Greg with mom, dad and his winning board from the 2009 Eddie.
San Clemente had never seen “Sine Qua Non: The Psychology of Big Wave Surfing with Greg Long” until last night. Guests packed the Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center, milled about looking at historic surfboards, sipping on Primo beer and red wine, snacking on organic knock-off jelly beans and making conversation. None knew they were about to understand what it was like to ride the biggest waves in the world from the world’s most decorated surfer–Greg Long.
As Sustainable Surf’s Kevin Whilden spoke about the event and introduced The Inertia’s Zach Weisberg and Richard Yelland, the film’s producer and director respectively, the crowd had just settled down and the last seat was taken. The remaining guests found standing room in the back as Zach and Richard provided context and gave insight into the making of the film.
As the lights dimmed and the intro music blared, you could almost hear the San Clementeans’ minds being blown. It was an honest look into the psychology of big wave surfing. After the film ended, Greg generously took questions from the audience that ranged from “what does it feel like to be in a 30-foot barrel” to a discussion about confronting his fear of Cortes Bank immediately after the Mavericks Invitational. He engaged the entire room articulately, with ease and a smile.
When all was said and done, it was clear that San Clemente had enjoyed themselves. The audience members slowly filed out and thanked Greg, The Inertia, Zach and Richard for bringing this movie to San Clemente. The premiere was a success.
If you didn’t get a chance to make the premiere, you can screen it yourself in the privacy of your own home by buying a copy here.
