Da Hui's revenge!
Do you recall the hit surf documentary Bustin’ Down the Door from over a decade ago? Ooooee how time flies! In case your memory escapes, the film told the story of how Rabbit Bartholomew, Ian Cairns, Mark Richards, Shaun Tomson, Michael Tomson etc. went to the North Shore in the early to mid 1970s. How they pieced together a professional surf tour but also took maybe some liberties both in the water and on land angering locals and spurring the creation of Da Hui.
Much hiding in the bushes and fearing for lives ensued which more or less marks life on the North Shore for the traveling surfer to this day (read here!)
I very much enjoyed the film but Eddie Rothman, co-founder of Da Hui (happy birthday!) did not, once telling me, “Bustin down the door…. there was no fucken door to bust down…” which is certainly a valid point. White, blonde men of northern European decent attempting to conquer a small Pacific island and coming out as heroes in the end is not the most self-aware narrative direction, though I am working on a concept right now titled Breakin’ Through the Glass Ceiling about surf journalists (me, Derek Rielly, Matt Warshaw, Nick Carroll and Scott Hulet) striving for respect amongst our war journalist and political journalist peers.
Anyhow, Bustin’ Down the Door was wonderfully fine and now, over a decade later, we have a scripted sequel. The teaser was dropped yesterday, inexplicably at San Diego’s Comic-Con and features a very strong proto-typical Hawaiian man handing out cracks, slaps and knocks on da head to all manner of interloping villain. From what I can gather, Rabbit Bartholomew has somehow taken over, blonde slicked hair etc. and is holding the locals captive with some dubious claim of ownership. Maybe he secured all the permits for Pipeline contests or something. It is unclear in the teaser but anyhow the very strong proto-typical Hawaiian man an he square off for control of the surfing world.
I would have called the film Busin’ Down the Door II: Da Hui’s Revenge but the director and producers decided to call it Aquaman. In any case, I am excited though also very scared.
Eddie Rothman was born on the mainland, his father moving him to California when he was a baby and then, at 14, after some trouble, Eddie flew by himself to Hawaii and stayed. He lived first in Waikiki and then moved up to the North Shore where he met future legends Tiger Espere, Dougy Yamashita and Clyde, the father of Kala Alexander. He was accepted into this new family after years of proving himself. Long, hard years. And it became his home. Eddie was the one bustin down the doors .
I wish the whole movie was in Pidgin. FML
In comparison to today’s strike mission mercenaries/whores/free surfers/Big wave riders etc they were probably much more aware of what was going on in Hawaii compared to a Koa Smith (knowledge of the culture of Namibia ?) at Skeleton Bay or half of Hawaii ,Australia , South America etc who turn up en masse to Cloud break every 5 years ? The bustin down the door band spent a lot of time on the North Shore over many years. They got slapped ,they paid their dues in the water, they surfed when it was onshore in an attempt to be better than the rest , they won , they moved on . This definitely took longer than a flight , 2days surfing , Video in the bag , and off to the next swell .
Drinking kava and wearing a bit of face paint surely justifies the rape and pillage content conquest that is the strike mission??
Where the sweet fuck is Vinnie Chase?
Hope they tune up the CGI before the opening. Looked messy.
aka 8th Wave of Colonialism on Hawaii shores.
Off topic, but imagine if the WSL got Flynn novak in on their air shows??
If Flynn Novak partakes in an airshow that nobody is watching, did he really participate?
Nope.
Nah, he’s boring.
Are you kidding
“Jake The Muss” knows how to hand out the head Cracks!
Speaking of bustin down doors, Sabre Norris is kicking ass at the X-Games 2018 in Women’s Skateboard Park! Looks like she’s gonna lock up the silver medal! Busting down doors with class and sass! Big congrats!
such a little legend with an outlook on life everyone should take a lesson from
Speaking of very muscular men, it looks like Kelly has backpedalled in his claims that the UFC guy is juicing and that the UFC guy should be proud that Kelly questioned if he was clean, as his physical condition is so good! Kelly didn’t look so happy when he was questioned! All on Instagram of course, Kelly if you are reading this call Jerry Magurie!
Old news Sainty. Remember a few days ago, Kelly came to BG with the message that he was referring to purps.
He really is the Trump of Surfing! Must have been a misprint!
“When I did a 360, what I really meant was a 720, and you should score me accordingly, including a clean make, despite the fake-news that I fell off.”
(Note: I don’t think Kelly has ever actually tried to claim this)
Not yet!
“It was a great landing! The best of makes! No, that wasn’t my board shooting out. It must of been some other guy’s board. I landed so hard my board disintegrated on impact. You can still find pieces washing up today! I stuck it, I always stick it.”
Well if the movie flops he could probably get a gig as a one man water patrol with the WSL at their sharky destinations in West OZ , J Bay and Hawaii ? As for bustin down the door . Yes the antagonists were white ( though two were members of the SA Jewry )but at the time it was invitation only ( no qualifying series or trials event , not sure when the Pro Class Trials came into being ) and this bunch of non American and non Hawaiian Surfers busted their balls against the establishment of the time trying to get into events that they were capable of winning and did eventually dominate . Can we still blame them in hindsight for forgetting to remain humble ?
Cant blame them because they didn’t know.
But they learnt. ‘Cept maybe for kanga who seems to be completely unrepentant and as arrogant as ever.
In the realm of competitive surfing through the ages , do you really believe that this little band of surfers have/ had a monopoly on forgetting to stay humble ?
lmao. Hell no ! There’s major league arseholes everywhere in pro surfing.
But they have been held up by the media as how not to do it.
American Surf Media ?
True. But the message is universal, show a ton of respect when in someone else’s backyard.
Totally agree with the universal message and it has been wonderful to see visiting Hawaiian surfers ,since the Duke more than a century ago , being given the red carpet treatment in Australia.
Ah – simpler times.
I feel closer to da hui vibe when confronted by a pack of brazzos or euros tho. No fukkn red carpet – behave yourselves or you’ll be asked to move on.