every wipeout as though it had happened to you.