New York Ether

Australian film-maker, photo journalist and musician Andrew Kidman has been lurking in the New York area since late September enjoying the unusually good waves and hopefully not writing any more pieces about the Island. He’s had tacos at the Tiki Bar, escarole soup and Grandma slices in a booth at Gino’s, eaten the Laurel’s bacon and slept in Island Park. Andrew has even been caught spreading local NY gossip so watch what you say to him. Read more

Standing Here with My Brother

On Saturday, November 14th, The Tommy Brull Foundation will host its 2nd Annual Fundraiser to benefit at Cannon’s Blackthorn in Rockville Centre. Tommy Brull was a local surfer who passed away almost ten years ago in a tragic accident and the foundation, which bears his name, aims to provide direct assistance to individuals with mental, physical or emotional challenges in our broader community (Nassau and Suffolk).

Bunger Columbus Day Sale: 10/9-10/12

Bunger Surf Shop is having a storewide Columbus Day sale starting Friday, October 9th and running through Monday October 12th. Surfing Memorabilia, new and used boards, blanks and much more. Visit www.bungersurf.com for more info.

Natures Shapes Fall Swap Sale: 10/3-10/4

This weekend (Oct. 3rd and 4th) Natures Shapes is having a sale on wetsuits, accessories, summer clothing and even boards. Check out the flyer for additional information. With the cooler temperatures (and apparant lack of waves lately) you should come in and check out our growing selection of DVDs including copies of Mikey Detemple’s new movie “Picaresque”, and Poor Specimen’s “Days of The Strange”.

Don’t forget to bring your old boards for the swap. If your board sells you get a store credit.

Pretty simple, come by and check it out.

UnsOund Pro 2009 Highlights

The 2009 Unsound Pro finished up on Sunday afternoon in an
increasing SE swell provided by an approaching cold front. The surf
on the final day of competition slowly grew throughout the day,
culminating in waist to shoulder high waves at Lincoln Blvd., in Long Beach, NY.
While the surf did not quite match the quality of the past few years,
it was big enough to provide the local community with some exciting
surfing action. Read more

NY SURF FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY JETBLUE AIRWAYS & THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2009 AWARDS

With three days of sold out screenings, over 3,500 people in attendance and numerous premieres and parties, the 2nd annual New York Surf Film Festival (NYSFF) wrapped up on Sunday with an Awards Ceremony and after party at Red Bull Space.

The 2009 NYSFF, held September 25TH-27TH, featured an unprecedented arrangement of 36 films from around the world, intimate Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and lively parties with libations courtesy of Wild Rock Wine and Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer.

At the awards ceremony, festival co-founder Tyler Breuer acted as the emcee presenting the winner in The Best Feature Film category to “Sea of Darkness”, directed by Michael Oblowitz, a modern day pirate tale portraying the ship Indies Trader and the men who sailed it.

Special recognition was also given in The Best Short Film category, awarding director Joshua Berry for “All Points South”, a film about how surfers and fisherman in Southern Chile are joining forces to fight against the rampant pollution from the pulp industry.

The esteemed Viewers Choice Award For Best Feature Presented by Jet Blue and The Dominican Republic deservingly went to “Out of Place”, directed by Scott Ditzenberger. “Out of Place” is an insider’s perspective of the small, underground community of Lake Erie surfers in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Viewers Choice Award For Best Short Presented by Jet Blue and The Dominican Republic went to “Runman’s Groms: Lil Ray and his Friends”, Runman’s latest about Lil Ray the grom, other groms, and adults that act like groms.

Other highlights of the weekend included a question and answer session with legendary surfer Rob Machado, live performances by Beau Young, Denny Aaberg and Andrew Kidman and the Brown Birds from Windy Hill, and a photography gallery presented by Tcolla and Jack Brull.

At the Awards Ceremony there was a surfboard raffle to benefit The Surfrider Foundation’s NYC Chapter, Surf Aid, WAVES for Development and Surfers Healing. A surfboard was shaped for each cause by local and Californian shapers Josh Hall of Josh Hall Surfboards, Mike Becker of Nature Shapes, Mark Petrocelli of Faktion Surfboards, and Joey “Clams” Falcone of Grey Ghost Surfboards. The NYSFF happily accepted a generous donation from the George C Fund to support these charities.

2009 Festival T-shirts are still available for purchase online @ www.okoto.com. A portion of net proceeds from the sale of these shirts goes directly to Surfaid International.

The New York Surf Film Festival brought together avid surfers, legendary surf photographers, film buffs and New York City audiences fascinated by the sport. It was a celebration of both the East Coast surf community but also the artistic integrity of the surf film genre. Be sure to continue to check in at http://www.nysurffilm.com/ for images of the festival and updates on the 2010 installation.

