If you are a fan of surf travel, it’s likely you have been following Torren Martyn and Ishka Folkwell’s Lost Track Atlantic series. I am of the opinion that it’s a vastly underrated surf film, on par with The Endless Summer and other such classics.
There aren’t too many surfers who can do it like Torren Martyn. None, actually. Some are similar, but Martyn is one of the few surfers on Earth who other surfers emulate. Oh, he’s got influences, for sure, just like anyone else, but what makes the difference is that Martyn takes his influences, takes his own preferences, and puts them together to make something unique. Put that together with the filmmaking talents of Martyn’s good friend, Ishka Folkwell, and you’ve got something magical. And Lost Track Atlantic is magic.
The premise is a simple one. Near the end of 2019, Martyn and Folkwell flew from Australia to England. Once there, they bought a Ford Transit van and began to outfit it for a road trip of epic proportions. The loose plan was to go from northern Scotland all the way down to the equatorial coast of West Africa, finding waves and immersing themselves in the different cultures along the way.
After three episodes, (here, here, and here) it’s clear that the series should be playing on big screens around the world. Unfortunately, it’s mostly going to be seen on YouTube — but, when it comes to films like this one, I’ll take what I can get. The fourth and final installments are due to be released in the coming days, but in the meantime, the final surf section from the third is worth a second (or fifth or tenth or twentieth) watch. It’s as timeless as timeless gets.
