Surfing for Life

The latest release from filmmaker David L. Brown and his staff, Surfing for Life, is an original documentary filled with colorful lore, candid interviews and life lessons. The action is culled from a nice blend of black and white, still photographs, vintage big-wave footage, colorific water shots and mouth-watering lineups. Edited with a carefully detailed eye and dubbed over a soundtrack that does not overpower the images and message, this movie is more of an informative film and less of a pre-session amp-up video.
Surfing for Life focuses on 10 famous men and women who have managed to keep the beach lifestyle and ride waves well into their golden years: John “Doc” Ball (93), John Kelly (81), Shay Bintliff (64), Rabbit Kekai (78), Anona Napoleon (59), Fred Van Dyke (70), Eve Fletcher (73), Woody Brown (88), Peter Cole (69) and LeRoy Grannis (81). The film opens with the short stories of how they got started surfing, the varied routes each took to arrive at the same place, in the waves. The veteran surfers discuss the hardships, struggles and obstacles each needed to overcome in order to stay active in the ocean, offer updates on their present surfing regimen, and tell how they give back to the sport that has stoked them for life.

Exceptional sections of the story include the classic Californian prints from John “Doc” Ball and LeRoy Grannis. John Kelly’s retelling of the attack on Pearl Harbor and his horrific duties as a serviceman bring the mood down with rare footage from that fateful December morning, but Shay Bintliff and her two sons lift the spirit by sharing a wave and holding hands. An archival filmstrip of a youthful Rabbit Kekai hot-dogging as a Waikiki beach boy is an added bonus, while the inspirational tale of Anona Napoleon reaffirms the importance of a strong will. The wise words, steep drops and ditch stories of Fred Van Dyke are great, and are spread throughout the documentary. There’s old movies of San Onofre’s first lady, Eve Fletcher, sliding the early lineups at Old Man’s, and the inventions, dynamic accomplishments, warm heart and tree climbing of Woody Brown. The ageless drive of Peter Cole is purely inspirational, and his up-close interview with fellow Punahou School teacher Van Dyke is a funny bit from their past.

But the film is not just a documentary on the lives of 10 surfriders past their prime, it also incorporates a bit of surfing and American history, highlights the strong life partners that have put up with these zealously dedicated surfers for many years, shows the camaraderie and respect between the native Hawaiians and the island transplants, and places the importance of family, friends and love atop the highest peak.