The (Unofficial) New York Surf Week

The unofficial surf week in New York may have officially started yesterday down in New Jersey at the 17th Annual Manasquan Longboard Classic, but it gets back on this side of the river on Wednesday for the start of the 11th Annual Unsound Pro in Long Beach, NY which runs through the week and weekend and overlaps the 2nd Annual NY Surf Film Festival which opens on Friday, September and runs through Sunday, September 27 at Tribeca Cinemas. The waves better show up to the party.

Read more

A Rising Tide – Charity Event: 9/23

Please join us at Bar 13 on Wednesday, September 23, as we celebrate the diverse work of surf-related nonprofits and kick-off the 2nd annual NY Surf Film Festival and Unsound Pro surf competition!

Surfing has inspired many individuals to take action in the areas of film, conservation, sustainability, education, health, and humanitarian aid. This event, in conjunction with the New York Surf Film Festival will bring together representatives from organizations such as WAVES for Development, Best Day Foundation, Stoked Mentoring, Waves of Health, Surfrider, SurfAid, . . And More to Come!

In addition to learning about these organizations and how you can get involved, the event will feature:
*2×1 drinks specials
*Amazing Raffle Prizes
*Meet the Filmmakers Lounge
*Trailers of films from the NY Surf Film Festival

As an added bonus, it will be the NYC premiere of SPECTACULAR ADVENTURES, starring Cory Lopez, Ben Borgious, Gabe Cling, Asher Nolan and more!

All proceeds will go to these amazing organizations! For more information and to purchase tickets:
http://arisingtidecharityparty.eventbrite.com

Bunger Surf Classic is ON – 8/23/09

The Bunger Surf Classic has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 23 and with Hurricane Bill coming up the coast, well let’s just leave it at that.

For more information check out Bunger on Facebook, and the Bunger Cam to download the application.

Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009
Time: 8:00am-6:00pm
Location: Gilgo Beach
Phone: 1-800-698-7873

Photo: Mike Boyd/ Uncredited
Bunger Surf Shop

NY Surf Film Festival 2009 Features Announced

New York Surf Film Festival Presented by JetBlue Airways and The Dominican Republic has put the final touches on this years festival Feature program which features sixteen films with filmmakers from the across the globe. This premier showcase of feature length surf films screens September 25th – 27th, 2009 at Tribeca Cinemas in Lower Manhattan. The 2009 NY Surf Film Festival Feature Program provides a range of cinematic viewpoints, from biographies of notable surfers overcoming personal barriers, to controversial dark adventures to uncover historical surf spots and the necessary illegal means to keep them running, to rising above the racial and gender invisible boundaries to the surprising unlikely locales and environments that have spawned surfing communities.

“I can’t believe how many incredible films are out there. This years program is going to propel peoples’ perceptions to a completely new height and understanding of what a surf film can be,” said Tyler Breuer, co-founder of the New York Surf Film Festival.

2009 NEW YORK SURF FILM FESTIVAL FEATURES PROGRAM:

Powers of Three, by Ross Cairns, Fergal Smith, Tom Lowe and Mickey Smith are going against the grain of the norm, they are seeking out the biggest, the heaviest, most unpredictable and hidden breaks around Ireland Why? Because they are Artists, they are driven by an unquenchable passion for their art and never choose the easy route. Powers of Three is a documentary that follows three remarkable guys as they pioneer and conquer Irish waves through the bleak winter months.

A Pleasant Surprise, by Kyle Pahlow, offers an honest look at the talents of a select group of surfers who live in a truly special part of the United States. Almost three years in the making, this film documents a world of contrast as daily changes in weather and waves prove to be all part of a larger picture; thumping beach breaks, cold water, and quick tropical storms are just a fraction of what you will find. Brought to you in Super 16mm, A Pleasant Surprise allows for the full beauty of this region and its surfers to be realized. Starring New Jersey’s top professional & amateur surfers Ian Bloch, Luke Ditella, Andrew Gesler, Sam Hammer, Zach Humphries, Chris Kelly, Rob Kelly, Matt Keenan, Ben McBrien, Jamie Moran, Tommy Petriken, Randy Townsend & Brendan Willem

The Drifter, by Taylor Steele, In the summer of 2008, iconic surfer and former Pipe Master Rob Machado flew to Indonesia to experience a different kind of surf trip. A journey that would take him way beyond his comfort zone, to the point where he could finally be alone with his thoughts, his desires and the empty perfection of an unnamed Indian Ocean reef. What did he discover? You never stop dreaming. Even when they come true.

Waveriders, by Joel Conroy, is the previously untold story of the unlikely Irish roots of the worldwide surfing phenomenon and today’s pioneers of Irish big wave surfing. The story unfolds through the inspirational and ultimately tragic history of Irish/Hawaiian legendary waterman, George Freeth, the son of an Irishman, who was responsible for the rebirth of this sport of Hawaiian kings in the early twentieth century. With its distinguished cast of world-renowned Irish, British and Irish/American surfers WAVERIDERS journeys full-circle from Hawaii to California and back to Irish shores following Freeth’s wave of influence. The journey reaches a spectacular climax when the surfers conquer the biggest swell ever to have been ridden in Ireland by catching monster waves of over fifty feet.

