Once upon a time surf films were made very slowly and expensively on 16mm film cameras. They were a labour of love.
Then video cameras, Taylor Steele and the Momentum generation blew the doors off. Editing went from tape to digital meaning that dark art was available to all: thanks iMovie! And making surf films was no longer the preserve of the few.
Then HD came along and an HD video camera cost many thousands of pounds. Skip forward a few years and we all have broadcast quality HD cameras in our pockets for under a grand that are handy phones as well. Or one we can stick on our boards/heads for under £500.
Progress never rests so while most people are only just getting HD televisions at home the camera industry is jollying off into even greater resolution and detail. 4K cameras are the norm. You’re no one in the high end surf filming industry without a RED cam. Even though no one has a 4K TV or monitor. And really high end the BBC are filming nature docs in 6K and in between there’s 5K, like this clip of Dane from his filmer Mini.
This relentless march of technology means one thing. The art of surfing being displayed in increasing clarity, detail and in some cases slow motion. It means you can really appreciate every nuance of good surfing and understand the dynamics.
This was written as the editorial for Carve issue 158… Now the XXL Award ceremony has been and gone makes sense to give it a run with Nazare winning biggest wave and wipeout categories.
Here’s a question.
You know the XXL Awards, the worldwide annual contest for the biggest wave ridden and the ride of the year and all that?
Hasn’t Nazare kind of buggered it?
It’s a simple fact that the wedging lumps of Atlantic armageddon that unload on the unassuming stretch of sand are way bigger, way crazier and on a whole other messed up scale than anything Pe’ahi, Mavericks, Mullaghmore and co can muster. Sancho’s wave from this winter was so off the chain it’s hard to imagine how he didn’t drown when he fell off. Thankfully he didn’t. You know a wave is mega-huge when you struggle to make out the dot that is the surfer on the face (vid of his winning beating below).
But it renders the ‘Biggest Wave’ aspect of the event pointless. The category needs to be renamed ‘Biggest Nazare Wave’. Plus side the odds of a Brit or, the next best thing, one of our Euro brethren winning it is that much stronger. So Cotty, Butters, Seb and Sancho are in with a good shout (psychic me: Seb won).
As for ride of the year that might as well just be renamed the Dorian Being Dorian Gong. Can anyone top his effortless, paddle in mastery of mahoosive Jaws barrels?
It’s weird how the dynamic has shifted. Big wave surfing was totally Pacific-centric before. All Mavericks, Pe’ahi and stuff. Now Nazare, Belharra and the vicious pit-bull in the corner: Mullaghmore, garner as much, if not more, coverage.
Mullaghmore is genuinely one of the most terrifying waves in the world. Being that rarest of beasts: a legit big wave slab. A boil afflicted, ledgey, barrel of doom that one day is going to deliver the craziest wave ever ridden. Fact.
It’s about time Dorian* came and gave it a shot to prove once and for all if it is really paddleable at its biggest, because whilst Ferg, Lowey, Butters and co have paddled it big and mad no one has managed to paddled it when the dial is cranked up to 11. It’s humbled all that have tried including some official international ’big wave’ men. As much as arm power is back in vogue, and we think this is a good thing, our Euro big wave megastars: Naz and Mully both defy the basic physics of paddling. Naz is just too ruddy big, too shifty and Mullaghmore, like Teahupo’o is just too fricking nuts once it goes code red. With persistence, perfect conditions and big slice of luck maybe they can be paddled at max size. We look forward to whatever our homegrown superhuman heroes like Cotty and the Toms do … however they propel themselves over the ledge.
Anyhoose. The thought that was burning a hole in my grey matter is now off my chest. On that biologically confused note I’ll sign off. Enjoy the issue pards.
Sharpy, Editor.
*Dorian did make it to Ireland recently but not for a Mully swell…
Strange things are afoot with Ian Battrick in Fortitude, sorry, Iceland… Some class visuals in this eye opening, or should that be third eye opening, edit.
As Batty says: Dreaming within a dream? A few fleeting visions, taken from several months living in a car around Iceland.
Puerto has been off the scale over the weekend. Mark Healey paddled into what’s being claimed by local legend Coco Nogales as the biggest wave ever and there’s been the wipeout below from Pedro Calado which will probably be seeing in next years XXL Wipeout category. There’s been some Brit’s in the mix as well Taz Knight got a bomb and Tom Butler and Tom Lowe are there for the madness too. We’ll let you know the score when we do!
