Surf film is our most important art. Let us celebrate accordingly.
Film is an incomparably important part of the surf experience. It shows us what we can achieve, how high we can soar, how beautifully we can dance. Film elevates, teaches, inspires and connects us all. We may be scattered around God’s blue earth but when we watch a movie or a clip, we watch it together as one. Film makes us who we are.
And it is with all this gravitas in mind that your humble servants at BeachGrit have spent the last two years compiling a list of the 5 best surf clips of all time. We have watched every second and discussed relative merits, bouncing our thoughts off experts in the field, polling professional surfers, analyzing and painstakingly measuring. While our exact methodology will be kept secret it is my great privilege to present you with our findings.
5. Kelly Slater gets beat up by bodyboarder Paul Roach.
Feel free to watch the entire clip from Kelly in Taylor Steele’s near-masterpiece Momentum but the clip from this film that makes it onto the list of best ever is the first 40 odd seconds. Paul Roach’s technique is near flawless. Artful.
4.Gary Busey dodges draft.
Big Wednesday is a classic. The movie captures the essence of what it means to be a surfing scofflaw and while Jan-Michel Vincent was its handsome star and went on to have many great successes Gary Busey steals his thunder here.
3. Bodhi surfing Bells Beach.
The Hundred Year Storm that was prophesied in the original Point Break film was everything. Our hearts were in our throats as Bodhi and John Utah tussled on the sand a we were all winners that they did not move the event to Winkipop that day. Vaya con dios.
2. Mahalo you fucking surfers.
You goddamn nerds. This sums up everything. It is us and it is beautiful to behold. Kenny Power titty fucking the wave. Sponging up the ocean with his big ol’ dick. It is perfection. Clean, simple perfection.
1. Shaun Tomson + Shane Dorian.
In a surprise to no one who actually surfs, the great Shaun Tomson having a heart-felt chat with Shane Dorian is the best surf clip of all time. If you don’t have tears in your eyes after watching then you are not a surfer at all. You are just a goddam nerd.
Nah, best clip, Runman69 when Chris Williams takes a shit on that kooks hood. Hands down best
Ok so I’ll be honest and say that I never watched the last clip of Shane and Shaun when I first read this story, nor have I ever watched the movie. Just watched it now to kill some time and it gave me a brain aneurysm.
Shane Dorian might be the only man alive who should be glad he went bald.
Did you not see Slater in the first clip?
I’m splitting hairs over who of those two is most worthy.
For me it’s any clip out of Ride the Wild Surf – when surfers were real men and chicks knew the only place for them was sitting on the beach!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIW...
No mention of early 90’s lid vid ‘Rip the Pit’? Brett Youngs beautiful rendition of ‘look out the back’? Hoards of kids with fluoro velcro fucking everything? Tell me this was an oversight
Kelly took those punches terribly.
The origin of his lower back pain maybe?
This is a great list although Kenny Powers should of course be in the number one spot.
I am surprised that no one ever brings up “Surf 2” in all time greatest lists. That movie was epic.
https://m.youtube.com/watch…
Sure Chas, but where’s Paul Roach now?
PR: I coulda been a contender.
We could improve surfing in the Olympics by throwing in some skeet shooting. This is legit shit right here! But sshhhh……its Top Secret.
Cause its totally bitchin’ riding waves and blasting clay pigeons.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
The BeachGrit panel was forgetting about this one:
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
King Slade bungeeing off a hot air balloon?! Matt Brody giving him mouth-to-mouth, while still floating in the ocean?!… CLASSIC
Rumor has it Slater told Brody to just imagine his mouth is a vagina. At 2:49-2:52 you can see Brody didn’t buy in to Slater’s acting advice.
People rarely talk about the influence “In Gods Hands” had on big wave surfing or duck face in general.
Very true. I think it could be argued that Shane Dorian actually invented the modern duck face.
“Film is an incomparably important part of the surf
experience. It shows us what we can achieve, how high we can soar, how
beautifully we can dance. Film elevates, teaches, inspires and connects
us all.”
Spoken like a man who has never seen a film of himself surfing.
Watch Shane Doz and Shaun Tomson again.
These are GREAT. “I think we outta wait for the tide to come up” is a personal fave.
I don’t know man, Roger getting the ball, Chandler’s deep thoughts, Kiani’s little bro’s answering the door. Just the tip of the iceberg. Yeah? No!
All considered but science apparently disagreed.
pfft, experts! We’ve moved on from “science” now. Didn’t you get the tweet?
Also, the blueprint for what later became known as the “venice-adjacent” school of modern surfing:
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
The 2nd part of Kenny Powers’ “Best Clip” scene explores surfer’s adventurous parenting skillz
Which begs the question, would you leave your kid in a hole in the sand covered by an American flag towel while you get your shred on?
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
get it roger, yeah!!!