Surf flicks have become boring. For the most part, they’re all the same–the same camera angles, the same overlays, the same everything. Save for a few exceptions, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. There’s no story, just clip after clip after clip of big turns and big aerials. It works for our media consumption these days, but it didn’t used to be like that. I blame Instagram and our exceedingly short attention spans.
Enter John John Florence. View From a Blue Moon was one of the best surf films ever made. He, along with Blake Vincent Kueny and Brain Farm, did far more than go on a few boat trips, shoot a few waves, and then tack them all together.
John John’s latest series, entitled Twelve, is in the same vein as VFBM. It works a little harder than most of the internet clips. It’s a little longer than a clip, but a little shorter than a film. It’s the first of a narrative broken up into seven parts, following JJF on his quest for a first world title. And if you like surfing, you’re going to like this.
