“The Endless Summer” is indie filmmaker Bruce Brown’s cult classic surfing documentary. And bro. It will absolutely put you in the right mood as we progress into the summer.
Released on June 15, 1966, “The Endless Summer” demonstrates Brown’s passion for the sport of surfing as well as his knack for crafting a comical informative picture. It couldn’t be a simpler premise, dude. Brown – a native of California and an avid surfer himself – follows two professional surfers as they travel the globe in search of the most epic of waves.
With enough time and enough money, you could spend the rest of your life following the summer around the world…
I love that Brown uses two of his personal passions; surfing – which he started doing as a teenager, and filming – which began with his love of photography, to create this documentary. Brown himself narrates as two surfers, Mike Hynson and Robert August, venture to beaches thousands of miles from home. They cover multiple continents and deal with a host of cultural and language barriers.
Two things are certain. There is more to surfing than appears to the untrained eye. And you’ll want to be a surfer just to become a part of this gnarly quest. The enviable life we can all imagine is on full display. Wake up by the beach with nary a care in the world. Other than hanging ten, of course. (To hang ten is to ride a surfboard with all ten toes curled over the board’s front edge).
“You can go right or left, but you can’t very well do both at once.”
Brown becomes the main character from behind the camera. His narrations include wit and humor as he travels to exotic locales with his surfing buds. Brown has more one-liners locked and loaded than Henny Youngman, and you’ll laugh out loud a dozen times. Yes it’s a film about surfing. But it could also be thought of as an early mockumentary, and that is a result of the charisma of Brown. The score is handled by a band called The Sandals (you can’t make this stuff up) and flows with the rest of the film like a salty seafaring breeze. It’s totes bitchin’ at every turn, brah.
What’s also great is the way with which Brown created the title. In a narration he explains that “With enough time and enough money, you could spend the rest of your life following the summer around the world.” For those of us who feel depleted during the winter months, it’s an amazing dream to have.
“The Endless Summer” is a really fun film. It can be appreciated for its exploration into the surfing culture. It can also be enjoyed by film junkies who crave the raw emotion of a true indie film. It’s worth it for the summer setting mood it will doubtless put you in. And it’s worth it for the enjoyment of the trip Bruce Brown takes you on.
Have a radical summer, ya paddlepusses.
“The Endless Summer” is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
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