To a non-surfer, all surf movies probably look the same. Waves, wetsuits, water, surfboards, airs and barrels...rinse and repeat. And to be honest, even as an avid surfer, plenty of the movies blend together and don't really stand out. It takes a special mix of quality waves, stylish surfing, beautiful light, interesting angles, thoughtfully chosen music, unique editing, and some kind of story to stand out.
When that mix is just right (based on your personal surfing interests and the styles you appreciate), you can watch the film over and over. You learn all about the locations and the surfers, you watch the bonus features and hear the stories about how it was made, and you really don't get tired of it. At least that's true for me for a bunch of films.Here are a few trailers of movies that I think fit that criteria, and are either classics or classics in the making, in my mind at least.
"Sprout" by Woodshed Films: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK3Nr6TdjJY
"The Tyler Warren Experiments" by Mark Jeremias and John Smart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVZp8cIsVUo
"Morning of the Earth" by Albee Falzon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT9kjQ3LLH0
"Sipping Jetstreams" by Taylor Steele (this isn't exactly the trailer, it's a full section of the film that's worth watching (as is the entire film if you haven't seen it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RbqY7zdYQ
"Slow Dance" by Marine Layer Productions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1nlJOuzIDg&feature=player_embedded
What are some of your favorite surf films? Let us know (and show us the youtube trailers if you can) on our Facebook page.