(L-R) Art Brewer, Tim McKenna, Scott Soens, Taylor Steele. Photo courtesy of High Line Festival of Surfing
“It is a difficult thing to do – to try to do something that explains surfing,” said Steve Pezman, creator of The Surfers Journal. “As you go through your life as a surfer, which is a state of mind, and you hear people’s stories about interacting with the ocean, it is a never-ending drama. It’s always different, it’s always fascinating. There’s never a dull moment.”
And never a dull moment was there at this dinner honoring 14 of the greatest surf storytellers. The concept for the dinner was to bring together filmmakers and photographers for an intimate dinner to discuss their shared passion and craft. And so it was. There was an exuberance in the air as the High Line Festival of Surfing gathered a mix of industry legends and today’s freshest eyes for an unprecedented evening hosted at Levi’s Haus of Strauss in Hollywood. For once, the lens was turned to focus on the men and women who bring surfing to its fans around the globe. To say they were engaged doesn’t even begin to capture the evening’s energy. When was the last time you attended a party and for five hours saw no one tinkering with their phone? Today, it takes a pretty special event to achieve that.
(L-R) Steve Pezman, Ted Grambeau, Jason Baffa, Chris Burkard, Tim McKenna, Taylor Steele, Cyrus Sutton, Jeff Divine, Hayley Gordon, Jamie Brisick, Art Brewer, Scott Soens, Lucia Griggi and Craig Stecyk. Photo courtesy of High Line Festival of Surfing
Most will agree that surfing is a spiritual experience. These lensman, who are lucky enough to call this a job, tried to articulate what it means to them to capture such breathtaking images for our free-flowing lifestyle. Growing up in the surf culture, there is a time when surf movies become part of what you do and who you are. These photographers and filmmakers are able to get inside not just the science of the wave, but the adrenaline of the wave and allow the viewer to escape life on solid ground. The fans can experience, if even for a moment, the magic of surf. One of the primary goals of the High Line Festival of Surfing is to bring attention to those moments and elevate the art being made by the people who sat together for this dinner.
The High Line Festival of Surfing includes a film festival with approximately 16 of the year’s best films. We anticipate most of the directors in attendance to hold Q and A’s and talk with their fans. The festival will be held September 4-6, 2014, in Mill Valley, California, and we would love for you to join us. For tickets or more information on the High Line Festival of Surfing, visit: http://surfthehighline.com/