Mengejar Ombak, by Dave Arnold and Tyrone Lebon is a documentary feature that offers a close and personal insight into the life of a young and very talented Indonesian surfer, Dede Suryana (current Indonesia Surf Champion and 2 time Gold Winner at Asian Beach Games). The film follows Dede as he embarks on his first serious season on the World Qualifying Series (WQS) – where he has been touted to become the first Asian to qualify for the World Championship Tour (WCT). This upcoming season will be the most important point in Dede’s career to date; will he obtain the results he desires? Or will Dede be temped to walk away from the money and focus on his true passion of free-surfing?

Searching for Michael Peterson, by Jolyon Hoff, tells the moving story of one of Australia’s greatest surfers whose career was cut short by mental illness. For five glorious years “MP” led the Coolangatta Kids and won virtually every event he contested, including three Bells Beach Pros back to back. His brilliant, aggressive surfing provided the centerpiece for Albert Falzon’s Morning of the Earth in 1972, and MP never looked back. His final tour victory, at the inaugural Stubbies Pro at Burleigh Heads in 1977, is regarded as the high point of the early professional era. Sadly, a year later triumph turned to tragedy and Michael’s demons claimed him. In 1983 he was locked up after a 15-car police chase across Queensland and finally diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He never surfed again. Thirty years on, MP is still vitally interested in the sport and culture of surfing and is a fixture at most Queensland events, enjoying the action with his mother, Joan. He is rightly regarded as an iconic figure in Australian surfing, and Hoff’s film, while it pulls no punches, is an intensely moving tribute to the man.

Last Hope, by Andrew Kidman, is a series of sixteen original short films compiled by Andrew Kidman (Glass Love/ Litmus) and Spunk Records. Andrew Kidman chose six of his favourite surfing filmmakers to create short films that were inspired by the sea. The filmmakers include Albert Falzon (Morning Of The Earth), Jon Frank (Litmus), Monty Webber, Michelle Lockwood (Kids) and American underground surf filmmakers Patrick Trefz (Thread) and Richard Kenvin (Hydrodynamica). Kidman also provides four special cuts of his own.

Beyond the Dream: The Joey Buran Story, by Matt Katsolis & Nic Mclean, is the inspiring and biographical documentary of legendary professional surfer, Joey Buran. It traces his humble origins from Carlsbad, California to his rise as one of the sports’ greatest athletes. The film follows Buran’s journey to winning the highly coveted Pipeline Master’s Championship in 1984, which left him unfulfilled, leading to depression and a suicide attempt. From fame to obscurity, through tribulations and trials, an unbelievable comeback a decade later, and becoming a pastor, it is a life-changing story that led to Buran’s ultimate discovery for true purpose in his life.”

Just Add Water: The Clay Marzo Story, by Jamie Tierney, Have you ever loved something to the point that it becomes what you live for?  Meet Clay Marzo whose passion for surfing is so pure it defies description. Take a visually stunning and emotionally powerful journey through his life.  See Clay literally come alive in the ocean as he destroys the waves of Tahiti, Fiji, Hawaii, France, Spain and Australia with his wildly creative surfing.   You’ll also experience inspiring testimonials about his incredible talent from the most legendary surfers in the world. The story also showcases an awareness-raising glimpse into his life and mind as he comes to understand both the gifts and challenges of living with Asperger’s. This is a surf film unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Modern Collective, By Kai Neville, is a porthole into the future following six fiberglass hoons on a hunt for ramps around the galaxy. Starring:Dane Reynolds, Dion Agius Mitch Coleborn Yadin Nicol, Dusty Payne and Jordy Smith.

The Women and the Waves, by Heather Hudson & Peck Euwer, is a documentary surf film that explores the lives of female surfers who, through the decades, have chosen to paddle head first into the male dominated sport of surfing and found a place of their own. Surfer girls, women who surf, women who don’t, female athletes, and the men who love them gain insight into what it’s like to “Surf like a Girl!” This inspiring film, featuring generations of women surfers, reveals what has transcended surfing’s status as a sport to become a passion so strong, it is the dominant force in their lives.

White Wash, by Ted Woods, is a film exploring the complexity of race in America through the struggle and triumph of the history of black surfers. Narrated by Grammy Award® winner Ben Harper with Tariq “Blackthought” Trotter of the Roots, the story is told through the eyes of black surfers and historians from Hawaii, Jamaica, Florida, and California. This controversial and probing film looks deep into America’s painful and pervasive legacy of slavery and exclusion. From surfing’s “discovery” by Captain James Cook in Hawaii in 1778 through the explosion of surf culture during the days of segregated Jim Crow America in the1960’s, Whitewash explores the myths that black surfers have overcome in their search for waves.

