Luke Morris

Surfing documentaries provide us with an avenue to focus on when the weather keeps us from going to the beach. We explored the highs and lows of the documentary department to bring you the best surfing documentaries you can relax and enjoy while waiting for your next ride. Top 8 Best Surfing Documentaries Reveiwed Momentum Generation Bustin’ Down The Door Andy Irons: Kissed By God Bra Boys The Endless Summer Sea Of Darkness Code Red Riding Giants 1. Momentum Generation Director: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist Stars: Jeannie Chesser, Thomas DeLonge, Shane Dorian, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado Release Date: August 21, 2018 Production Companies: All Rise Films, Priority Pictures, DDC International Where to Watch: HBO There is something spectacular about surfing that this eloquently created documentary will move even a non-surfer. Momentum Generation is a surfing documentary that you wouldn’t expect to bring you to tears. But it would. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Momentum Generation focuses on a group of surfers – Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Taylor Knox, Benji Weatherley, Kalani Robb, Ross Williams, Taylor Steele, and Pat O’Connell. All of them were present and were remembering their teens and 20s up to their fit 40s. This surfing documentary is an expertly cut collage of largely unseen archive footage from Taylor Steele’s shots in the early nineties. It also included snippets of particularly in-depth interviews with Slater, Williams, Machado, and more. Momentum Generation lifts the curtain on an elite group of surfers whose lives and careers most of us thought we already knew. It reveals a lot about their early lives, rivalries, tragedies, and their strongest sense of camaraderie. 2. Bustin’ Down The Door Director: Jeremy Gosch Stars: Reno Abellira, Clyde Aikau, Eddie Aikau Release Date: July 25, 2008 Production Companies: Fresh & Smoked Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video Surf feats and mystical macho talks from bronzed guys on Hawaiian beaches are what Bustin’ Down the Door is all about. The native Hawaiians show the mortal dangers on the beach while flamboyantly strutting their stuff in the most challenging spots and dangerous conditions. Narrated by Edward Norton, Bustin’ Down the Door provides a gripping look at the surf scene along with the seven-mile miracle, which up until then had only been ever surfed by some locals and a few established American surfers. This surfing documentary will make you think that surfing is not all rainbows and butterflies, but more like catfishes and whale poos. It proves that life on the waves isn’t always a sunshine ray despite the sunny skies and beautiful seascapes. Bustin’ Down the Door opens up about the unwelcomed arrival in the early 70s of Australians and South Africans. The narrative also includes how it led to a whole new level of competition and the subsequent formation of a formal surf league. 3. Andy Irons: Kissed By God Director: Steve Jones, Todd Jones Stars: Bruce Irons, Lyndie Irons, Kelly Slater Release Date: September 11, 2018 Production Companies: Teton Gravity Research Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video Kissed By God is one of the surfing documentaries that have elicited wet eyes everywhere it played. It’s an extraordinarily raw and honest portrayal of Andy Iron’s life, authored by those who knew and loved him and awash with accounts few believed would ever be told. He was one of the greatest surfers of all time, so much that you may have seen the phrase “A.I. Forever” on shirts, bumper stickers, boards, contest merch, and almost everything else surf-related. This surfing documentary dove headfirst into the life and death of Andy Irons. Kissed By God covered everything from the beginning of Iron’s life and explored every aspect of his surfing popularity, rivalries, and world titles. All the while, he was struggling with drug addiction and mental health issues. This surfing documentary filled with raw and honest interviews of Andy’s brother Bruce, wife Lyndie, and some of the biggest names in surfing made Kissed by God the most comprehensive account of Andy Iron’s life. 4. Bra Boys Director: Sunny Abberton, Macario De Souza Stars: Kelly Slater, Cheyne Horan, Russell Crowe (voice) Release Date: March 15, 2007 Production Companies: Garage Industries, Bradahood Productions Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Vudu Set in the early 2000s in a ragged Sydney suburb, Bra Boys is one surfing documentary that will make you want to box with your grandma. It focuses