Richard Yelland’s Birth of the Endless Summer is coming to your house. Finally. Photo: Birth of the Endless Summer
The Endless Summer is one of the most important movies in all of surfing. Bruce Brown’s seminal film played an intricate role in what surfing looks like today, but the story of how that film came to be is just as interesting as the film itself. Which is why Richard Yelland, the award-winning filmmaker responsible for movies like 12 Miles North: The Nick Gabaldon Story and Sine Qua Non: The Psychology of Big Wave Surfing with Greg Long, made Birth of the Endless Summer. And on June 20, 2025, Birth of the Endless Summer will make its worldwide digital debut.
The Endless Summer perfectly captured the never-ending search for waves and the adventures that come along with that search. Kelly Slater called it “the most important surf movie of all time.” A few years ago, I was lucky enough to get my hands on Yelland’s masterpiece detailing the backstory of how it was made, and Birth of the Endless Summer is a spectacular film that reveals the hidden story of the movie that defined the California Dream. It follows surf pioneer Dick Metz’s journey around the world, examining his role in inspiring Bruce Brown’s iconic film and how the relationships he formed played a pivotal role in shaping the modern sport. Since its release, Birth of the Endless Summer has become a five-time film festival winner and a 2025 Emmy nominee.
“The idea to do this film came to me when Bruce Brown passed away late in 2017,” wrote Yelland about the making of the movie. “All the tributes started coming through social media from what seemed like every living surfer, young and old. It was the first time I’d seen surfers from every generation agree on something. I immediately thought that telling the story behind Bruce’s The Endless Summer would be a great tribute to him. ”
I watch a lot of surf-related content. More than I should, probably, but watching people ride waves and hearing the stories behind what went into riding them is endlessly fascinating.
Birth of the Endless Summer is full of insightful interviews from people like Metz and Slater. Those interviews are cut with seen, and unseen, footage from the original film. It’s easy to forget when watching The Endless Summer that it must have been very, very difficult to make, especially at the time. It was an exploratory movie, searching for things that no one knew for sure existed.
“I was left feeling slightly melancholy when the credits rolled, envious of the people who were able to travel the world without a care in search of a few fleeting moments of un-surfed waves, looking not only for the waves but for the adventures that can only happen in a place far from home,” I wrote in 2023. “Melancholy, but grateful for their adventures at the same time. Grateful they paved the way for every surfer in the world who dreams of far-off places and the thrill of discovery. It’s a reminder of where surfing came from; of what it used to be and why it is what it is today. It’s a reminder of why surfing is so much more than simply riding waves.”
Starting June 20, Birth of the Endless Summer will be available worldwide on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Fandango, and Vimeo on Demand.
