In the spring of 1964, Dana Point surf filmmaker Bruce Brown invited a small group of local surfers and friends over for an informal premier of his soon-to-be-released surfing movie, the “Endless Summer.” He was in the final editing process and gave us each of us in attendance a comment sheet to fill out in hopes of getting ideas for the final cut.
Obviously, we were all blown away with the film and I think pretty much everybody agreed that it would be a huge hit — though I doubt any of us really had any clue as to how big a hit it would become.
Shortly after that, an invitation-only official premier was held in Santa Monica, followed a week or so later with the departure of nine of us in a mobile home taking off across the country for the first public showings, which would be on the East Coast. The crew included Brown and his wife Pat, Hobie Alter and his wife Sharon, Phil Edwards and his wife Heidi, Mike Hynson, Joey Cabel and myself. I was 15 and stoked.
Truth of the matter is I was the only one who had a good time on that trip; to everybody else it was work. For me it was a “surf safari.” In each town, starting in New York and ending in Miami Beach, we would show the film and then give a surfing demonstration the next morning at the local beach. There was sometimes upwards of 40,000 people showing up to watch us surf at some of the stops.
A couple of years later Bruce made a deal to blow the then-16mm film up to 35mm and have it actually released in theaters across the country. They tried it out in someplace in Kansas, I think. It set attendance records and the rest is history. Mega success and Bruce became a wealthy dude.
Fifty years went by and it came time for the anniversary celebrations. They have had quite a few of them, too, which is great because it truly is a legendary piece of surfing history. And now there is a book coming out and a 50-year anniversary celebration and “book launch” party. And it’s gonna be right here in Orange County — at the Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel in downtown Huntington Beach on Saturday, April 29.
There will be both a private reception and a full-on “launch party.” On hand for the gala evening will be Bruce Brown himself along with the two main stars of the movie, Robert August and Mike Hynson. Also in attendance will be former Women’s World Champions Linda Benson and Jericho Poppler, along with former Men’s World Champ Freddy Hemmings. Plus, in case that’s not enough star power for you, there will also be the legendary David Nuuhiwa, the iconic Herbie Fletcher and artist John Van Hamerveld, who did the original Endless Summer poster art.
Part of the money raised from this event will go toward the International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach and the Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center in San Clemente.
A limited number of tickets are available for the VIP reception and for the launch party. For purchase information go to www.endlesssummerbooks.com/launch
It’s gonna be a great night and you should all try to make it out for this one.
So, going back to 1964, there we are driving across the country in this mobile home. It was the original prototype of the Ford Condor that Ford had loaned Bruce and Hobie for this trip. We nicknamed it the “Big Bird.”
Were were somewhere out in the desert of New Mexico pulled over at the side of the road because Hobie’s wife had taken a zillion showers already and had overflowed the onboard septic tank. Everybody was grossed out and trying to clean up the mess.
I had conveniently wandered over to a little knoll and was lying on my back looking up at the stars in the clear night desert sky. I was thinking to myself that I had no idea that things like this actually happened to real surf stars like Phil Edwards and Hobie Alter. Yet there they were cleaning poo poo up from the floor of the Big Bird. I wonder if any of that stuff is gonna be in the book?
ASK THE EXPERT
Q. I was wondering what effect it has on a board when you use five fins, four outside rail fins and a center fin? I saw a board today with this set up and it just seems like a lot of fins to me. Can you enlighten me on this please?
Jenny Pine, Ontario
A. Great question, first time I have gotten this one. The fin set up on most boards is determined by the configuration of the tail design. A board with a wide tail, especially one with some thickness also in that area, tends to work better with rail fins. This can be set up as a twin fin, with two medium-size fins, or a quad, with 4 medium/small fins. You can also set up a board as a tri fin with two medium/small rail fins and a center fin. Some people combine the whole thing and use a quad set up with a center fin too, normally another small or medium/small fin there. It’s all traction. The more fin the more thrust. I have had some success with four medium-size quads and a small center fin. Bottom line though, unless you are a very talented surfer you will not be able to notice much difference by adding the center fin to a wider-tailed board that is designed for rail fins. Just one more thing to hit you with.
