Part 3: Surfing Films - Memories, stoke and a tool to improve your Surfing...

Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo and other online media outlets have allowed surfing films and clips to be put out into the public domain with a lot more ease. Surf films, clips, vlogs and everyday surf footage is readily available and the collection is massive! All you have to do is use an online search engine, and you'll have the latest session that went down or the latest clip from one of the top pros.

Jamie O'Brien and a recent Vlog.

Previously, with Videos and DVDs you would have to wait until they were available, purchase them (or borrow them) and play them. You'd build up a collection and sift through them when you were keen to watch them to get amped for a surf, or just something to watch on a rainy day. VHS surfing films were about 30-40 mins of good surfing and good music. DVDs had multiple sections and they were easily manipulated to skip scenes, change music and watch added extras, whereas now you can watch quick clips from different companies, surfers and locations at the press of a button.

Some people like to collect surfing films on VHS or DVD. There's something about having a physical collection you can store (alphabetically if you're that way inclined) and keep safe ready for another binge or just because you like having a collection readily available to you. There's also the nostalgia of old surfing videos. Like the way we watch surfing films, surfing itself has evolved over time and it’s important to preserve history so that it can be shared with others. Watching the progression through time allows you to have more of an open mind about styles and types of surfing. Whether it's power surfing, styling on a single fin or launching airs on impossible looking sections you can you focus in on it, see how it was done and allow yourself to be inspired.

It’s quite easy to watch an old surfing film on YouTube, but not all of them are there or available in their entirety. There's something special about sitting down with an old VHS player and watching a classic surf film for 45 mins or so. And because you've made the effort to plug in the right leads to the back of the TV, rewound the tape to the beginning and pressed play you're more likely to sit down with your mates and watch it all the way through.

Whatever your preference is, there's so much out there and its pretty easy to get hold of the latest video or even look back and watch a classic. You can search online forums and buy a VHS or DVD you couldn't get when it first came out and share the stoke with others. You can follow your favourite surfer on Instagram and watch 1 min long clips of their latest edit and follow links to watch the full edit or you can watch live events from the WSL or sessions going on around the world. Either way it's something to do and get you amped until you get a chance to paddle out and do it for yourself, and maybe what you've seen has inspired you surf in a slightly different way, try something new or improve your technique.

Matz Ginman-Trout

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