on surf cultures roots in the area of Maroubra with its finger pointed in the way of the Bra Boys surf “gang.” Bra Boys has a dark, punk rock undertone that helped highlight what happens when the primal nature of surf tribalism takes hold of society—one which back then was still in the hangover of historical oppression mixed with blue-collar communal pressures. Aside from the Bra Boys, it spotlights the Abberton family and the high-profile case they have been involved with. Russell Crow beautifully narrated the fascinating and sometimes tragic insight into the contrast between the stunning beauty of the waves and the harsh reality of life. Overall, this surfing documentary provides a fascinating insight into one of Australia’s most notoriously tight-knit surf cultures. It is a bit contradictory in parts, but then that’s how life usually is. 5. The Endless Summer Director: Bruce Brown Stars: Robert August, Michael Hynson, Lord James Blears Release Date: February 16, 1965 Production Companies: Bruce Brown Films Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Fandor, Hoopla, Netflix One of the oldest surfing documentaries, The Endless Summer, is the defining work of surf film making, aiming its abiding ability to capture the audience’s emotions from the surf-obsessed to the tried surfing oncers. The Endless Summer has narration, music, and cinematography that is easy on the mind and eyes. It floats through the screen and has you envisioning yourself in your own surf world – whether or not you are a surfing enthusiast. Interestingly, this surfing documentary has no special effects, no plot, no stars – yet it brings the purest face of surfing. It was … Read more

Before the advent of digital media, the only way we get in touch and updated with the surfing world was to get a copy of the latest surf magazine from the local newsstand or a friend. We treasure and store these paper publications safely in our storerooms or proudly display them on our coffee tables. The ever-changing technology and the birth of the internet resulted in just about anyone being able to start an online surf magazine, including you. But, to look back to those days when we’d happily smell the fresh pages of the magazine and to find out which of those weeklies we should follow online these days, we are bringing you five of the best surf magazines that never get old. History Of Surfing Magazine Publication In case you didn’t know, there is a website solely dedicated to identifying and tracking all surf magazines launched from at least forty countries with surfers and surf-related topics on the front cover. Al Hunt, a huge surf fan, started allsurfmagazines.com with all of this information. According to Hunt, the early references to surfing were included in relatively few books and general interest magazines like Harpers Bazaar in 1873, Outside in 1908, and Mid-Pacific in 1911. But, no magazine mainly focused on surfing. It wasn’t until 1917 when an Australian publication produced “The Surf.” This magazine came out every Saturday starting December 1st, 1917 and in all, there were 20 issues of it published every week until April 13th, 1918. The Surf was in newspaper style and print, and the only known copies of these can be found in the Mitchell Library in Sydney, Australia. Its weekly columns tackled all aspects of beach life, including board riding around Manly, a beachside suburb of Sydney, the venue for the first “World Surfing Titles” in 1964. After WW2, various publications, including National Geographic came out. In 1954, the first Makaha International Surf Championships created a program that became a widely recognized first complete surf publication. From then on, surf magazines have sprung year after year, and Al Hunt documented them all in his collection. Top 9 Best Surf Magazines Surf magazines are a big part of surfing history. In their pages are the details of the surfing lifestyles – how it evolved and has helped build the concept of surf culture for decades. Here are some of the best surf magazines from then and now. Carve Surfer Tracks Magazine Australia’s Surfing Life Zigzag Magazine Surf Girl The Surfer’s Journal Free Surf Magazine Surf Simply 1. Carve Headquarters: Berry Road Studios (Berry Road, Newquay, Cornwall TR71AT) Current Editor In Chief: Steve England Digital presence: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest Founded in 1994, Carve Surfing Magazine is the UK’s best-selling, most significant, and brightest surf title. This surf magazine features bleeding-edge surf photography, top-notch features, and all the best bits you can find in the surfing world. Carve Surfing