28 June 2014

The Endless Summer - 1966


During the winter of 1966, young independent film maker Bruce Brown was faced with a dilemma. Though California is year round a sunshine filled paradise, during the winter months the ocean waters are just too cold for anyone to enjoy surfing. Brown's answer to the cold waters was simple, if it was winter in California, it had to be summer elsewhere; so he and a crew of friends set off on a round the world adventure seeking warmer waters and tastier waves. This experience was documented and turned into the seminal surf film, Endless Summer based around the notion that with enough time and money someone could quite literally follow summer year round. 


The film was a break from traditional, educational documentaries choosing to portray a more light hearted and fun loving feel more befitting of the surf culture. The group of surfers ended up exploring many untouched surf locations which have each gone on to become a surf mecca in their own right. Prior to this film, such places as Tahiti, South Africa and several Polynesian Islands did not have much of a surfing culture, however much like its effect on the general population, the film caused surfing to explode in popularity.