Editor’s Note: The Inertia is a proud partner of the inaugural San Diego Surf Film Festival.
Hello surf world,
I grew up in La Jolla, and some of my fondest memories are going to see surf movies playing at the local theaters when I was a grom. All of the older rats would be there engaged in the same behavior they shared in the water: heckling, laughing, sharing and snaking… The fact that they were on dry land rarely changed the pecking order. And as a surfer, you never forgot about the surf film. Going to see one was a rite of passage. The hoots, the shakas, the sharing of stoke through a surf flick is an integral part of being a member of the surfing community.
The San Diego Surf Film Festival is going to recreate the classic surf film experience. From the moment you walk into Bird’s Surf Shed you begin to mentally retrace surfing’s history as you gaze upon the over 450 surfboards that surround you. Imagine riding that Skip Frye at Cojo Point. Or the Bob Simmons at Windansea? Maybe the Cliffs on a Steve Lis fish? All of these surfboards have stories. And these stories continue with the carefully selected films for the inaugural event.
The San Diego Surf Film Festival put out a call and received the finest selection of independent surf films from around the globe. The most difficult part was not having enough room for some of the films that we wanted to include. There is some amazing filmmaking happening right now in the surfing world, and we wanted to highlight the work of filmmakers from our own backyard and around the globe. Our May 11-13th line up includes 13 feature length films and 22 shorts. We also have an art lounge with over 30 artists and photographers displaying original San Diego-inspired artwork. In addition, we will be holding a beach clean-up/ bodysurfing demo, live art, filmmaker panels, and a shaping demo throughout the weekend. – PMK
