thenationofartists.com

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival)

Directed by: Joshua Pomer
Written by: Erin Falconer and Joshua Pomer
Starring: Shawn “Barney” Barron, Vince “The Godfather” Collier, Jason “Ratboy” Collins, Darryl “Flea” Virostko, Tom Curren, Jay Adams and Shaun Thomson; narrated by Rosanna Arquette.

Having met “Flea” Virostko in sixth grade, then filming and aiding the fame of the Santa Cruz surf scene by producing “The Kill” cult surf action videos, Joshua Pomer provides a true insider’s perspective on the surf gang that ruled “Steamer Lane” and the Santa Cruz waves.

In an apt point of irony, surfing was brought to Santa Cruz by three Hawaiian princes in 1885. That those waves would become ruled by warriors lacking in nobility and known as “The Godfather,” “Ratboy,” “Barney” and “Flea” brings the esteem of the sport back to the working classes.

“Bra Boys,” the successful tale of the surf gangs at Maroubra Beach on Australia’s east coast, boasted Russell Crowe as the narrator. With a much more soothing timbre, “The Westsiders” has Rosanna Arquette, whose utterance of “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” heralds the opening of the story.

Despite the title of the film, however, Pomer’s outing is so much more than a one-dimensional documentary. While the toughness of the territory is well explored, Pomer skillfully imbues the documentary with old 8mm footage showcasing the history of the Santa Cruz turf, notable for revolutionizing the sport through figures such as wetsuit and leash pioneer Jack O’Neill and surf/skating aerialists like Kevin Reed.

In following these Santa Cruz surf legends, Pomer provides a historical focal point in surfing during which riding waves became only one aspect of the commercial surf competition scene. It was because of these surfers that aerial competitions were initiated, and because of these surfers that big-wave competitions such as Mavericks thrived. Images from these disciplines hijacked the surf media at the time, making heroes of those who rode highest, fastest and with the most degrees of difficulty. The time during which Pomer’s peer group was ascending to commercial success was a time no longer necessarily concerned about surf champions Shaun Thomson, Tom Curren and Kelly Slater, but about the new pioneers whose celebrity was ascended to by freestyling on their boards and chasing down the behemoth waves that have now been documented by “Step Into Liquid” and “Riding Giants,” some of the best cinema ever related to the sport.

That it provides such history-making points of reference, and takes the time to explore how these individuals survived this rough-as-guts region of California and the hardships each faced with death, disease, drugs and addiction, enables Pomer’s project to serve up a film richly rewarding in the details.

Photo: Darryl “Flea” Virostko, courtesy Newport Beach Film Festival