Magazine is your first stop for the latest surfing news, surfing videos, travel, wetsuit, and gear guides. In 2019, Carve celebrated 25 years in the industry. Throughout the 25 years, they have featured more surfers from more areas across the UK and Eire than any other surf media has. 2. Surfer Headquarters: The Office (4 New York Plaza, Second Floor, New York, NY 10004) Current Editor In Chief: Todd Prodanovich Digital presence: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest Surfer Magazine has been in circulation since 1960. Its long history of delivering on the promise earned them the moniker of being The Bible of the Sport. The promise at stake was simple – to offer their audience a slice of the entire surfing world with every issue. Their issues never fail to present an array of provocative and insightful editorial features, revealing interviews and, most of all, their award-winning state-of-the-art surfing photography. Surfer Magazine is legendary and has helped shape surf culture as we know it. 3. Tracks Magazine Headquarters: SE1005 L10 97-99 Bathurst St, SYDNEY NSW 2000 Current Editor In Chief: Luke Kennedy Digital presence: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Tracks Magazine is a monthly Australian surf magazine that has been around since 1970. Published by Nextmedia, it promotes itself as “the surfers’ bible.” This surf magazine started as some sort of counterculture tabloid, printed on newsprint and produced on Sydney’s northern beaches. Since then, this magazine grew as a significant surfing publication. One of the most loved sections was the cartoon series “Captain Goodvibes,” which Tony Edwards, an Australian cartoonist, came up with. This section was first published in May 1973 and became a regular until July 1981. 4. Australia’s Surfing Life Headquarters: Elanora, 4221, QLD Current Editor In Chief: Ray Bisschop Digital presence: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube Surfing Life has been the premier Aussie source of all things surf-related since 1985. In 2001, Morrison Media publisher and General Manager Craig Sims purchased this publication and continued with the issues month after month. Nowadays, the publication keeps up with the digital trend by getting its audience all the surf content needed online. It still offers print, but the publication’s commitment to helping the environment limits printing when it only needs to print. 5. Zigzag Magazine Headquarters: Durban Current Editor In Chief: Sean Kelly Digital presence: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube It only took a meeting with the publisher of a Hawaiian tabloid magazine named Backdoor to inspire producing the Zigzag magazine. This surf magazine was founded in 1976 with its original team, Paul Naude, Mike Larmont, and Doug MacDonald. The publication, like most companies, experienced roller coaster periods, especially during global economic recessions. In 2008 and 2009, they had to negotiate major staff retrenchments, among other things. But, fast forward to today, it remains South Africa’s most successful surfing publication. 6. Surf Girl Headquarters: Berry Road Studios (Berry Road, Newquay, Cornwall, UK TR7 1AT) Current Editor In Chief: Louise Searle Digital presence: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube Finally, a surf magazine dedicated to the women of surfing. Surf Girl was founded in 2002, targeting women of all ages and abilities who are significant about surfing and surf culture. This women-oriented surf magazine featured news, travel articles, interviews with … Read more

In surfing culture, a surfer earning a nickname is a triumph on its own. Having one either means they’ve done something so good that it needs to be memorialized. Or they have a specific physical characteristic that the other surfers notice about them. It could also be because of a humorous story behind it, or perhaps it’s an alter ego that only comes out whenever they ride the waves.  Catchy and creative nicknames can build a surfer’s career and help people remember them even when they retire. They are often associated with being a pro, while having none may leave a surfer feeling left out. So if you’re looking for alias inspirations, this article contains the most awesome nicknames of the best surfers worldwide!  Top 30 Best Surfer Nicknames  #1: Duke “The Big Kahuna” Kahanamoku  In Hawaiian, Big Kahuna means a prominent person, a boss, a leader, an expert… but did you know that Duke Kahanamoku refused to be called this nickname way back then? Aside from being called “The Big Kahuna”, Duke is also known as the ‘Father of Modern Surfing’ today. It’s a reminder of his greatness and unbeatable skills when it comes to this water sport.  #2: Miki “Da Cat” Dora Miki Dora is temperamental, rude, and a rebel. If there was a person who inspired the statement “Don’t ever meet your heroes”, then that might be him.  But while most people frown at his personality, there’s no denying Miki Dora’s passion and skills for surfing. He gained the nickname “Da Cat” because of his feline-like movements when riding the waves. Quick, stable, and agile — all at the same time.  #3: Mick “White Lightning” Fanning  Non-surfers may know of the famous Mick Fanning because of the video where he punched a shark in the nose back in 2015. In the surfing world, however, he’s known as the “White Lightning” for his blonde hair and unbelievable speed in the water. He’s already retired today, but he’s left his own legacy as the fastest surfer in the world.   #4: Adrian “Ace” Buchan Adrian Buchan is an Australian pro surfer who wears tons of hats. Or shall we say, he’s an “Ace” of all trades.  He’s a WSL (World Surfing League) brand ambassador, a climate activist, and a representative of the World Pro Surfers. According to him, one of his greatest achievements is when he won over Kelly Slater in the Billabong Pro Tahiti in 2013.  #5: Greg “Da Bull” Noll Greg Noll is a surfing legend known for his body build, his big personality, and for conquering the biggest waves in both North Shore and Waimea Bay. His trademark move is by charging down the face of the wave, similar to how a bull will to an oncoming threat; hence where his nickname “Da Bull” came from. #6: Mick “Keg on Legs” Lowe While the other legendary surfers got their nicknames because of their achievements and surfing style, Mick Lowe got his because of his body physique. When he won over Taylor Knox in 2004, his continuous celebration and drinking led him to weight gain. This earned him the nickname “Keg on Legs”.  All’s well that ends well, though, for he used his added pounds to give more power to his surfing prowess. #7: Jay “Bottle” Thompson Jay Thompson is an Australian pro surfer who’s got a funny backstory for his nickname. According to him, a local guy pulled down his boardshorts as he was climbing up a ladder, which resulted in him baring his ‘johnson’ for everyone to see.  The audience who, unfortunately, saw it said his penis looks like those little white milk bottle candies they used to eat as kids. More than 15 years later after that incident, he’s still stuck with the moniker “Bottle”. #8: Kelly “Jimmy” Slater Winner of 11 world surfing championships, Kelly Slater is known as the greatest competitive surfer of all time. That’s why it’s no surprise that there are a lot of nicknames surrounding him like “The GOAT”, “King Kelly”, and “Kells”. But where did the nickname “Jimmy” come from?  In the year 1990, Kelly Slater was asked to take the role of a surfer, Jimmy Slade, in the American TV show Baywatch. He was reluctant to play the part as he felt the show was commercializing surf culture, so he asked to be written off the show after two years.  #9: Bethany “Soul Surfer” Hamilton When Bethany Hamilton was 13 years old, she was attacked by a shark that bit her left arm off. While most people would be discouraged by this ill-fated event, Bethany stood her ground, got into surfing again, and won a national title after that accident.  Today, Bethany is a recognized author and speaker who shares her courageous story in TV documentaries. She’s also the inspiration for the 2011 movie ‘Soul Surfer’. #10: Peter “The Condor” Mel Every time Peter Mel chases big waves, he spreads his arms far and wide for balance, then bends his legs as he rides down the face of the wave. This stance earned him the nickname “The Condor”.  #11: Keoni “Cheeseburger/Burger” Nozaki Keoni Ozaki, or as most surfers know him, “Cheeseburger/Burger”, is a Japanese guy who’s born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii. But while he loves to eat burgers and drink beer, he didn’t earn his nickname because of this. The mom of his childhood friend and also pro surfer, Mason Ho, is the one who gave him his famous alias. He didn’t like it at first, but he just got along with it because the name’s already stuck with everyone. #12: Cheyne “The Horror” Horan Throughout his career, Cheyne Horan has earned different nicknames. During his teenage years when he was still a member of the Coca-Cola skate team, he was referred to as the “Kid Dynamo”. The nickname “The Bondi Brat”, on the other hand, was given to him by his colleagues during his World Tour because of his distinctive outlook on life. Finally, he … Read more