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IN HERE:
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WIN
*TICKETS* to Sea of Darkness! |
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Score
TWO passes to the San Francisco Ocean Film Fest's Surf Program
next Friday, Feb 5! |
Don't miss "Sea of Darkness" & other surf films below next week.
To enter, simply reply to this email with your favorite local
surf shop and briefly why they're your go-to store. Include your
cell phone. ENTRY DEADLINE: Enter by
this Thursday, Jan 27, 12 noon PST. Ticket winner
will be chosen randomly & notified by email or phone. |
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SEA OF DARKNESS:
the must-see documentary |
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"SEA OF DARKNESS" with SurfBus and Bicycle Trip.
Q&A follows. |
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Don't
miss an amazing lineup of surf films, marking the
San Francisco Ocean Film
Festival's first dedicated program to the sport. Tickets
are only $12 for this action-filled Friday evening featuring 3
independent surf films from Michael Oblowitz, Sachi Cunningham
(a former San Francisco resident) and Santa Cruz's Patrick Trefz. A Q&A
session follows with each of the filmmakers. |
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In addition to the Surf Film program, be sure to check out the
other 51 wonderful ocean films showcased in the Festival
during February 3-7. There are films about sharks, rowing
the Atlantic, whaling, swimming SF Bay, and much, much more.
The film on renowned shaper/surfer Gary Linden, "Shaping
A Life" is Friday Feb 5 at 1:00pm. |

Shaping A Life |
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What: San Francisco Ocean Film
Festival's Surfing Program |
When: Friday, February 5, 2010,
7:00pm |
Location: Theatre 39 next to the Aquarium of the Bay, The
Embarcadero and Beach Street, San Francisco |
More info:
OceanFilmFest.org |
Film Programs
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SEA OF DARKNESS |
MAX'S
REVIEW: Sea of Darkness |
(USA) By Michael Oblowitz (88 mins) |
Rating:
(4.5 out of 5) |
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Sea
of Darkness is a riveting, dark documentary about the 1970s'
surf exploration and discovery of the Mentawais, G-Land and
other legendary spots along the remote Indonesian coastline.
This true, modern pirate tale covers the different paths taken
by surfers Mike Boyum, Martin Daly, Shaun Tomson, Jeff Chitty
and Peter McCabe to support their surf addiction and how their
lifestyles gave birth to multinational surf companies like
Quiksilver and Billabong. Doing whatever it took to
maintain their indulgent surfing lifestyle, they all suffered
the consequences. For one who disappeared into the jungle
like Joseph Conrad's character, Kurtz, the consequences proved
fatal. Caution: adult language and situation |
“I
highly recommend this film for anyone with an interest
in the beginnings of surf exploration history. This
film divulges fascinating and shocking stories about the
1970s' discovery of remote Indo surf spots. The surf
pioneers reach a fork in the road -- one side leads to
instant gratification; the other is a long hard road to
legitimacy. Shaun Tomson and Martin Daly went one way;
Mike Boyum, Jeff Chitty and Peter McCabe went another.
A dark chapter in surf exploration history. In the
1970s Mike Boyum discovered for the surf world, G-Land,
the Mentawais Islands and Cloud 9. He was also on the
run. That fork in the road comes up every day. |
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Parental guidance is suggested for mature content. Enjoy
extensive interviews and archival footage. The classic
rock soundtrack featuring Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Bob
Dylan may or may not be released with DVD. DVD release
date TBD. |
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Sections of this Indo story were heavily edited due to
strong legal pressure. I recommend staying for Q&A
with the highly entertaining director/surfer Michael
Oblowitz – you’ll get more colorful stories that
won’t show up on the DVD. |
- Max Tom, Zuna's Surf Flix editor |
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Sea
of Darkness is produced, written, and directed by Cape Town
native
Michael Oblowitz, who avidly surfs Venice Beach, California
daily. Oblowitz is known for directing Steven Segal films
"Out for a Kill" and "The Foreigner," as well as shooting early
music videos and commercials starring David Bowie, Eric Clapton,
Santana, and other musicians.
Check out more articles on Sea of Darkness here:
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Preceding Sea of Darkness are 2short
films: |
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SURFBUS |
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(USA), By Sachi Cunningham, 3 mins |
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Inner city kids in Southern California discover the Pacific with
a little help from their friends and surfer
Mary Setterholm, founder of
LA Surfbus.
It’s the chance to leave behind their sometimes gang-oriented
East L.A. neighborhoods and “get their game on" in a joyous
lesson that surf can trump turf. Their journey to the coast is a
matter of miles, but could signal the start of a voyage of a
lifetime.
(-SFOFF's mary jane schramm) |
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Bicycle Trip |
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(USA), Patrick Trefz, 14 mins |
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The
Santa Cruz mountains, city, and shore form the backdrop for this
easygoing depiction of a young man’s (and his surfboard’s)
journey from mountains to sea. The cinematographer’s clever eye
for geometric forms and feelings delivers a tapestry of artfully
crafted visuals and sound. Stars Santa Cruz's Peter Garaway.
