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Native State
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Written by: Rick Doyle
Publisher: PointPanic.com
Format: 40 minutes
Cost: $29.95
Available: www.pointpanic.com
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Report Card
Action: B-
Cinematography: B
Editing: C
Production: B
Soundtrack: B-
Overall: B-
Comments
"We play in the surf to return to our native state" -- Narrator of Native State
Any post '70s surf flick that starts all preachy and nature-loving is either unbelievably naive or incredibly optimistic. Native State oscillates wildly between both. The narration at the beginning of the flick sounds as though it's written for a non-surfing audience. I mean, of course we play in the surf to return to our native state, but it sounds corny when spelled out, especially to footage that has mostly been seen before: highlights from last season on the North Shore, etc. The first 15 minutes feel almost like a PBS documentary.
But then the film switches gears and seems to find its focus. Interviews with Peter Cole and Fred Van Dyke, along with some classic old footage of early Waimea set the pace for what becomes an interesting look at big-wave surfing. Ken Bradshaw talks about his biggest wave (Outer Log Cabins, January 28, 1998), and we see fuzzy video of the now infamous ride. Then it segues into some good Maverick's footage before becoming slightly unglued toward the end.
Native State's biggest downfall is that it tries to do too much -- the narration is a valiant attempt and would've been epic had it had a touch more focus. But as a video to show folks who may not surf, or if you're feeling jaded or cynical with 12-year-olds on Indo boat trips, it's a good way to couch yourself for a half-hour or so on Sunday night and rekindle the flame. --Marcus Sanders
Pointpanic.com
Address: 3565 Caminito El Rincon Suite 207
San Diego, CA 92130
Phone: 858-481-6792
Web site: www.pointpanic.com
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Rick Doyle
Born: Long Beach, California, on February 19, 1954
Hometown: San Diego
Claim to fame: Doyle launched his photographic career back in 1978 as an intern at Surfer magazine, and in 1996, he decided to focus on film-making full time. He's not about to lose sight of his surfing roots, though he's involved with lots of other projects because "there's absolutely no other feeling in the world that comes close to being locked into the heart of a wave." Yeah.
Videography
Native State (Summer 2000 Pointpanic.com)
Red Water (1998 Pointpanic.com)
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;)
