Flashback to 2013 and a group of young, Australian surfers are gathered at Sydney airport anxiously awaiting a flight to Tahiti. We meet pugilist Richie Vaculik, an innocent-looking Mikey Wright with a page-boy haircut, Mark Mathews before his hideous injury, and a husky Dean Bowen who has always sounded like he was raised on a diet of cigarettes and scotch. Then the US all-star cast shows up in Tahiti, including the likes of Shane Dorian, Laird Hamilton, Nathan Fletcher, Kamalei Alexander, and Alex Gray. Suddenly a confederacy of the world’s best, big wave surfers is descending upon a little Tahitian town for a swell that may last a week instead of just one day. It’s showtime. Watch out for cameos from Keala Kennelly and Maya Gabeira also.
It’s the raw interviews and genuine sense of anticipation that give Bonython’s clips a welcome ounce of difference. Meanwhile, Teahupo’o always does well as the gurgling, hissing, roaring monster in the surfing horror movie you can’t take your eyes off
