“Big Wednesday,” directed by John Milius in 1978, is more than a simple surf film about three young friends. When Milius brought his script for the film to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, the two fellow filmmakers were so sure the story would be a hit that they all famously agreed to exchange stakes in each of their films, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars, and of course, Big Wednesday. Spielberg, in particular, described it as “American Graffiti meets Jaws,” but that mainstream success never came for Big Wednesday.
Nowadays, “Big Wednesday” is a pretty common expression thrown at notable days at places like Jaws, Maverick’s, and of course, Waimea Bay. Here’s another recent classic on the North Shore’s premier big wave spot with chargers Kealii Mamala, Jamie Sterling, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, and more.
