Chasing Mavericks

I went and saw this after reading many unfavorable reviews, and now having seen it I can't figure out all the negative attention. Granted, I may be a little biased having grown up surfing in Northern CA, paddling out at many of those spots, and looking up to the big wave chargers such as Jay, but based on entertainment value alone I thought it was great. The acting was solid, footage was incredible, and story never dragged on or lost my attention. The film portrayed a reasonably realistic vibe of Santa Cruz as a high school kid and the often not discussed elements of surfing. I thought it was great that they were able to bring in the real pioneers of Mavs and local shapers.

The only down-check was that it did feel slightly 'karate-kidish' at times and there were a few events that would be incredibly rare that all seemed to happen at opportune moments.

Perhaps this movie won't appeal as much to many who don't have a passion for the sport or appreciate the massive undertaking of paddling out in heavy surf - but I found it very entertaining. The story may not have been 100% accurate, but the point is to pay respect to and tell the story of an extremely driven and all around good guy.

As a passionate surfer I always look forward to surf films as they are few and far between.The past few takes on surfing by Hollywood have been hit and miss and I think Chasing Mavericks was right on target. The story of Jay is such an inspiring one and it is done quite well as far as surf films go. Similar to the story of Stacy Peralta in Lords of Dogtown, he is an outcast who wants to turn a blind eye to the dark side of those teenage years that many are captured by. Bullies, drugs, violence all play their part in the film, but what is touching is the father son relationship that is developed with Frosty and Jay. Overall it is a great film with lots of heart and few unexpected twists and as in many surf films its fun for us surfers to pick out the cameos of pro surfers and Chasing Mavericks did not disappoint. Peter Mel, Greg Long and tonnes more mentioned in the closing credits. I think this film got surfing right with the escapist attitude and how surfing is more of a love affair with the ocean as opposed to a simple sport. It will leave you inspired and wanting to jump right into the water to Live Like Jay.

P.S. Only bad thing is no mention of Jeff Clark. A little bummed at first but I got over it :)

Stunning, nostalgic ocean/beach/surf/coastside visuals, and a watery-emotional story combine to pique any Half Moon Bay romantic to smile, point, shake their head...and gasp with awe. It's, of course, a five-star Flic for me (I am from Half Moon Bay); I'm sure anyone not from Half Moon Bay will have to give it at least a four. In the end, even though it is a love story, it's a surf movie--and a good one. From what I know of surfing, I don't think this tells the whole story, but I think it's a good start. I pray that it opens the door for more stories of this subculture to be told. Bravo to all those that took great risks developing this saga, both before and during.

I do have a complaint: Jeff Clark of Half Moon Bay discovered Mavricks; has the name patented. He noticed the break from behind our High School, and in spite of warnings and skepticism by others, initially took incredible risk in developing Mavricks. He's this surf spot's pioneer, and though this story is really not about Mavricks, but about Jay Moriarty, Jeff Clark deserves his name prominently marqueed .... or maybe that's the sequel!

This movie was great - The filming of of the huge waves, surfers, and conditions was fantastic. I found it a beautiful story of people, the challenge of relationships, mixed with the thrill of surfing, and the athletic abilities required for the champions.

From the heart, this is a true story of a young man, Jay (Jonny Weston), who in spite of many things against him, manages to make his dream come true based on hard work. It is also the story of another man, Frosty (Gerard Butler,) who has his own personal challenges, comes to terms with some of those, and builds a relationship with a young man who needs a father. I was particularly impressed by Brenda (Abigail Spencer), Frosty's wife, who simply loved him. Maybe a strange statement, but when you see the film, you will understand.

Definitely worth seeing!

Fear is real. Even big wave surfers are scared of something. "Chasing Mavericks" legitimizes the raw strength of the ocean's largest source of energy. A close relationship to both the surf in Northern California's Pacific and to the man who trains him how to survive its largest beast, this big wave film highlights some of the most interesting parts of big wave surfing psychology. Fear, love, loss... and finding a balance amidst it all. Drop into theaters to see Maverick's on the big screen - that should be reason enough. Period.

-Shannon Marie Quirk, Editor of TheSurfChannel.com

The Surf Channel Television Network www.thesurfchannel.com