Featuring Jordy Smith's honeymoon.
The most anticipated surf film of the year is, of course, View from a Blue Moon starring John John Florence and directed/filmed by none other than Blake Vincent Kueny (watch the trailer again here). It may seem obvious that the finest young surfer in the world would find the finest young filmmaker and the two would form a magical bond that crackles from the screen.
John John’s surfing? Blake’s images, razor sharp edit and singular direction? but it was not.
The fates intervened like they do in all storied collaborations. Like they did with Scorsese/De Niro, Winding Refn/Gosling, Nolan/Caine.
Mr. Kueny was once Jordy Smith’s principle filmmaker. He traveled the globe, shooting and editing most of Bending Colors (though credit for the film went to Kai Neville). It was a good life and Jordy was a star.
There was a kid his own age, though, that the people were buzzing about. A two-named wonder named double John.
Before he was on Hurley, John John rode for O’Neill and Jordy, of course, rides for O’Neill so the two would end up on trips together and Mr. Kueny was there filming the action. On one trip, Jordy brought his beautiful girlfriend and turned it into a honeymoon, leaving John John and Mr. Kueny by their lonesomes to talk shop, dream, create.
That ended up to be the true honeymoon and the two joined forces shortly afterward.
“Did it go well, you leaving Jordy?” I asked.
“It could have gone better. I could have handled it better…” Mr. Kueny responds “…but it is ok now.”
It is more than ok. And because Jordy turned a surf trip into a honeymoon we all benefit. Some things were simply meant to be.
(Watch Jordy shine under Mr. Kueny’s spotlight here)
