Stars: Laird Hamilton, Jeff Clark, Greg Noll

Director: Stacy Peralta

Summary: Documentary which explores the history of surf culture.

Giving a history of surfing that stretches from the early 1940s to 2004, RIDING GIANTS is director Stacy Peralta's examination of surfing as a lifestyle, a risk-taker's delight, and a space for increasing innovation and modernisation. From the California coastline to the dramatic wild waters of Hawaii, big waves are the aim of some of the top surfers in the sport--Greg Noll, Jeff Clark, and Laird Hamilton. Beginning with old footage of the first surf boards which were long and heavy and made for riding small waves without much movement, and taking viewers through the sport chapter by chapter, this comprehensive documentary shows how the faces of the sport change with advances in surfboard technology. Bit by bit boards become smaller and 'beach bums' are more readily accepted by society. The film offers a comic look at cult films like GIDGET and the music of surf guitarist Dick Dale--pop culture influences responsible for introducing the sport and its lifestyle to the mainstream. The most fascinating moments of the film come in its final quarter when Hamilton and his buddies discover the key to tow-in big-wave surfing and break through all imaginable boundaries. RIDING GIANTS shows some true daredevils doing what they do best, and its magnificent photography, comprehensive interviews, and insider perspective are truly a marvel to behold.

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Riding Giantsis more than another blissful surfing movie. It's an outstanding documentary about one era in American alternative lifestyles, when surfing was well-suited to a radical culture of social dropouts. Using an amazing array of amateur film clips, shot for the most part in Hawaii and California from the late 1950s and early '60s, director Stacy Peralta traces the rise of surfing's appeal to young men looking to test themselves in an unorthodox (and sexy) milieu--of "living life to the fullest," as former surfer-turned-screenwriter John Milius (Big Wednesday) puts it at one point. Lengthy chapters on the glories of Oahu's Makaha and the "superstition and dread" that accompanied the big-wave challenge of Waimea Bay are riveting and sometimes heroic, particularly told through the memories of surf legend Greg Noll. Great material, too, about the deadly wonders of surfing Mavericks, California, where the rocks will get one if the violent tides don't. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Director And Editor Commentary, Writer And Surfer Commentary With Greg Noll And Jeff Clark And Laird Hamilton, 5 Deleted Scenes, Film Premiere Featurette, The Making Of Riding Giants
Subtitles:	English, Hindi
Year:	2004
Release Date:	August 22, 2005
Runtime:	97 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	C D R 37869
Keywords:	Sports, General, Riding, Giants, Skating, Skateboarding, Documentaries, Biographies
Genre:	Sports