Surfing 50 States, by Stefan Hunt and Jonno Durrant, documents 2 crazy Aussies, Jonno and Stefan, who attempt to travel to all 50 states of the USA and surf in all of them. This leads them to sliding down a 15ft pile of potatoes in Idaho, getting towed by a cowboy and his horse in Texas, sliding a waterfall in Massachusetts and flying through a Wizard Of Oz play in Kansas.They drive all 48 mainland states in an unreliable Ice-Cream Truck and fly to Alaska and Hawaii for some for the best waves of the trip.

Out of Place, by Scott Ditzenberger, is an insider’s perspective of the small, underground community of surfers in Cleveland, Ohio. Theirs is a life of shared dedication for the water and to waves that rarely come. In the backdrop is a Great Lakes city trying to recover from a legacy of lost industry, lost jobs and a river polluted enough to catch on fire. Still this culture persists in this unlikely corner of the surfing universe amid harsh weather and gray skies. For them, the golden era of surfing is right now. And it’s happening on the frozen beaches of Lake Erie, five hundred miles from the nearest ocean.

Hanging Five, by Christopher Cutri, is a film that follows five artists who all happen to be surfers. The film documents their work and looks at different aspects of their lives and how those experiences have impacted their work. The film also looks at why the surf culture embraces and supports the arts. The artists include: Andy Davis, Tyler Warren, Julie Goldstein, Alex Knost, Wolfgang Bloch

Sea of Darkness, by Michael Oblowitz, is A modern day pirate tale concerning the ship The Indies Trader and the men who sailed it …A tale of exploration, adventure, and the discovery of jungle surf spots off the remote Indonesian coastline in the 1970’s…The smuggling missions that funded these journeys of discovery and the terrifying price some of these men paid for their passion…This film charts the story of a dynamic mix of unique and roguish men and their lasting legacy on contemporary culture.

SPECIAL CULT CLASSIC SCREENINGS:
Innermost Limits of Pure Fun: Directed by George Greenough
The Best of Tear Devils: Directed by Jesse Schluntz
The Endless Summer: Directed by Bruce Brown

To view the full features program, film synopsis and trailers please visit: http://www.nysurffilm.com. Tickets will go on sale for the NYSFF September 4th, 2009.

About the 2009 NYSFF Sponsors
NYSFF welcomes back our Presenting Sponsors, JetBlue Airways & The Dominican Republic. New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. In 2009, the carrier ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America” by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the fifth year in a row. Known for its sincere, personal service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers Lots of Legroom and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft “BetaBlue,” a first among U.S. domestic airlines. JetBlue is also America’s first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue’s control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue currently serves 56 cities with 650 daily flights. New service to Baltimore begins on September 9. The airline also intends to commence service to Barbados (October 1); Saint Lucia (October 26); and Kingston, Jamaica (October 30). With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530 or visit www.jetblue.com.

The Dominican Republic’s first tourist was Christopher Columbus in 1492. Rich in history, the DR has developed into a diverse destination offering both Dominican and European flavors to more than one million U.S. visitors each year. Named #1 Golf Destination in Caribbean & Latin America by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, the DR boasts 25 designer golf courses, upscale resorts, pristine nature, and sophisticated cities and quaint villages filled with warm Dominican people. The DR features the best beaches, fascinating history and culture, and is a chosen escape for celebrities, couples and families alike. Visit the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism’s official Website at: www.GoDominicanRepublic.com or call 1(888) 374-6361 for more information.

NYSFF is proud to announce our 2009 media partner, Surfing Magazine.
NYSFF welcomes the support from our Mates of the Festival: Hive Surf, Wild Rock Wine, OKOTO, ETON’s, NewYorkSurf.com, Sundown Ski & Surf Shop, STAB Magazine, SurfersVillage, Surfer’s Path, Transworld Surf, The Surfer’s Journal, DukeStorm.com

NYSFF is proud to support Surfaid International, Surfrider, and Surfer’s Healing.
New York Surf Film Festival

The New York Surf Film Festival is the premier showcase for international independent and established surf films. The mission of the New York Surf Film Festival is to provide filmmakers who are exploring the diversity of surfing an opportunity to present their work to a larger audience. As surf culture becomes more popular, the notion of what it means to be a surfer expands. The New York Surf Film Festival’s aim is to build upon and shape the idea of what a surf movie is, while fostering the growth of this global community in NYC. The New York Surf Film Festival is a Don’t Drop In Production, founded by Adam Cannizzaro, Tyler Breuer, Michael Machemer, and Morgan Rae Berk in 2008.

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