Riding Giants (2004)

Documentary detailing the origins and history of surf culture.

Director:

Stacy Peralta

Writers:

Stacy Peralta, Sam George

Stars:

Laird Hamilton, Darrick Doerner, Dave Kalama

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jeff Clark	...	Himself
Darrick Doerner	...	Himself
Sarah Gerhardt	...	Herself
Laird Hamilton	...	Himself (as Laird John Hamilton)
Dru Harrison	...	Himself
David H. Kalama Jr.	...	Himself
Dave Kalama	...	Himself
Brian L. Keaulana	...	Himself
Buzzy Kerbox	...	Himself
Titus Kinimaka	...	Himself
Gerry Lopez	...	Himself
Peter Mel	...	Himself
Mickey Munoz	...	Himself
Greg Noll	...	Himself
Gabrielle Reece	...	Herself

Storyline

A semiserious, often rollicking, multigenerational insider's look at the origins of surfing, the colorful and subversive birth of surf culture, and the mythology and lure of the big wave. This passionate and fluid film is without question the first authentic history of surfing from its humble Hawaiian beginnings to the big business it became to the still-rebellious universe it inhabits today. Riding Giants is a study in individuality and freedom, the pursuit and techniques of pure kinetic pleasure, and the risk taking and attitudes that characterize its leading figures. For some viewers, this is perhaps more than they ever wanted to know. But Peralta's detailed knowledge of the surfing lifestyle, its icons and locations, its boom and exploitation by the media, and the fascination it has held for young men for more than five decades is unparalleled and fuels this expedition for the expert and initiate alike. Closely chronicling the sometimes-life-and-death drama that big-wave riding ...

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Plot Keywords:

surfing | wave | two word title | surfing contest | beach | 

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Taglines:

It doesn't get any bigger than this.

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Genres:

Documentary | History | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Sony Classics

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

A hullámok lovagjai

Filming Locations:

Half Moon Bay, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$134,400, 11 July 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,276,368, 5 December 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agi Orsi Productions,Forever Films,Quicksilver Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

Various additional, cut scenes are shown during the credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Happy (2011)

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Soundtracks

Firesuite
Performed by Doves
Written by Jimi Goodwin, Jez Williams and Andy Williams
Courtesy of Astralwerks
Under License from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

Surfing finally gets its movie

There have been a few decent feature films about surfing ('Big Wednesday', 'Endless Summer' and its sequel) and quite a few clunkers ('Blue Crush,' 'Point Break') that are still respectable for strong surfing footage and homages to the cult within the culture. But I've yet to see a film that surpasses the scope of 'Riding Giants,' which simultaneously traces the history of big wave riding from its Polynesian origins to its high-tech present, provides the audience with some of the most breathtaking footage recorded on film (much of it archival), and opens a window into the peculiar allure of high risk activities to men and women of a certain mindset, as well as into the evolution of surfing's own unique subculture of big wave riders.

The narrative revolves around three legends of big wave riding: Greg Noll, who pioneered the swells of the North Shore of Oahu and Waimea Bay, Jeff Clark, who discovered the Northern California break known as Mavericks and ushered Californian surfing into big wave territory, and Laird Hamilton, the undisputed ubermensch of the sport from the turn of the century to the present. Noll and Clark are framed reverently by director Stacy Peralta, but Hamilton is the star of the show, and rightly so: he is an all but perfect athlete, combining superior physical conditioning with an understanding of physics and wave behavior earned from a lifetime surfing the big breaks of the surf capital of the world, the Hawaiian islands. Because of his high-profile marriage to model/pro-volleyball star Gabrielle Reese and his magazine cover-friendly looks, Laird Hamilton has been a little overexposed in the media of late, but, matter of factly, the guy more than lives up to the hype, and he doesn't seem to be motivated by anything other than his love of surfing. Hamilton is all the more appealing for his apparent humility--he repeatedly insists that his acclaim also belongs to his teammates/companions, who tow him by jet-ski into waves no mortal could catch with the traditional 'paddle-in' method and then sweep in to pick him up before he gets caught in the wave wash of the next big one--embodying the free-spirited, 'because it's there' attitude shared by most elite high-risk athletes and the true ethos of hardcore surfers, who live for the ride and see the trappings of the culture (parties, chicks, sponsorship, etc.) as incidental if not entirely unimportant.

Certainly the most appealing aspect of the film is its portrayal of old school, hardcore surf culture, which has always been about the fraternal bond that crops up between people who share a common passion and are willing to devote everything to its pursuit. Peralta and co-writer Sam George manage to persuasively present the nearly monastic social order of the first surf devotees, contradicting the traditional 'beach bum' image associated with surfing in popular culture. If you happen to be someone who thinks of high-risk sporting activities as venues for purposeless thrill-seeking, 'Riding Giants' may give you the necessary insight into at least one extreme sport that, at its highest level, transforms mere mortals into epic heroes.