Filmed By: Andrew McAlpine
Year of Production: 1968
Duration: 55minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: EBay
Great piece of surfing history. Originally filmed in 1968 before recently transfeering onto DVD. Filmed in New Zealand and Australia. Children of the Sun will stir the happiest memories in any surfers life ... never to be forgotten fun filled days. This film is a chronicle of a time now looked on as the golden years of surfing.
Filmed By: Dale Davis
Year of Production: 1965
Duration: 55minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: Various On-Line Auction Sites
This is another classic. Filmed over a 3-year period in the early 60's. The commentary is poor quality and the music is a bit odd by today's digital standards, but the surfing is classic. When you consider the antiquated equipment they rode back then, these guys were legends. At the end of the film there is a shot of the largest wave ever ridden (at that time). It'd have to be 30-foot +, and the guy who takes the drop is on what, by today's standards, could only be called a log. There'd be a lot of today's pros who wouldn't even attempt this type of thing without their jet-ski, life jacket and helicopters. This is a great flick.
Filmed By: Various
Year of Production: 1969 - 1999
Rating (out of 10):7
Available Through: Various On-Line Auction Sites
This is a culmination of bits 'n pieces out of 8 various surf flicks from over a 30-year period. Features extrtacts from ...
Some good surfing and backing music.
Filmed By: George Greenough
Year of Production: 1973
Duration: 74 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
When this film first came out it was considered way ahead of it's time, even revolutionary. The shots from inside the tubes, of which there were heaps in the flick, were considered by some to be state of the art, and by others to be a waste of good film time. The final sequence in the movie which was backed by Pink Floyd's Echoes was something completely different in surf films. But you'd expect that from Greenough who never fails to come up with something a bit different. The majority of the film is spent with Greenough, Australia's Nat Young and Richie West traveling the oceans, initially in Greenough's motorised "Pod", then his sail boat, the "Morning Light". This video is pre-professional surfing, so there is plenty of time to enjoy uncrowded isolated perfection.
Filmed By: Paul Witzig
Year of Production: 1969
Duration: 78 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
This is definitely an oldie but a goodie. There is no commentary to speak of, and very little indication of where the spots are that are being filmed. Hot surfers of the time were featured. Keith Paul, Wayne Lynch, Nat Young, Butch Cooney, etc...
There are a lot of overseas places featured including France, Morocco, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and so-on. Thirty years ago this was considered very daring stuff. Most of the places they visited probably didn't have any idea what surfboards were, let alone see people riding them.
You won't find any made for film set-ups like in some American surf flicks. This was 100% surf action.
Filmed By: Eric & Lowell Blum
Year of Production: 1967
Duration: 89 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
Interesting to see how places like Fiji have changed over the last 30 or so years. Where there were once open fields and little villages there are probably a McDonald's and a couple of high-risers. But the pretext of this film wasn't to show how idyllic places have changed, but rather to follow a group of "yanks" who come down-under to give the "aussies" a surfing lesson. This might be an American film but that doesn't stop the aussies from stomping some Yankee butt.
The rest of the film is taken up with some good free surfing. But without a doubt, the best??? bit is listening to Nat Young philosophise over his surfing. All very peace, love and beads man. Interesting to see that some 25 years later, Nat Young is still making a fool of himself (but unfortunately, making aussie surfers look like egg-heads) as can be seen in his memorable performance in Endless Summer II.
Filmed By: Bud Browne
Year of Production: 1975
Duration: 92 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 9
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
Don't know whether it's just me, but these early videos are always so uncomplicated, uncluttered and great fun. This one is no exception. It's a classic. Amongst other great images from the past, you'll see Greg Noll riding the biggest mother of a wave at Outside Pipeline.
The "characters" from that by-gone era are as large as life and deeply in love with it. They were larcenous in their attitudes to life and enjoyed their chosen sport with a passion.
The spots are now fairly out-dated, but Bud Browne's comments on "civilisation" and it's effect on previously pristine coastal spots.
Filmed By: Steve Otton
Year of Production: Originally early 70's, then re-hashed in early 80's
Duration: 90 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8 for the surfing. 3 for the acting.
Available Through: Not Available
Just thought I’d throw this one in. Don’t go looking for it anywhere, because I have one of probably only a couple of copies of an abridged version of a now non-existent original. The modified version was to be used as a promo for a possible television showing, but none of the stations would pick it up. It documents the travels of a couple of “surf crazies” as they travel up the coast along Highway One showing a surf film (Morning of the Earth). The surfing is great, and having been produced back in the early 70’s, it’s also all very love, peace and country living. The people in the video are all actual surfers and not actors, and that gives it even more appeal. Man, the acting is so corny, but it only adds to the charm of it all. See the surf life the way it was before AIDS, before social consciousness, and before the crowds. Featuring music by Richard Clapton, Skyhooks, Ol’55 and the Bilgola Bop Band.
