Riding Giants – Part 8 of 10
RIDING GIANTS — Part 8 of 10 — Riding Giants is a superb documentary on the history of big wave surfing, directed and co-written by Stacy Peralta, who also made 2001′s skateboarding documentary “Dogtown and Z-Boys”. Peralta was a Z-Boy himself, as well as a skateboarding manufacturer and videomaker, so “Dogtown” was very much his element. But “Riding Giants” surpasses “Dogtown” with improved technical proficiency, writing and editing. It’s a dynamic account of the history of the surfing subculture, starting centuries ago, but focusing on the past 55 years, which saw surfing explode into mainstream culture and become extraordinarily athletic and increasingly daring.
“Riding Giants” has 3 parts or acts, each concentrating on one surfing innovator and the culture in which he thrived. The first act explores the world of Greg Noll, surfing’s flamboyant celebrity of the 1950s and 1960s. Interviews with Noll and other surfing giants of the time, including Ricky Grigg, Mickey Munoz, and Mike Stang, take us through the genesis of the surfing lifestyle in Southern California to Hawaii’s Waimea Bay, through the explosion in surfing popularity brought on by “Gidget” in 1959, up until Noll surfed “the greatest swell of the 20th century” at Makaha in December of 1969. “Riding Giants”‘ second act focuses on Jeff Clark and the surfers of Maverick’s in Northern California. Clark tells the story of surfing Maverick’s alone for 15 years before finally convincing 2 other surfers to join him in 1990. Maverick’s surfers talk about the challenges of cold water, fog, and rocks and the day that Mark Foo died. The third act of “Riding Giants” profiles Laird Hamilton, a man who has been described as the “best big wave rider the world has seen”, and explores the relatively new field of tow-in surfing, in which surfing becomes a partnership instead of a solitary pursuit. A tow-in by a jet ski provides surfers with the speed required to catch enormous waves -up to 80 feet- at considerable peril. Hamilton and fellow surfers Darrick Doerner, Dave Kalama, and Gerry Lopez talk about discovering the tow-in technique and surfing Peahi (Jaws).
To tell the story of surfing’s history, “Riding Giants” makes use of old movie footage provided by Greg Noll, hundreds of archival photographs, interviews with surfers who were there, and the knowledge of co-writer Sam George, the editor of “Surfer” magazine. Modern footage of Waimea, Maverick’s, and Peahi, some of which is quite stunning, conveys the beauty and incredible power of big waves. A digital technique that transforms a still photograph into a 3-dimensional image and allows the “camera” to pull through it has been applied to some photos of big waves with spectacular effect. In short, this is not only an informative film; it is also quite beautiful. “Riding Giants” successfully communicates the exhilaration of big wave surfers, so that even someone like me, who doesn’t care much for water, can understand their passion and applaud their accomplishments. “Riding Giants” is a wonderfully entertaining look at the world of big wave surfing that everyone can enjoy. I hope to see an Oscar nomination for Stacy Peralta.
Duration : 0:9:58
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