When getting the shot means something. Shipstern’s Bluff.
Last Tuesday night I got barreled at Shipstern’s Bluff. Tom Carroll towed me into a massive lump of energy, I airdropped down the infamous step, faltered for a second, regained my balance with arms spread wide – then blistered through the gaping space of a barrel, arriving safely onto the shoulder. Tom also towed me into Teahupoo, Ours, Cows Reef, and a bunch of other giant waves within an hour and a half. It was a big night.
The fruits of 3D photography are finally beginning to take shape in the world of surfing, and despite the cheesy marketing mélange attached to Storm Surfers 3D with Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones, the immersive experience inherent to 3D movies is undeniable when done correctly. A few weeks prior, I sat in the studios at RealD, one of the pioneering entertainment firms responsible for the three dimensional photography in Avatar, Life of Pi, and a number of blockbusters, and they explained it to me like this:
With 3D, we want to provide filmmakers a powerful tool to amplify the affect of their stories on the audience. Think of it like color versus black and white. When we have buy-in from directors on how do deploy 3D and incorporate it into the story, very few cinematic experiences compare.
I’m paraphrasing, but I thought the point was interesting. Prior, I had always considered 3D the ultimate gimmick. Short on value. Big on hype. But, honestly, I never thought I’d visit the inside of a barrel at Shipstern’s. Just wasn’t in the cards for me. Storm Surfers got me (and how ever many million see this film) up in there. That’s worth the price of admission.
Photography aside, Storm Surfers paints an endearing portrait of the relationship between tow partners Ross Clark-Jones and Tom Carroll, who seem to embrace the adolescent, Peter-Pannish characters they’re attributed. Tom’s the straight man; Ross is comedic relief – as he consistently emasculates Tom throughout the film, which is funny considering they’re hunting down sixty foot waves on jetskis.
Among the film’s highlights, this one stood out in particular: Ross describing how he copes with a big-wave hold down. Apparently, he imagines he’s at a club dancing with beautiful girls, getting thrown around, having the time of his life, just enjoying the party until it’s all over. I’m going to try that next time I get held down.
Plot-wise, Storm Surfers is more a tale about athletes dealing with aging than anything else. Tom Carroll explores his physical and mental boundaries as he negotiates the shifting priorities associated with being a father and family man. The film reiterates their age as a central theme maybe eight times, so by the fifth time, you’re absolutely certain age is a concern. Beyond the repetition of age and maybe one too many swell chases, Storm Surfers also illustrates many of the subtle charms and mannerisms that are distinctly Australian and likeable. They’re hard to place exactly, but the all-American audience in the theater certainly cracked a few laughs based on cultural differences, words, phrasings, etc… Again, endearing.
And that seems to be the appeal of Storm Surfers. It provides a window into the relationship between two fifty year-old men who chase giant waves around the earth. It humanizes their pursuit, and more, impressively, it places you on the ski, in the straps, and on the face of a fifty-foot wave. For most of us, that’s nowhere we’ve earned a right to be. So enjoy it.
Check out the US Tour schedule to view a screening near you.
