Riding Giants 2004
How about a documentary on surfing? I was a little leery going into this one, but it is one of the best movies (documentary or otherwise) that I have seen in a while. I am not a surfer, but I certainly admire what surfers can do. And it is easy to have greater respect as the guy on the surf board gets smaller and smaller in relation to the wave. That’s what this movie does as it traces "big wave" surfing from one beach to another in Hawaii during the 50’s, then to big ugly California waves in the 90’s, and back to Hawaii for surfing that is just completely ridiculous in its audacity. At every step, you are totally taken in by the interviews and footage. The older stuff starts out kind of slow, but is still very entertaining with Greg Noll and others remembering when there were only ten people at the north shore of Hawaii and nobody even knew about other beaches. In California you learn about one intrepid guy who was riding the biggest waves on the west coast by himself for fifteen years before he could convince anyone else to try it out.
Just as good as the footage is listening to the surfers talking articulately and in everyday terms about the incredible rush of big wave surfing. In the "making of" segment the director says he was trying to show these are not brainless guys spewing "dude" left and right. But one surfer mentions how riding the wave makes endorphins "pop" and you realize that the drug these guys are addicted to and can’t live without is the thrill of riding waves that can easily kill you at any time. But because they are usually talking glowlingly about others it doesn’t come off as bravado or big egos. That couldn’t have been easy, but it is really pitch perfect. This is a great movie for people who might never surf and have no idea of what surfers are really doing now. Riding Giants delivers excitement as well as fascinating information. It deserves an A.
Written: 19 Sep 2006
Owned on: DVD