Long surf movies with a story!
The internet is flooded with excellent free-to-watch surf movies and documentaries. If you know where to look, that is. If you dig deep you will find some quality, well directed and well-shot surf films out there. We wanted to make a list of the best surf movies on Youtube, Netflix and Redbull.tv. In order to do that, we’ve selected surf films that:
- are long. Just long enough to swing on the beamer, open a bottle of wine and invite your friends over.
- have a story line. There are countless surf clips of guys surfing epic waves and doing crazy airs. But sometimes you just want to get carried away!
Bella Vita
Bella Vita – the History of Italian Surf | 1 hr 26 | Red Bull TV
In this 1,5 hour long feelgood movie, US-based Chris Del Moro, travels to Italy to find out more about his roots. In this trip he is joined by his longboarder girlfriend,
Why do we love this movie? Because it has a real storyline. It’s not just a highlight reel about cutbacks. Also: we like that the main characters are noThe Coffin brothers make an appearance and Australian (ex) pro surfer Dave Rastovich joins the Italy trip for a while It’s narrated in a professional way.
Red Bull TV is a great content platform for Outdoor Sports video and film. It’s free. It doesn’t even require a login.
Watch the trailer here or go straight to the Bella Vita movie on Red Bull TV.
The Fisherman’s Son
The Fisherman’s Son: The Spirit of Ramon Navarro | 28 min | Patagonia
I watched all Patagonia’s surf films and this is definitely one of their best. In this 12 minute documentary you learn about Ramon Navarro. Ramon is a well known big wave surfer. Ramon is also the son of a Chilean fisherman.
In this sometimes gloomy film we learn how industrial and real estate development can affect a small fishing town in Chile. We also learn what it’s like to be a kid from a humble background, becoming a professional big wave surfer. Partly narrated by Ramon Navarros big wave colleagues, such as Shane Dorian and Greg Long, to name a few. f you’re looking for a visually stunning surf doc, with some activist energy and big wave action, the Fishermans’ Son by Patagonia is for you.
You can find the film on Patagonia’s Vimeo and Youtube channels. Watch trailer here.
Live Passionately
Live Passionately // The Story of Monsta Surf | 52 min | Monsta Surf
This surf movie is seriously one of the most entertaining films out there. Honestly, I was afraid it would be a one hour long apparel photoshoot, but it wasn’t. Live Passionately is about young surfers figuring out what’s important. It’s more a coming of age movie with some Australian kids (not pro’s) scoring the waves of their lives.
The story goes like this: Good looking boy and friends go on a surf trip. They score epic waves. They have fun with the locals. The locals are poor. Boy and friends help out. Turns out: helping out a local community AND SURFING is fun! Plus: the girls rip!
That barrels at 38′.. just make me want to visit the Philippines!
South to Sian
South to Sian – A two-year odyssey of exploration | 54 min | Red Bull tv – Deus ex Machina
This movie reminded me of Endless Summer, the most well-known surf film. In the beautifully shot film, two Australian surfers travel through Indonesia to find perfect surf. On the down days they ride their motorcycles through rice fields and dirt plains.
The movie doesn’t have a real story line, but is more of a diary by the two travelers. The camerawork and coloring is amazing. It’s definitely one for the big screen.
bonus surf film:
Rip Tide
Rip Tide | 1 hr 27 | Netflix
Let’s level expectations: you should probably not watch this movie on a dudes night. Rip Tide is a romantic feelgood flick with an uncomplicated storyline. It’s a bit of a B-movie and it probably never got on the big screen. However, I found it very entertaining. The story is about a American girl staying with her Australian aunt, that happens to have a surf school.
There’s some romance, some drama and a bit of surfing.
We will update this list regularly!