I have enjoyed my week as guest editor and I hope my posts have been enjoyable or at least of interest. Aloha and mahalo to the Hickory Nines crew.

Men in grey suits

In May 1996 my wife Sarah and I set out on a six month round the world surfing trip with South Africa the first country on the itinerary. I quickly bought a surfboard and made my first paddle out into the Indian Ocean off a beach in Durban. As I sat out back my dangling legs and feet unseen in the murky waters I became increasingly conscious that though very rare there have been shark attacks off the Kwazulu-Natal coast. A visit to the Sharks Board helped to separate the myths and the facts though some of the exhibits were not too good for my over active imagination.

I was reminded of this recently through an article about the film ‘Surfing & Sharks’ which  premiered at last December’s Wavescape Film Festival in Cape Town.

From IMDB “Surfing & sharks is a documentary about the constant threat South African surfers face every time they paddle out into the ocean, home to one of the largest concentrations of sharks in the world. Against the beautiful backdrop of South Africa’s East Coast the viewer is introduced to three local surfers as they share their personal experiences with these animals while surfing their favourite spots. Throughout the film researchers, ecologists and shark attack victims offer an objective and unique insight in one of South Africa’s most feared predators. The film touches on subjects as to why sharks attack, attack prevention, the myths, the media and the future that sharks are facing today, if any at all…”

Surfing & sharks – http://surfingandsharks.com/ – be sure to check out the blog.
Kwazulu-Natal Sharks Board – http://www.shark.co.za/Default.aspx

Men in grey suits?  Sharks.

Keeping it simple

The videos below remind me that surfing is about having fun and a good time.

The Life of Ply… It is very likely you have seen this delightful video but if you haven’t I think you are in for a real treat; ‘The Life of Ply’ is a short surf film from 2008 which features Dorothy (Dot) and Peter Long.

It was awarded ‘Most Inspirational Film’ at the 2008 Cornwall film festival’s Board Shorts – “A short tale of enduring stoke catalysed by prone surfing on a ply board”.

The Life of Ply is a gem and an inspirational surf film, feel the stoke…

Monsterboards… A wonderful film about Eef, a Dutch surfer who makes his own paipo type surfboards;  “I really like small waves.  I really, really like small waves” says Eef.

Watching and listening to Eef’s surf experience is a joy, warming and uplifting. He reminds us of the simple pleasures of surfing.

Uncommon Ideals

Uncommon Ideals is simply a stunning and breathtaking piece of work; an inspired combination of images and music, with Dan Crockett’s poem read by Jeff Hordley adding gravitas.

Uncommon Ideals was selected as the winner of the 2011 Shorties award at last year’s London Surf Film Festival.

The first breath is a beauty;
Whispering of the north like a kiss
Gilded hammer come tapping
Licking the dun dunes
Sweeping the tawny sea
A chill fist come rapping
At the doors of you,
of me

Bay burn the first
Runners of the dawn train
Ripples, creeping in beneath castles
Under dismantled factories
Between oak groins tar black
Onto reefs of hell
And fain the eyes that track
This first building of
the swell

A copper peak like running snuff
Bang, bang, bang
From the north she pours
Stirring the remaining cod
Sister wind swung south
Waking the Farne-bound seals
And met by land she roars
Dipped in sepia,
flayed bister
Delight for uncommon ideals

Poem used by permission of Dan Crockett – http://www.danielcrockett.co.uk/

From Dan’s website on the poem Uncommon Ideals; “A poem I wrote was used to frame Uncommon Ideals, a short film about surfing in the North Sea. It ended up going viral with 85,000 views on Vimeo. The text of the poem… it’s about craving things everyone else would think were mad.”

Uncommon Ideals a film by Chris McClean and Mark Waters. Released 25 August 2011.

The Doggerland Chronicles – http://thedoggerlandchronicles.blogspot.com/

Soundtracks

Continuing with the theme from yesterday’s post; I’ve always found it interesting that the music selected to accompany a travelogue or the surf action can make or break a surfing video.  Of course much is down to ‘the ear of the beholder’ and our own personal tastes but if the music matches the visual style, the weather, ocean state and surfing sequences then all so much the better.

ACL Production’s video ‘Matt Meola FINAL’ uses David Guetta’s ‘Open Your Eyes’ to excellent effect for Matt’s above the lip surfing.  You hear the track before the images appear and you just know the surfing is going to be explosive.

Matt Meola FINAL by ACL Productions. Released October 2009.

The remixed ‘Collect Call’ by Metric works really well with the surfing in Peter Devries ‘A winter day’ video. The excellent film editing and synchronisation of the track neatly brings the surfing and music together; it simply flows.

A winter day by Peter Devries. Released January 2012.

