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The Inertia

Taylor Steele’s early work like Sipping Jetstreams cemented his legacy as a storyteller. Through his lens, he captured the rawness of Andy Irons while also connecting what happened on land with what happened in the ocean. Wrinkled faces, fishing nets, and church bells were all a part of the painting and somehow we understood the culture that was intrinsically bound to wave riding.

But the plot for his newest film, Proximity, sounds more like a reality TV pitch. Eight surfers are paired up to explore diverse waves around the world. Old school tradition is matched with new school competition, most obviously displayed in the pairing of Kelly Slater and John John Florence. Australian surf titan Stephanie Gilmore travels with hippy, twin-fin lovin’ Dave Rastovich. Weathered, big wave hellman Shane Dorian wanders through Ireland with Albee Layer, a young charger searching for recognition. And then there are the long-haired drifters, Rob Machado and Craig Anderson, co-conspirators in style.

With limitless talent and drones galore, a la Teton Gravity, it appeared that nothing could go wrong. Except that Proximity isn’t perfect. The waves are mediocre. Ireland’s slabby right is a death pit. Dorian and Albee Layer get so skunked they end up spending most of their time in a pub, pint in one hand, dart in the other. Even Kelly and John John find less than perfect waves – rolling into wind-swept, hairy looking beasts.

You’re right to be confused or to wonder, like an early commenter on iTunes, who says, “the best surfers, photogs, narrator, and director with a bunch of junk waves. What the heck happened?”

Thank god Taylor Steele didn’t give us another overly produced surf flick with more of the same, which is really what the above commenter expected: the best surfers surfing the best waves. That’s been done. Again and again. And not many of us can watch more than thirty minutes before perfect waves blend together and it all starts to feel kind of… pointless.

Proximity, however, took the opportunity to explore something deeper. It isn’t a movie about perfect waves or even secret waves, it’s Taylor Steele falling back on what he does best:  illuminating the personalities of a salty bunch. Rastovich and Gilmore strike up an earnest friendship. Slater and Florence lock into giddy competition. Machado and Anderson blend into one carefree spirit. And even Albee Layer seems wiser by the end, tempered by Dorian’s musings that a longer career means a higher wave count.

It’s a cathartic moment for Taylor Steele, who after spending so much time in the business, reflects on what really matters. For him, that’s telling stories, even if it’s swimming within the clichés of a surfer’s brain.

Note: You can rent and watch Proximity here.

 
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