Billabong Odyssey

A few years ago, some of the top surfers in the world banded together and took off on a global search for that 'perfect wave.' They called their expedition The Billabong Odyssey, and this documentary chronicles both the group's formation and its first major forays into the roiling waters off the coasts of France, Mexico, Australia, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest.

'The Billabong Odyssey' is more than just a series of breathtaking stunts being performed on awe-inspiring waves; it is an informative piece of film-making that instructs those of us who wouldn't know a surf board from an emery board on the fine points of the sport. Through voice-over narration by many of the men on the team, we learn about how the sport has changed and evolved over the years, most notably since the advent of towing vehicles which makes it possible for riders to go out to monster waves that previous generations of paddling surfers could only look off into the distance and dream about reaching. We are informed as to how monster waves form, where they are most likely to occur, and what kinds of dangers they pose for those brave (or foolish) enough to venture into them. We also see just how far technology will advance the sport in the years to come as innovative fans come up with more and more sophisticated equipment and accoutrements to make conquering that ultimate wave a viable possibility. In addition, the film reveals a great deal about the psychology of the sport, affording us glimpses into the mindset of people who are willing to risk life and limb in pursuit of that ultimate thrill.

Of course, the main attraction of a film like 'The Billabong Odyssey' is its phenomenal, you-are-there views of some of the world's greatest waves and the men who attempt to conquer them. The filmmakers plunge us right into the thick of the action, allowing us to ride along with the members of the team, as they wipe out or fulfill their ultimate challenge - only to head right back into the surf to do it all over again.

The film feels a little disjointed at times, losing some of its focus 'round about the midway point. The Odyssey members tend to get lost in the crowd and we miss that sense of camaraderie and group cohesiveness the movie provides us with at the beginning. Still, in terms of its visuals and the insight it offers into the sport, 'The Billabong Odyssey' provides a first-rate arm chair adventure for both the water-logged and the landlubbers among us.

The reason I saw this movie, a film which I would ordinarily not have given a thought to was because I work at my university cinema. I'm an usher and I was needed to fill in for someone else who couldn't make it. So, as you can probably tell already I had no interest in watching a movie about surfers and surfing. However, I was prepared to watch it through, and I started out with an open mind. Ten minutes in I was bored out of my mind, to the point where I closed my eyes and attempted to catch up on some sleep...unfortunately the obligatory heavy rock soundtrack stopped me from doing this. I understand that the waves shown throughout the movie are very impressive. Some of them are absolutely massive and I did occasionally find myself inwardly gasping at the enormity of the waves. However, after having seen 50 of them, in a row with various surfers battling against them I completely lost interest. It all became monotonous and dull because these shots were shown one after the other for five minutes at a time. There were occasional bright moments throughout the movie which succeeded in peaking my interest. The all too short and shallow look back at the beginning of the popularity of the sport was good but unfortunately didn't provide any insight. The small section about the newest innovations in the surfing world were also good, giving the audience an opportunity to see what surfing could potentially become in a few years time. But, both of these were cut short by more shots of the surfers and the waves, shots which might as well have been recycled for all the originality they presented.

The documentary, I'm sure would be of some interest to surfing fans and, for a brief moment would interest non-surfers. The waves were impressive and the way the camera managed to get inside the waves, capturing everything on film was impressive, but there was just not enough depth to keep any interest sustained.

There are many surf- special interest movies- out there but they are very hard to rent or buy in mainstream joints. When you are interested in the sport/pastime like me you tend to rent any one that comes along in Blockbusters. What attracted me to this effort was it wasn't just a Green Day soundtrack to bleached blonde guys, surfing; it had some narrative as well as big waves and babes.

The documentary follows seven big wave surfers on their quest 'The Billabong Odyssey' to ride the worlds biggest waves with the help of the latest technology to find the boiling, angry breakers where ever they are on the planet at anyone time. It's a fast response project-led by Shawn Baron- where the guys-typical flashy American souls surfers- are on call where ever they are in the world and assemble to take on a big storm of reef when the conditions are right, where ever that may be, in search of the mythical 100ft monster.

The ambitious project has restrictions as all the guys are big names in the sport and have other things going on and you do feel that the odyssey is really about making a spectacular big screen documentary from minimal time and footage than actually seeking out the biggest waves in the most romantic and obscure places.

Off we go… The boys use a method called Toe-surfing, a recent innovation in the sport during the nineties where big wave surfers can get on top of a wave that's too big and powerful to paddle into by normal means so use the toe of a jet ski. The powerful motor bikes on water also allow the guys to be rescued just as quick during a dramatic wipe-out.