And for your listening pleasure here are both tracks courtesy of SoundCloud;

Open Your Eyes – David Guetta. From the album Guetta Blaster, released June 2004.

Collect Call – Metric (Adventure Club Dubstep Remix), released December 2011.

Thanks to Cai & the team for giving inkydeep the opportunity as guest editor to share a little bit of stoke with you.  First up;

Surf film ingredients…

Movies, documentaries, TV programmes and videos whether fiction or non fiction have the ability to stir our emotions, remind us of past experiences or even light the desire to do something different.  The music that accompanies the film or video also plays a key part in enhancing the story, the action or the event taking place on the screen.

And so it is with surf films and videos; a surf video can evoke memories of a surfing experience, fire up the desire to travel, inspire you to improve your surfing or simply remind you why you surf and rekindle the stoke.

Peter Devries’ video ‘Wind + Rain’ reminds me of my own winter surfing experiences; a grey overcast canopy overhead, strong winds, cold rain, cold water, neoprene heavy and the ocean shades of gray and green.  The head high surf is within my winter comfort zone and I could see myself dropping into these waves…

Wind + Rain by Peter Devries. Released January 2011.

I just don’t ever get tired of looking at this next video – J.O.B. First Look; it makes me glad that I surf and is a reminder of our dream to one day stand on the beach at Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu.

It reminds me of the joy of surfing in the warmth of a tropical ocean. The backing track is Beck’s ‘Missing (Heaven Hammer)’ which works so well in this video, providing a slow tempo to accompany the slow-motion footage of Jamie O’Brien surfing Pipe.

J.O.B. First Look by Vincent Laforet. Released October 2009.

What I love about this next video is that it makes me want to go surfing and is a reminder of the joy and delight to simply paddle, drop in, get in trim, glide and then just take in the wave. It also takes me back to summers past, sitting on a long board out back at North Watergate Bay in the late afternoon sunshine, warm blue water with the cliffs forming a dramatic backdrop. Simply wonderful.

Summer Fun (Sea Movies) by korduroy.tv. Released September 2011.

the true meaning of stoke

Although this lovely little film highlights the rather tongue in cheek nature of the world bellyboard champs it does give prominence to a deeper experience felt by many surfers that I have the pleasure of sharing waves with. That feeling is the true meaning of stoke. Not about scoring the biggest wave, not about the coolest brands, not about ego. Purely and simply this film shows what surfing is for many people, not just in Cornwall, but all over the world. Surfing is fun.

Alex Knost: Single Fins

A little hit of California sun, punk and haircuts anyone? Well, here you go.

Featuring Alex Knost; music by Ty Segall; film by Taylor Bonin.

Amplitude Film Festival

Amplitude Boardsports are the shadowy surf ninjas behind a film festival which you’ll no doubt hear more of as we get closer to their grand finalé later on this year (there’s talk of a big screen and a plethora of deckchairs in a sunny, Cornish setting).

They’re encouraging independent film makers across the country to come up with some short flicks based around adventure and board-based sports, and the cultures and lifestyles that inherently come with them. Which leaves things open enough for most people to have a crack…

Early-bird submissions are due to close within the next few days, so if you’ve already got a film that you think may suit, visit the submission page here and get it entered forthwith.

Here’s what they’re about in their own words:

“The Amplitude Film Festival celebrates independent film from those who push limits, seek new borders and tread a slightly different path. We want to see stories through film of all the adventure sports, their cultures and their environments.

What will you tell us?

What can you tell us?

What do you do and why do you do it?

Don’t keep it to yourself: the Amplitude Film Festival wants to help you show the world. We want films about people, films about places and films that challenge us. Your film could be a documentary, a short or a feature, and it can be shot in any format. You’ve just got to get out there and film it.”

For more information on the Amplitude Film Festival, visit either of the following:

Amplitude Film Festival Website

Amplitude Film Festival Facebook Page

Tim McKenna

If you’re a surfer, a real surfer, then the chance is very strong that at some point in your life you’ve sat glumly staring at flat surf, wishing those small inshore ripples, breaking so beautifully clean and hollow, were actually 600% bigger. Either that, or you wished you were a mouse.

A mouse with a quiver of boards, made by your trusted mouse shaper. Who you paid in cheese.

Using tilt shift photography, Renowned Australian surf photographer Tim McKenna has made those dreams seem almost true, with this odd perspective on Teahupo’o, a surf break that is so often visually terrifying.

See more of Tim’s work here.

Y Niwl

Accomplished surf guitar from the North Walian shoreline, via A Day At The Beach.

“Y Niwl live in the mountains and they’re the world’s highest altitude post-surf band. They sound like post-rockers gatecrashing a Tarantino soundtrack.” – Gruff Rhys

Damn fine video too.