Photo: Wikipedia
It requires effort to hear the name Taylor Steele without the word (and film) Momentum instantly popping into your mind. But while his arrival as an influential movie maker began with that title, we all quickly remember that Steele’s thumbprint on the surf film genre, and even in popular music, is tied to so many other works. Films like Loose Change, Hit and Run, and even The Drive Thru Series were given to us by the same guy who’s largely responsible for the world meeting acts like Jack Johnson, Blink 182, and Pennywise — sounds that became synonymous with surf films at the turn of the century.
With all that in mind, is there a brain in the surf world worth picking as much as Taylor Steele’s?
How was life growing up in California? When did you realize that you had a love for film?
Life is nice growing up in California. You don’t realize how cruisy it is until you leave.
I started filming surfing so I could watch myself surf; my friends would take turns with me surfing and filming, I would be in charge of editing and over the years, I fell in love with the art of making films.
You are credited with forming one of the most famous gangs in surfing, “The Momentum Generation.” Did you already know them or were you introduced? How did it all start?
When I was young my local break was Seaside Reef. Rob (Machado) started surfing it around 12-years old. We quickly became friends and he introduced me to the rest of the guys. Rob was friends with the rest of the Momentum guys, doing amateur contests together.
You’ve been at the forefront of the surf film industry since the nineties. Who do you derive the most influence from in the industry and why?
I appreciate Kelly for his humbleness with all his success.
Bob Hurley for his kindness and helping me in my early days.
Dustin Humphrey. Todd Glaser.
Too many to list….
Reading through your filmography, each one of your movies stands out with a specific time in my life. As a kid, Sipping Jetstreams made me want to pursue travel in life. Everyone’s favorite, The Drive Thru Series, made me laugh when I’d been down. And The Drifter has made me want to find my own slice of heaven in Indo. But what has been your most favorite work and why?
My favorite films are the ones that started different chapters in my film making. Momentum: action. Sipping: capturing the feeling of locations. And Proximity: a new chapter.
Let’s talk about your collaboration with bands. How did touring with your film Good Times with a group of A-list musicians happen? Did you know these guys prior?
I met the bands making the movie. The movies helped sell their albums so they would release them when I would (release my films). We just toured together as a celebration of it all.
After a deserved four-year break in the middle of this decade, you came back strong with Proximity and then The Momentum Generation. What was the best part of filming Proximity for you and what was it like getting the crew back together for The Momentum Generation?
It was great to get my favorites from different generations together to watch their similarities and differences. It was like a theory that they were really more alike than different and it was true in my eyes.
(And then it’s) just like old days whenever we (the Momentum guys) are together. Laughs and dumb jokes. The movie touched on some personal stuff. The end result was therapy and it brought us closer together.
What’s next for you?
I’m making a dramatic television series on the birth of modern surfing.
Just before you go, what are the chances of one more Drive Thru? I’ll start the petition.
Fuel (TV) owns the rights to it and won’t make or give it up to us to make it. We would love to bring it back. Donavon asks every time I see him.
