In surf cinematography, the greatest surf filmmakers are the ones that transcend. Their films are more than entertainment. They become moments in time captured and preserved as in a bottle – for viewers to return to again and again for inspiration, enjoyment, or simply to remember what that time looked and felt like.
Taylor Steele’s Momentum is more than a surf film, it defined an entire generation. To capture paradigm shifters like Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Ross Williams, Shane Dorian, and others at the crucial moment just before they became household names – indeed, probably making them household names in the process – was either genius or incredibly lucky. And since the film’s release in 1992, Steele’s contributions to the canon of surf film cannot be overstated. Not only did his films become the metric against which so many films are judged these days, his movies quickly became must-haves for any ’90s grom’s quiver of pre-surf VHS tapes and later DVDs. What surfer that grew up in the Taylor Steele era can’t relate to pounding a bowl of cereal watching guys like Kelly and Rob on the screen before getting dropped off at the beach to surf 2-foot shorebreak?
It’s for all those reasons that Steele’s newest release should not be taken lightly, the trailer for which just dropped. We’ve known for a while now that Proximity was coming. Sneak peeks behind the scenes have teased and tantalized. But now here’s the official teaser – and by the looks of it Steele’s paired some of the most well-known surfers in the game with one another in really interesting ways. John John picks Kelly’s brain, Shane Dorian and Albee Layer talk about fear, Rob and Craig Anderson have a meeting of the stylish long curly-headed minds, etc. This film looks good.
Proximity will premier in New York City on May 4th with a world tour to follow. Click here for more info.
