Top F*cking 5 Surfing Storylines of 2009

Greg Long plays with perfection in an imperfect year.

5. The Recession
Budgets were cut. Surfers were dropped. Employees were sent packing. Stock prices tanked. Brands went out of business. No one was safe from the 2009 Velcro Valley Chainsaw Massacre. In 2010 surf company executives won’t be counting barrels in Tavarua. They’ll be counting their fingers hoping whoever they borrowed from to keep afloat doesn’t come looking to collect. Some say the worst is over. If the fat lady is singing, she’s a little off key at the moment. 

4. The Modern Collective and the Emergence of the New Guard
I’m still no buying the whole “fuck perfect surf for onshore breakbreak blowouts,” credo but you have to hand it to Kai Neville and cast for producing the most talked about surf film in years. It lived up to the hype. Jordy Smith amazed and Dane breezed into the top 10 of the ratings. With the addition of Dusty Payne, half of the MC crew is on the WCT tour and ready to Rock the Casbah. Conversely, Owen Wright might just expose What is Really Going Wrong. 

3. The Rebel Tour
It’s on. It’s off. It’s on. It’s off. It’s ON? Rumors and speculation ran rampant. Nobody is talking about it yet everyone is talking about it. The ASP surfers, with agreements in place to not comment on the situation, are like Skull and Bonesmen at this point. Talk about the Slater/Rebel Tour and ASP brass will don gothic cloaks and give it to you “Thank you sir may I have another” style. If nothing else, Slater forced the ASP to take a hard look in the mirror. Adjustments to structure have already been made and we’ll be watching as the evolution of pro surfing takes a new-fangled shape in 2010. 

2. Mick Fanning Wins Number 2
Say the following sentence out loud. Mick Fanning is a two-time world champion. Repeat. Mick Fanning is a two-time world champion. Now wash your mouth out with soap. Are we Inglorious Basterds for wanting more from an ASP champ? Hardcore surf fans want drunken debauchery and surfing with reckless abandon, not protein shakes, core training and tactical two-to-the-beach jerk off sessions. You have to hand it to Mick regardless. It was a hard-fought duel with best mate Joel Parkinson and Mick came out on top of the bromance. Somewhere in Australia Damien Hardman is doing a Jersey Shore fist pump but secretly hoping Mick (like the rest of us) doesn’t win a third. 

1. Eddie Does Go
The most prestigious event in surfing was held for the first time in four years and only the seventh time in its 25-year history. It was worth the wait. When Clyde Aikau, 60, brother to legendary Hawaiian patriarch Eddie Aikau, dropped into a 20-foot Waimea beast last week all felt right in the world. San Clemente big-wave specialist Greg Long rode into surfing history by beating Kelly Slater. Arguably the best big-wave surfer in the world is from San Clemente. The best surfer of all time hails from wave-starved Florida. At this point I would not be surprised if an Asian driver named Long Duk Dong wins the Indy 500. As we say aloha to 2009, Eddie Aikau is looking down from the heavens and smiling.

Q&A with Modern Collective Director Kai Neville

Years from now we might look back and say Kai Neville is the man who changed surfing. His film, Modern Collective, may be the vehicle that propels a new generation of surfers to heights that seemed unimaginable 10 years ago. After completing a trek across the U.S. two weeks ago, he’s is back in Australia after premiering the film across his home continent. Kai talks to Nugable about the process of making the film, Jordy Smith’s performance, his liver and ASP judges.—Nug

So you are back in Australia after premiering Modern Collective across the States. How did that go?
Couldn’t have gone any better. I organized the L.A. premiere so things were pretty wild right up to the first screening. After the bass dropped and the movie played through we jumped straight on the party program. Me and the boys went to around five premieres over the next week. It was non stop. All the crowds were hooting and that made us psyched so we watched the movie right through around eight times. Good to be home now… the liver needed some rest.

What goals did you have in the process of making this film and did you accomplish them?
I just wanted to showcase how these guys actually surf. What you see is what you get. We would film a session and try keep the continuity from start to finish in the edit. I love making surf films and wanted to make Modern Collective still amping by nature with an enjoyable location feel. No interviews or anything too setup (except the intro titles). Pretty much just cruise with the boys and document this unique group.

Everybody seems to be really enjoying the film. Especially the kids. Is that the true test?
I’m stoked to hear everyone is enjoying it. Youth is the target audience. I want to get them amped. Hopefully the next crop will feed off these guys and just try ridiculous shit. You hear some of the older crew complaining there is too many airs… but they should know that’s what we are about. Rocking up to some beachie and just trying the biggest punts. If you want to see perfect barrels don’t watch this movie. There are a few nice pits but riding the tube isn’t exactly something new in surfing.

When did you become interested in filmmaking?
At around 15 I started taking film class at school and eventually combined film with my love for surfing.

Surfing’s Travis Ferre called you the Guy Ritchie of surfing. I may be way off base but I thought I saw some Coppola influence. What filmmakers do you look up to?
(Laughs) That is pretty rad. I just see myself as a surf filmmaker. If people see some technical aspects that may relate to the likes of Ritchie and Coppola that’s cool. Obviously Lockstock and Snatch have been an influence, the editing especially. I like the films of Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Terrence Malick, Wes Anderson, Tarantino to name a few.

