Fictional feature films with a focus on the reality of surfing.
Surfing documentaries
Hawaiian Islands (1906)
The earliest-known footage of people surfing, an actuality film, was lensed by Robert Kates Bonine (Born: September 14, 1861, Altoona, PA; Died: September 11, 1923, Honolulu, HI;), beginning May 31, 1906., and at least until August 12, 1906, for Thomas A. Edison, distributed in 1907, called Hawaiian Islands, composed of over thirty segments, of which three segments, Panoramic View - Waikiki Beach Honolulu, Surf Board Riders - Waikiki Honolulu, and Surf Scenes - Waikiki Honolulu, depict people surfing.[1]
The surfing documentary film was pioneered by Bud Browne (e.g. Hawaiian Holiday) in the early 1950s and later popularized by Bruce Brown (e.g. The Endless Summer) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They were later advanced by Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman (e.g. Five Summer Stories) in the 1970s and beyond (MacGillivray and Freeman later went on to film IMAX movies such as To Fly! and Speed). The genre itself has been defined by surfers traveling with their friends and documenting the experience on film. In the era of Bruce Brown, Greg Noll, Bud Browne, John Severson and others, these films were projected for fans in music halls, civic centers, high school gyms, coffee houses, and high school auditoriums.
During the 1980s, the market for surf films surged with the release of more affordable video cameras. By the 1990s, the surfing market became saturated with low and medium budget surf films, many with soundtracks that reflected surf music. VHS and DVDs made the surf film viewing experience a primarily "at home" affair, leading to a decrease in popularity of public showings. Furthermore, large surf brands began sponsoring surf films to promote clothing and product sales. Titles like Sonny Miller's The Search for Rip Curl redefined the genre with exotic locales, big budgets, and big name surfers such as Tom Curren.
From the late 1990s into the present, there has been a revival of the "independent surf film." Artists such as The Malloys, Jack Johnson, and Jason Baffa have reinvented the genre by shooting self-financed 16mm motion picture film and utilizing indie music bands like G. Love, Alexi Murdoch, Mojave 3, White Buffalo, and Donavon Frankenreiter, creating what the surf media has called, "modern classics."[citation needed] Some venues still screen surfing films on the big screen.[citation needed]
An alternative type of surf movie is the "beach party film" or "surf-ploitation flick" by true surfers. These films had little to do with the authentic sport and culture of surfing, and instead represented movies that attempted to cash in on the growing popularity of surfing among youth in the early 1960s. Examples of Beach Party films include:
Booth, Douglas (1996) "Surfing Films and Videos: Adolescent Fun, Alternative Lifestyle, Adventure Industry" Journal of Sport History
Thoms, Albie (2000) Surfmovies: The History of the Surf Film in AustraliaISBN0958742030
Lisanti, Tom (2005) Hollywood Surf And Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969ISBN0786421045
Warshaw, Matt (2005) Surf Movie Tonite!: Surf Movie Poster Art, 1957-2004 San Francisco: Chronicle Books ISBN9780811848732
Williams, Randy (2006) Sports Cinema 100 Movies: The Best of Hollywood's Athletic Heroes, Losers, Myths, and Misfits Limelight Editions ISBN9780879103316 pg 134-136
Bonine, Robert Kates (1906). "Hawaiian Islands". Thomas A. Edison. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022 – via Surfer Today. via youtube; duration: 43:04
"Robert K. Bonine". PRE-VIEWS: The Motion Picture Cameramen in the Silent Era. March 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