(-SFOFF's mary jane schramm) |
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TODAY:
Rally to SAVE SLOAT!
Community Meeting, 7pm, Monday, January 25 |
Given the recent storms, big swells, and resulting erosion, the
SF Dept of Public Works (DPW) issued a “declaration
of emergency” last week to protect the bluff just south of
Sloat. The Great Highway between Sloat and Hwy 35 is currently
CLOSED, and DPW has been dumping sand to temporarily buffer the
eroding cliff line at the highway and parking lots. |
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If you are interested in making your voice about saving Sloat,
please join Save the Waves and Surfrider SF at the San
Francisco “Town Hall” meeting TODAY, Monday January 25th at
7pm at Park Chalet, behind Beach Chalet at 1000 Great
Highway. DPW Project Manager Frank Filice (along with possible
Boards of Supervisors members) will be there to discuss
the emergency declaration, the short-term strategy, and a
process for a long term solution.
More
Meeting info & RSVP here. |
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The
Great Highway beach erosion is a decades-old problem, whereby the
local community has devoted countless volunteer hours to making
specific recommendations that for years have gone largely ignored.
Both Save the Waves and Surfrider Foundation SF have joined forces
on a “Save Sloat” campaign and advocate sensible,
sustainable solutions to save and protect Sloat, while maximizing
beach access and maintaining its ecological integrity. The biggest
imminent concern is that the City will resort to dropping large
rocks & rip rap on the beach just south of Sloat, a misguided
approach likely to make the problem worse. For more pics and
info, see
Save the Waves' stance and
Surfrider SF's Sloat blog. |
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FILM NEWS: "Last
Paradise" |
Santa Cruz surfer Pat Farley was recently featured in the
New Zealand 35mm film,
Last Paradise, at the X-Dance Film Festival, which screened
this past weekend. Last Paradise will be shown twice at the
Santa Barbara International Film Festival, February 6 & 9. |

View Trailer |
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Shot in the remote wilderness of New Zealand, the film is a
story of "when necessity was the mother of invention and where a
maverick bunch of kids pioneered numerous extreme sports on the
roads less traveled...to paradises which have long since gone,
but for one.” The film includes 45 years of stunning original
footage. |
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Last year at X-Dance, Farley was featured in the film
Between The Lines, which received X-Dance's Best Documentary
Award. PBS will be airing this Vietnam surf film nationwide
this spring. |
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UPCOMING SURF CONTEST:
the "BBU" |
The Big, Bad & The Ugly Surf & Turf Invitational- |
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February 13-14 at
Morro Bay, CA |
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The infamous longboard contest, "The Ugly," is the most challenging contest in
the Coalition of Surfing Clubs' schedule. Hosted by Estero Bay Surf Club, this
"often-a-big-wave" contest includes a golf tourney on day 2 at the Los Osos' Sea
Pines Golf Course . Proceeds benefit Ride-A-Wave, The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn
Foundation and Project Surf Camp. |
Entry
Fee: $65; $30 for Grom/Menehunes | Adult Entry
Form (word)
(pdf)
| Groms Entry Form (word)
(pdf) |
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SURF MUSIC EXTRAVGANZA |
Sunday Jan 31 at the Milk Bar |
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DJ Surfer Spud will be spinning the killer surf tunes in between
The Twang Tens,
The Reefriders &
The Blue Moodys this Sunday, January 31st, from 3-7pm at
Milk Bar at `840 Haight, SF (across from Amoeba Records) |
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PHIL MATTHEWS TRIBUTE |
PHIL MATTHEWS, a longtime Pleasure Point surfer,
passed away at 2:30pm, Tuesday, January 13, 2010 while at home
with his wife, K’lyn Matthews. He was 57. Matthews was widely
known for his work with
Pleasure Point Night Fighters, a club that has been
preserving and protecting the Pleasure Point area since 1919.
The Night Fighters launched the early 1960s'
Pack Your Trash cleanups, which evolved into larger beach
cleanup trends. The club has also been very involved in
establishing housing development guidelines for the Santa Cruz
county’s Pleasure Point Community Plan. |
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Aside
from running his house painting business, Phil loved
taking photos of the surf, sunrise and sunset, which he shared
via his “Pic of the Day” emails to hundreds of subscribers, and
on his website,
Phil Matthews
Photography. Phil was also club photographer for the
Big Stick Surf Association. He occasionally
contributed photos to Zuna Surf as well.
Club members are planning a paddle-out at Pleasure Point to pay
tribute to Matthews. A day and time has not been set. The
annual February St. Valentine’s Day Massacre surf contest – the
leashless face-off between Santa Cruz’s Eastside and Westside --
will be dedicated to Matthews. Read more about Matthews in the
Santa Cruz Sentinel. |
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