No, this isn’t the same as the story Dave wrote last week. Would we’re so productive here at Pop Magazine we get time to write different takes on the same story. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with me forgetting to tell Dave I’d already written a similar story for our friends at TheVine.
In modern parlance, surfing, skating and snowboarding have been lumped into a broad title called ‘action sports’. It used to be ‘extreme sports’ but that was a bit too lame so it’s action sports now. Sadly, this term also encompasses a bunch of other stuntman activities like freestyle motocross (FMX bro!), ultimate fighting and wakeboarding. I’m happy if you want to keep calling those extreme sports.
However, before the surf/skate/snow industries became all self aware and grown up, before managers and ‘creative control’ there were the 80s with fluro and the 90s with, well, Baywatch.
I’m not sure if it was clueless Hollywood producers, over zealous ‘athletes’ eager for fame or perhaps it really was an accurate portrayal of the surf/skate/snow cultural of the time, but Hollywood has never really gotten it right.
Not that it mattered. We all grew up loving skating or surfing or snowboarding. Kids nowadays fucking scooter. So in hindsight, Hollywood didn’t screw it up too badly.
Childhoods forged on Marty McFly’s hover boards and Jimmy Slade shooting the pier actually produced some amazing shit. So here’s my look back at the good and bad surf/skate/snow moments Hollywood got wrong (or really right). In no particular order.
Marty McFly. Single kicks and hover boards.
Michael J. Fox has said all he did in high school was was skateboard, chase girls and play in bands. Whilst Marty is not effortless on the board, he’s not pushing mongo either. The stunt work was done by the only guy to have beaten Rodney Mullen in a contest, Swede Per Welinder. The original BTTF skate scene might just be the only time Hollywood has done it right. Throw in a fucking hover board, a sweat pair of Nike’s and a cool car and this starts to feel like a skateboard movie.
Jimmy Slade shoots the pier (and Pamela Anderson before hepatitis)
Yes there’s no audio. It makes the acting really stand on it’s own.
In real life Jimmy Slade (Kelly Slater) was dating the not yet hepatitis-ed CJ (Pamela Anderson), but when on set he got the eating disordered one, Summer Quinn (Nicole Eggert). Slats has said he only took the Baywatch gig because his manger told him too. He would say that now, but come on buddy, we all know Jimmy Slade likes the blondes in the red swimsuits…
Rufio, Rufio, Rufio!
His roller coaster/skateboard/wind-surfer hybrid was as rebellious as his mohawk and bad-boy attitude. Shame he died so young. Motherfucker was cool to the end. Damn cool.
The cube is gleamed. Christian Slater, Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen?! Yes!
Did you know Stacey Peralta (of Powell-Peralta Skateboards) directed the second unit? I have no idea what gleaming the cube is, but with Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Natas, Gator and Rodney Mullen stunt doubling for a very hot-right-then Christian Slater, who cares. Even Tony Hawk gets his acting on in this.
Mumford. Zooey Deschanel, Ted Danson, Martin Short and Jason Lee? in a comedy drama with skateboarding? You’re kidding.
Did you know Jason Lee, of My Name Is Earl, Mallrats, Dogma and Alvin And The Chipmunks, was/is a pro skateboarder? He owns Stereo Skateboards and arguably invented the modern day 360 Flip. Mumford, a little known comedy drama about a small town psychologist. It’s probably Jason Lee’s most significant film role in terms of quality and screen time. Plus he’s building a sex robot.
Out Cold. Zach Galifianakis debut and directed by surf royalty (staring snowboard royalty).
Zach Galifianakis’ first real Hollywood role. And he’s pretty much the only reason to watch the film if you’re not into snowboarding. Directed by surf filmmakers the Malloy brothers, this had potential before studio interference wanted it more like Top Gun on snow. Olympic snowboarder Todd Richards even tries his hand at acting (or something close to it). With stunt work by one of the most stylish snowboarders ever, Devun Walsh, every snowboarder has to watch this.
Airbourne (for the surfing, not the roller skating).
This is controversial. Rollerblading got so popular at one point they even made a film about it. Or was it hockey? How they equated roller skating to surfing I have no idea, but as a teenager, no one knew better. The surfing scene early on, and the unforgettable bed room surfing flash back, are perfect 90s cheese. Seth Green wearing a beret? Timeless.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Jeff Spicoli is still chasing his sponsor cheque cheque from Vans.
Is there even any surfing in this? I can’t remember. I just know I wanted a pair of Vans after watching this. And Californian girls. Sean Penn kicking his career off in the right way; a Cameron Crowe stoner movie.
Point Break. We’re still waiting for the 40 year storm to turn Bells Beach in Waimea.
Utah! Get me two! Crazy Swayze (RIP) and the original stoner surfer, Ted, I mean, Keanu Reeves. The movie that inspired the Bra Boys (probs not) and had us all right up until the end shot of a very Hawaii looking Bells Beach. Apparently Keanu stills surfs. Yeah brah.
A View to a Kill. James Bond and Tom Sims epicness.
The first Hollywood appearance of snowboarding? Tom Sims on an early Sims snowboard. Arguably one of the inventors of snowboarding helping Roger Moore escape the evil commies. Why the hell this was set to a Beach Boys cover I have no idea. Still awesome though.
Honorable Mentions:
Thrashin’. More professional skateboarders than plot. I didn’t put this in the top 10 because, by 80s standards, it’s almost a skateboard movie.
Rad. A BMX movie but from the 80s when it was cool. My friend Jan put me on to this one. Nicole Kidman might have been in the earlier BMX Bandits, but John Farnham has three anthems on this. They had the title right. Rad.
Terminator 2. Eddie Furlong was obviously more or an FMX guy but fuck he had a badass attitude and an even better hair cut.
Police Academy 4. David Spade and The Bones Brigade. This should have been in the list but I only remembered it when my friend Dan told me. So rather than go back and change it, I’m acknowledging my mistake. Great movie with maybe the best method caught on Hollywood film?