The film opens in the most spectacular style and if you saw this in the movie house then I bet it was something. The water based camera has a surfer and a jet ski in shot, and then as it pans away the surfer breaks free from the toe and the board grips the water that's strangely sloped. The camera pans further out as the wave wall grows and he shrinks. The camera keeps panning out as he keeps shrinking on this enormous, cresting wave of deep blue-green with surfer, Mike Bradshaw ,a mere ant on the side of a mountain when the camera stops. It really is a quite extraordinary thing to see and worth renting just for that.

The guys set out on their three year adventure by taking on a local break they know well that produces 50 footers called 'Todos'. This sets us up for what's to come as the guys tackle the South Californian coastal island break to you're a-typical, rock soundtrack. It's of to a Mexican reef break called Cortex Bank next that's 45 miles out in the ocean where beautiful ,big waves break majestically like dancing mermaids in the middle of nowhere, which again is mesmerising to see.

After a few trips to Europe after big storms the boys are ironically back at Hawaii and the legendary 'Jaws' in Maui, known as the biggest, consistent break in the world. After all the great plans, advanced weather reports and technology use its here that they will find that mythical wave. Not only is it 'stoked' out there but the island and pro-tour is holding its first ever toe-surf event on the mighty wave and the boys have entered.

Other aspects to the film are the guys back stories and how their time in the game has seen the sport evolve and become the commercial pose it is today. Now you can surf with wind boards or even aerofoil now the feet can be strapped to the board and with guys pushing it to the limit with wings on the kit it won't be long until you can fly over the waves.

Should you rent it… After the tragic tsunami events that seemed to have some sort of biblical significance considering the Boxing day impact and Easter after shocks it was the surfers in those exotic locations who stayed on to help organise the clean up. Surfing is a religion to and the waves are the Gods and if you still haven't a real perspective on how big the tidal wave was that slapped into Indonesia then watch this.

If you want to see attractive, bleached surfers having a great time out there while we slave away at the desk then it's achieved its objective. This is the unattainable dream, the big dream, the ultimate freedom if you like from your armchair and these guys are living it for you. When ever you see surfers doing their thing and living the life with all the girls and stuff you do wonder how they pay for it though. The truth is that 300 days a year they are making a buck and in a suit or a warehouse to fund it and only a handful earn a livable wage from it. But its nice to dream….

"In a world that was so regimented in the 1960s, surfing was freedom," says Ken Bradshaw, a 49-year-old Texan who in 1998 surfed the biggest recorded wave in history. Bradshaw's just one of the elite featured here - an oddball collection of rock 'n' rollers, thrill-seekers and hermits. For these men and women the sport seems almost sexual, with their talk of "thrusts", "swells" and "peaks".

Like latter-day Argonauts, the search for surf takes them across the globe, and the rewards - personal or pecuniary - are staggering. To carry the analogy, if Brad Gerlach, once ranked number two in the world until he unexpectedly quit, is Jason, then Mike Parsons (Gerlach's arch-rival) is the crew's Orpheus, monkish and self-contained. And it's Parsons who tops and tails the film, surfing a 70 foot wave - named Cyclops, after the one-eyed monster in 'The Odyssey' - before the might of nature crashes down upon him. For that feat, at 'Jaws' in Hawaii, he'd win a perfect 10 and make surfing history.

But this is more than a Who's Who of surfers: interspersed with personal stories - from the likes of Ken 'Skindog' Collins, one of the 'Santa Cruz Boys' who surf all day and party all night. We discover how being a surfer in the 1980s meant being a corporate whore - as Gerlach, pictured in flashback festooned with sponsorship labels, more walking advertisement than human, soon discovered.

If the 1990s saw advances in weather forecasting, computer technology pinpointing bigger waves with a high degree of accuracy, we also learn how water-sports are now cross-pollinating, combining aspects of gliding and snowboarding. It's a truly transcendental moment as "'surf-scientist' Rush Randle demonstrates aerial-acrobatics on his hydrofoil board, affording the film a quiet majesty all too often interrupted by an MTV rock soundtrack.

The cinematography is incredible, but this stuff would look impressive on home video. Importantly, the dangers of surfing are made perfectly clear: in surfing spots that translate as "Broken Skulls" in Tahitian, it's shocking to suddenly see the odd flash of crimson amid the blue, white and green.

Big wave surfers Who's Who in this documentary that is very informative of how surfing has evolved since the 60's with the advent of the jet ski to help catch 40 to 50 plus feet waves.

The movie begins and ends with the footage of Mike Parsons' ride (shot from the beginning where his partner's jet ski pulls him onto the very beginning of the sea swell before it rises high above the cameraman) on what will be a very large wave at Jaws in Hawaii. Forty-five feet high at least. Who ever was holding the camera for this shot filmed a classic and there are many classic shots of surf riding.

It was a treat to see this footage twice in the movie, at both ends.