Top five films

Over at Empire Ave, they have an interview with one of the most recognizable names in surf film making, Taylor Steele. What were the most influential films in his life as a grom and young adult?

1. Wave Warriors 3
2. Beyond Blazing Boards
3. The Endless Summer
4.Litmus
5. Kelly Slater in Black and White.

His appreciation for diversity is reflected in his own body of work. Consider how different films like Momentum and Castles in the Sky and Shelter are from one another. Within the surf cinema genre, Steele is dynamic and his films have been a huge influence (and indicator) of the culture.

His list inspired me to make one of my own…and also ask anyone out there who might stumble on this, what are your top 5 surf films?

Here are my top 5 (without repeats from Steele’s list)

1. Five Summer Stories. Gerry Lopez will forever be one of the most iconic surfers to me and that is the film where I first saw him.

2. 5’5″ X 19 1/4″ from Lost. I had three surf tapes growing up, this, Endless Summer, and the September Sessions. I think it subconsciously influenced my taste in music and surfboard design.

3. Thomas Campbell films are in a league of their own. I won’t pick just one, is this cheating the top 5 criteria?

4. Innermost Limits is endlessly smile inducing and tripped out.

5. Morning of the Earth. Beautiful to the point of absurdity, freshly discovered Bali, perfect Australia…this film is surfing’s ultimate idyll.

There are many more I’d like to list. I have been playing catch up on surf films over the past year, there are still many must-sees that I’ve not yet watched. My list is pretty slanted to the alternative and older films. But something that I like is how, within the microcosm of one of the smallest genres of film imaginable (humans riding waves on strange little flotation devices) there is such diversity.

So, what are your five favorite surf films?