Rating: 
Review
Surfing has always held a sort of niche appeal. Sure, many people love it, and many people follow it, but to get the most of surfing, you really need to become completely enveloped in it. I have too much patience to be smacked in the face by salty fishpee water all day, but one can absolutely see the appeal. The Endless Summer is just about the definitive classic surf film. It follows two surf legends across the globe, as they spend three months travelling to wild locales and predominantly beach havens and niches across the globe. It’s a documentary in a literal sense, but a superb representation of escapism at its finest. the Endless Summer is very specific, and has drawn it a cult following because of it, but it does hold up as offering something sweet and salty to anyone open-minded to realize surfing isn’t always totally lame.
Reason to Watch
I wish I can put “girls in bikinis” here, just like most surfing movies, but then this one is in the late 60’s, and girls put beachwear and granny panties in the same sentence. Not quite as skimpy as we would like to see them, but they were still cute. The ocean is always pretty too.
Context
The Endless Summer lacks substance. It lacks plot progression and high quality striking effects. What lacks in anything that is seen in a more traditional popcorn movies, it makes up for in “cool bros” and “rad beaches.” Ok, it is a pretty compelling movie regardless, and shows surfing culture in its prime, right around the release of The Beach Boys Pet Sounds. Surfing didn’t die after this, but classic surf fans can wish again for a time where surfing wasn’t a total corporate whore.
Most Memorable Quote(s)
- Summer means many different things to different people. To some it might mean the thrill of a high speed catamaran. Others like to float around and soak up a few stray rays. Still others like some kind of inland activity. But for us, it’s the sport of surfing.
- They started getting it really wired, some pretty hot angles going, and a beautiful el rollo. They even came up with a few orginial manuevers. A West African pullout here called a “Reverse Atrise Lamumba.”
- They stood there for hours, completely fascinated. If you lost your board it’d come inside and the native kids would hop on it and play with it until you come and ask for it back. Usually they give it back, but they were kids and you were bigger then they were. But you weren’t bigger then the chief who was bigger then anybody, thats why he was chief.
What You Need to Get Through This Movie
A pit of sand and three attractive woman on your arm, will suffice.
Trivia
Bruce Brown “stars” in the film, but also directed and wrote it. he created 6 previous surf films
The two surf legends starring in the film were told South America was a poor place to surf, until they revolutionized the sport there by finding many key iconic surf spots
Educational Content
- Surfing was, in fact, once pretty cool
- Other countries have beaches too
- Standing on water is a lot harder than Jesus would make you think
Justification for Rating
The Endless Summer is a recording of the last time surfing was primeval and not a sellout. For that, it deserves to be in a time capsule with other legendary films. Surfing isn’t all that important, but it does represent total pure entertainment. For that, a 4 rating.
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