Filmed By: George Greenough
Year of Production: 1970
Duration: 64 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 9½
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
Okay all you burnt-out hippies out there, dust off your beads and bell-bottom wetsuits, 'cause this is a classic. With a backing track supplied by a psychedelic group from the 60's called The Farm, this is a full-on surf flick, with nothing but classic surfing. There is no voice-over of any description. In fact, it is almost like a home video of a bunch of mates out having a surf adventure.
Via colourful placards, the viewer is introduced to a variety of surfers along the way, and there's not a contest singlet in sight.
This was shot entirely in Australia, and at 64 minutes is only fairly short, but it's too good to pass up. Towards the end you get a preview of the mind and direction of George Greenough with a final sequence of shots from inside the tube - promise of things to come.
Filmed By: Greg MacGillvray & Greg Freeman
Year of Production: Late 60's to early 70's
Duration: 60 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: Obscure shelf at a video shop somewhere
I don't remember a lot of the history of how I came to get this video. Must have found it at a video shop somewhere. The boards look like mid-70's in design and it was before leg-ropes. Commentary in the beginning is limited to telling the viewer who is on the wave and where the wave is located. But make no mistake, it's still a good little flick. Towards the end the commentary speeds up a bit with a selection of wind-surfing from around the place.
Filmed By: Alby Falzon
Year of Production: 1972
Duration: 75 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 9
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
This is the "magic mushroom" version of Endless Summer. No commentary needed. The sound track featured some of the greats of the era and was produced by G. Wayne Thomas.
The movie was set in the free love, vegie burger, grow your own, drop-out and live on the farm era.
It's a full-on surf action movie filmed in various locations around the world. At the time of it's production it was considered pretty adventurous. Seeing naked westerners frolicking in the warm waters of Kuta Beach. Pretty lame by today's standards, but back in 72?, wow. The magic mushrooms were flowing, the smoke is so thick that you can almost smell it in the theatre. Makes you wonder if many of the people who were featured in the movie ever remember being there at all.
The surfing is good and constantly on the edge.
Filmed By: David Sumpter
Year of Production: 1974
Duration: 70 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8½
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
This flick combines some great free-surfing and some contest footage from the best of the time.
Seems strange to hear the comments being made about the new "2SM Coca-Cola Surfabout", or to hear people speaking about the isolated but beautiful surf spots on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Travel to Kuta Beach in Bali back when it cost $2 a day to live and there were no multi-national hotels or fast-food outlets anywhere.
Commentary is by Wayne Lynch, Paul Neilson and David Sumpter, with music by Elton John and Crosby, Stills & Nash, plus others.
Filmed By: Bob Evans
Year of Production: 1968
Duration: 90 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 9
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
Although many others were made, including Surf Trek to Hawaii, Midget Goes Hawaiian, Surfing The Southern Cross, Hawaiian Thrills, The Young Wave Hunters, and so on, this is the one of very few videos that are still available from the lens of the late Bob Evans. This guy was the father of the Australian Surfing Generation, and this is a nostalgic look at early Australian surfing. Narration is primarily by Bob Evans. The picture quality is fairly poor, but that's been caused by the transfer from film to video.
The surfing is fantastic. The spots they surf and the lack of crowds can only been dreamed of these days.
Filmed By: Paul Witzig
Year of Production: 1971
Duration: 80 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
Made in the early 70's, this living free down on the farm, grow your own, psychedelic dream sequence flick has some good points going for it. It is not bogged down with any commentary. There are no long profiles on one specific surfer or place.
Filmed mainly in Australia, it's a relaxing way to spend 80 minutes.
Filmed By: Dale Davis
Year of Production: 1968
Duration: 76 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 6
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
The Golden Breed is a veritable who's who of surfing from the late 60's. And yes, there's even a few Aussies thrown in for good measure. As with most American films, this one starts off in Hawaii.
The commentary is annoyingly American and all very star-spangled-banner. There's a lot of big wave action and big wave wipeouts, but the Golden Breed are a tough lot of individuals, and it takes more than a surfboard in the mouth to stop them.
Not a bad video, except for the annoying commentary.
Filmed By: Paul Witzig
Year of Production: 1967
Duration: 75 minutes
Rating (out of 10): 8
Available Through: Dick Hoole at Byron Bay or via your favourite surfing mag.
Featuring names like Russell Hughes, Kevin Brennan, Midget Farrelly, Nat Young, the mayor of Byron Bay, Bob McTavish and the late Bobby Brown, this video features some of the best in the uncrowded breaks of places like Noosa Heads, Angourie and Crescent Head (ah, they were the days).
There's a bit of international flavour with some classic footage of France and of course, Hawaii, but for the most, the film covers a wide area of Australia and Australian surfers.