This moment is a prime time for brands and athletes to pump out solid content. The sad irony, of course, is that many of us — albeit not all — are either being asked or even required by law, depending on where you live, to refrain from surfing.
Alas, the greatest Catch-22 in the history of surfing is upon us. Compliance means our now suddenly very flexible schedules have plenty of free time to consume long-form surf content we’d otherwise ignore in the pre-pandemic rush of life. Then again, the very ethos of the surf flick motivates and inspires to the point of forcing its viewer out the door, board under arm, rushing to their next session.
Rather than wading through the glass-half-full versus the glass-half-empty approaches, what we can do is confront the new loads of edits and films we’re being given. Stories are being told in more depth than usual, and it’s teaching us things about our culture that can invigorate new levels of appreciation for this thing we love. In this case, that thing is riding waves.
Now, bonus points and potential isolation/non-surfing hack if the film du jour sheds light on waves you wouldn’t otherwise be surfing, global crisis or not. Enter Made In: The Basque Country, a full-length film exploring Europe’s most storied stretch of surfable coast. It’s several portraits pieced together throughout the region, following Natxo Gonzalez from spot to spot but more importantly, zooming in on one or two people with an intimate relationship at each stop. The film has been released in segments recently, with the latest release highlighting Roca Puta and The Slab. Spoiler alert: it’s a slab, and Gonzalez and his tow partner Adrian Fernandez waited several years for their chance to surf it. As expected, they enjoy themselves, wipeouts and all. Meanwhile, most of the human race might not get such a kick out of waves like this one.
