In surfing’s quiet culture war between fashion and substance, substance is in dire need of a bit of help. So, I am hugely buoyed to announce a breath-taking shot across the bow from surfing’s most substantial commentator, Andrew Kidman, in his new film/book project, “Lost In The Ether.”
In a surf cultural landscape trammeled by posers and sleight of hand illusionists, Kidman is still finding fresh and illuminating ground to explore. Who else would have thought to track down and ride the celebrated, stubby single fin a young Michael Peterson rode in Morning of the Earth, the vehicle responsible for THAT cutback? Who knew MP was only 18 and had been shaping for a year when he sculpted the landmark craft? Who else would have studied and measured and tried to replicate the thing, interviewed a remarkably lucid MP today about the subtleties of the craft, and reached conclusions that inform our understanding of surfboard design today? The endangered species of the devoted surfer/shaper is Kidman’s focus this time – Dave Parmenter, Michael Mackie, Terry Fitzgerald, Simon Anderson, Wayne Lynch. Kidman’s narration is sometimes a bit earnest, which is a shame because he’s a funny bugger, at his best when his witty self-deprecating streak shines through. And he shoots, edits and scores the whole thing himself, providing a moody soundtrack with his band the Windy Hills. Ground-breaking.
Lost in the Ether from Andrew Kidman on Vimeo.