The opening sequence and the editing were fantastic. The music was eclectic and fitting. Do you consider yourself an auteur?
I filmed, edited, directed the soundtrack basically covered all aspects of the film, so I guess in some ways I could be considered an auteur.

I was amazed by Jordy’s surfing in the film. Some are calling it the best performance in a surf film ever. Thoughts?
Best performance I have seen this year. He is going loony!

How involved in the filmmaking process were the surfers? Did Jordy, Mitch, Dion, Dane, and the boys give you a lot of feedback?
I tried to get them involved as much as I could… locations, angles, music. I would send edits over the web to try get feedback from the boys. Hard to get feedback though as the guys are so busy. Wave selection is key. I don’t want to use something in the movie they aren’t happy with.

I imagine every kid with a surfboard will now be hucking and spinning after seeing MC. Should they send doctor’s bills for broken ankles to you or Jordy?
(laughs) Yeah get out and punt… send bills to Jordy though, not me.

Will Modern Collective change surfing?
I hope so. I really want to paddle out and see groms trying crazy shit.

Can you do surf fans across the world a favor and send a copy of the film to all of the ASP judges?
They can’t tell a reverse from a rodeo. They should really study new moves… also the commentators. I piss my pants with some of the names they throw around on the webcast.

Are you working on a follow up?
Not right now, but something might drop in the distant future.

Modern Collective is available now on iTunes for just $8.99.

Found: Church Sign

The Roundup: Surf Premieres, Kai Neville, Jordy Smith, JOB, Follow the Light, Pipeline, Steamer Lane and the Drifter

The Roundup is a compilation of recommended clicks this week in the world of surfing. If you have any suggestions, links, tips or just want to call me an asshole, email me at nugable@gmail.com

It will change everything. The Modern Collective world premiere invaded Les Deux in Hollywood. Chas Smith was there. (Stab Magazine)

Larry “Flame” Moore’s Follow the Light Foundation announced its winners. Ray Collins of Australia (his photo above) was the winner. (Follow the Light)

Blood, barrels and burning ASP rulebooks. The new Who is J.O.B. trailer. (SurfLies)

A Dane Reynolds’ air in super slo mo may be better than Bo Derek running down the beach in 10. (Surfing Stoke)

The Eastern Surfing Association tells Surfing America to stick it where the PacSun don’t shine. (Transworld Biz)

Early season Pipeline proves everything is right in the world. Warning. Mute your speakers. (In Surf News)

An in-depth review of the Rob Machado vehicle The Drifter. (meSurf)

Break out the Budweiser white cans. The O’Neill Coldwater Classic is live at the Lane in Santa Cruz. (O’Neill)

He wears boardshorts while not surfing. He wears surf branded singlets, not-oversized-enough surf branded sunglasses and hats. He throws double shakas. He is David Mailman. (Likebitchin)

Quiksilver fired 125 workers. The Iraqi Quiksilver Minister of Information says it’s a good thing. (Boardistan)

The Roundup: Modern Collective, Mick, Joel, Owen, Fuel TV, Shawn Stussy, Racism and the Wolfpack

What a week it was in surfing. The Euro invasion ended. Owen Wright dazzled but ruptured his eardrum on D-Day. The Bede train kept on rolling. Parko shined. But in the end Mick won. Again. Looks like we have a full-bore world title race on our hands. Pipeline will be very interesting. There should be some Hawaiian trialists ready to inflict damage and dash title hopes. Why the photo of Bertleman? Why not.

The Roundup is a compilation of recommended clicks this week in the world of surfing. If you have any suggestions, links, tips or just want to call me an asshole, email me at nugable@gmail.com

No safety or surprise. The End. Chas Smith’s final installment from the Rip Curl Pro Search Portugal. Spoiler alert. Mick Fanning won. (Stab Magazine)

Get your popcorn ready. The Modern Collective film is almost here. (Surfing Magazine)

Is News Corp going to sell action sports channel Fuel? We can only dream they sell Fox News to real journalists. (Boardistan)

Joel Parkinson apologizes for off-color remarks he made about South Africa’s racial past and present. Can’t wait until he visits Germany. Or South Carolina. (Zig Zag)

Original ’80s hipster, shaper and artist Shawn Stussy has a blog. (Shawn Stussy’s Joint)

Strap on those dildos booties and ass-less chaps hoods. And I thought Humboldt Jetty was cold. (Arctic Surf Blog)

A Bra Boy faces court over alleged connections to a cocaine syndicate. (WA Today)

Is the Wolfpack taxing non-locals to surf Pipeline this winter? (Demon Factory)

Exclusive photos of ASP CEO Brody(ie) Carr’s arm wrestling match with Charlie Smith. (Slide Mag UK)

Endless pristine surf images to waste away precious work hours. Tell ’em large Marge Nug sent ya. (Aquabumps)