The Endless Summer (1966)

The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.

Director:

Bruce Brown

Writer:

Bruce Brown

Stars:

Robert August, Michael Hynson, Lord James Blears

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Michael Hynson	...	Principal surfer (as Mike Hynson)
Robert August	...	Principal surfer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lord James Blears	...	Himself (as Lord 'Tally Ho' Blears)
Bruce Brown	...	Narrator
Terence Bullen	...	South African guide
Roy Crump	...	North Shore Surfer
Chip Fitzwater	...	Himself - Bodysurfer at the Wedge with 'rigor mortis of the stomach.'
Chuck Gardner	...	Himself - Bellyboarder at the Wedge throwing board over wave
Wayne Miyata	...	Himself

Storyline

They call it The Endless Summer the ultimate surfing adventure, crossing the globe in search of the perfect wave. From the uncharted waters of West Africa, to the shark-filled seas of Australia, to the tropical paradise of Tahiti and beyond, these California surfers accomplish in a few months what most people never do in a lifetime...They live their dream. Director Bruce Brown creates a film so powerful it has become a timeless masterpiece that continues to capture the imagination of every new generation. When it first played in theaters, audiences lined up to see it again and again, spellbound by its thrilling excitement and awesome photography. But in fact, what's most compelling about the film is the sport of surfing itself, and once you've seen it, you'll never forget why.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | beach party | surfing | wave | surfer | 

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Taglines:

The Search for the Perfect Wave

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Genres:

Documentary | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1968 (Japan)

Also Known As:

A végtelen nyár

Filming Locations:

French Polynesia

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bruce Brown Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

An article in the "L.A. Weekly" about the film stated that three years after Bruce Brown (I) and Michael Hynson returned from a cross-country trip promoting the film, it finally took off. Brown was getting great press and being called the surfing millionaire. He had put up $50,000 of his own money for promotion, and that investment was finally paying off. The film eventually earned $30 million.

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Goofs

Walking down to the beach in Ghana, West Africa, both Mike Hynson and Robert August are wearing white bathing suits. A few moments later on the same beach Mike Hynson is now wearing a blue bathing suit.

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Quotes

Narrator: [Entering Ghana] Were they really doing the right thing? Had the UN been there before or not?

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Crazy Credits

Special thanks to old king Neptune for providing the waves in this film

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Alternate Versions

Footage not originally shown in the movie is shown in the documentary "Endless Summer Revisited".

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Connections

Referenced in Skippy: El Toro (1969)

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Soundtracks

TR-6
Written by Walter Georis and John Blakeley
Performed by The Sandals

User Reviews

Fun And Educational, Thanks To Brown

This was an entertaining and educational trip around the world. It follows two American surfers who are seen visiting West Afrcia, South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand and, of course, Hawaii.

For one thing, it was interesting to see how they looked at prices of things. For example, in Africa, they are astounded at having to pay $30 a night to stay in a motel or pay $1 for a gallon of gasoline. (I'll bet they would change their tune today!)

The film gives you a good feel for the '60s surf scene with the lingo ("stoked, hang ten, etc.")

The surging can get boring after awhile but Bruce Brown, who made this film and narrates it, usually didn't overdo those parts and he does an outstanding job narrating to keep our history. He's interesting and he's funny.

There are some memorable moments: seeing a place where the waves go past the sand right to the shore and then back out again; the famous Waimea Bay of Hawaii, of the biggest waves ever to be surfed; the perfect waves on the east side of Africa, the incredible scenery in New Zealand and the flies in Perth, Australia!

A fun movie. If you enjoyed this, check out the sequel "Endless Summer II." That is very good, too, and with better camera-work.