John John currently sits in an uncharacteristic 15th place heading into the Pipe Masters. And while he may not be winning a world title this year, he earned himself a completely different kind of title. Together, John John Florence and filmmaker Blake Kueny produced the greatest, most expensive surf film ever made. Question is: How long will that last?
Surf films have come a long way since punk music soundtracks, videocassette tapes, and outdated board designs. Being the first of its kind for being shot entirely in 4K, Kueny’s use of helicopters, drones, and other state-of-the-art bells and whistles has made View from a Blue Moon widely accepted for having set the bar for surf cinema. But rather than us telling you how great View is (you can read all about that here), we’d like to point to a few implications.
If this is the pinnacle of surf cinema, what’s next? Photo: @ViewFromABlueMoon
Surf films have always been in a constant state of evolution. Perhaps they always will be. Perhaps it’s human nature to constantly want to eclipse our predecessors. But like rules, records are meant to be broken. So ask yourself: How long will it be before technology facilitates the discovery of a new wave that will allow for higher airs and bigger barrels? How long will it be before a video is filmed entirely in 5K? How long before someone decides it’s time to start doing airs over barrel sections at Teahupo’o? And how long before someone puts together a bigger budget for a surf movie?
The truth is there are hundreds of John Johns in the making. They’re training earlier, longer, and harder, and they’re making Slater’s eating habits look like a poor diet. Similarly, while we gawk and wail in admiration for the sheer brilliance that is View from a Blue Moon, know that there’s someone out there who’s making plans for a bigger, better, and more expensive surf film. When will this happen, you ask? Well, it might be a lot sooner than you think.
