Rewind to the mid-90s and Australia’s status as the world’s preeminent surf nation has been rattled by Kelly Slater and his heavily-hyped ‘Momentum’ brethren. As surfers around the world start taking their cues from Taylor Steele’s slickly produced vids, Justin Gane releases ‘Pulse’, which plays like an Australian counter-punch to the Steele-driven push for team America. It’s an era where it rapidly becomes apparent that the free-surfing you lay down in your movie section is equally if not more important than winning heats. Thanks to Ganey and his Pulse films, the likes of Brendan Margieson, Jay Phillips, Trent Munro, Asher Pacey, Neal Purchase Junior and the emerging Coooly kids – Joel Parkinson, Dean Morrison and Mick Fanning – all had another platform beyond contests to promote their talents. Meanwhile, Oz surfers had a VHS they could jam in the video player that let them get amped on Australian surfers and bands.
Thirty years on and many of the original Pulse crew are still ripping, while a new generation of Australian surfers are striving for contest success and creative influence. Justin Gane figured it was an opportune moment to chronicle the evolution of the 90s all-stars, whilst simultaneously shining a spotlight on the current crop of Down Under surfers vying for supremacy. The end result is ‘Re-Pulse’, 90-minutes of full-throttle action that follows a similar formula to the original cult classic, albeit with flashbacks and a punchy, narrative cameo by Tom Carroll. Tommy’s interludes help raise the stakes of the action and remind us that the surfers we are witnessing warrant further recognition.
‘Re-Pulse’ (a free streaming code comes with the DVD) is so jam-packed with good surfing it’s difficult to single out individual performances. From the moment a rubber-limbed Dakoda Walters blasts the back out of a North Coast wall it’s on. Initially ‘Re-Pulse’ alternates between modern performers and past icons. The sections featuring the original surfers always showcase snippets of earlier footage and it’s a buzz to compare the lines being drawn then and now. How does a Jay Phillips hand-jive-garnished cutback match up with a Dakoda Walters slinky-framed carve? Does the fact that airs weren’t as big a focus in the 90s mean that the rail surfing was better? Did the longer boards look better through a turn? These are all little questions you find yourself asking.
Mostly it’s all about tuning into the subtle differences in style and approach, and the long-form format means you can readily make these comparisons. However, there were certainly a few elements that had me hitting the rewind button. Watching the old footage of Brendan ‘Margo’ Margieson you can’t help but be convinced there was a window when he was the best power surfer in the world. If the measure of status is the ability to create an emotive response with a single turn then Margo’s surfing from the 90s is certainly some of the best ever captured. These days Margo looks a little more grizzly but the moments of sublime timing and power are still present in his more recent footage. Meanwhile his son, Mica, is carving his own deep furrows into a surfing future and when you watch him in ‘Re-Pulse’ it’s hard not to go looking for the similarities in style and approach.
Shaun Cansdell is introduced as the youngest of The Pulse Originals. The pinnacle of Cansdell’s brief stint on the CT was a runner-up finish at Fiji in his 2006 Rookie year. A few years on he’d retired from competition and reinvented himself as a shaper. ‘Re-Pulse’ reveals that Cansdell’s backhand snap remains a thing of rare beauty. Perhaps the impact of Cansdell’s surfing is reinforced by the fact he now does it on craft he designed himself. If aspiring young surfers are seeking tips on how to approach backside surfing then Cansdell’s drawn out bottom turns and violent hooks remain more relevant than ever.
Everyone will have their favourites from past and present in ‘Re-Pulse’. Perhaps like the old days you and your pals will vigorously debate who does the best surfing in the movie. Asher Pacey, a Pulse OG, shifts the tempo with a twin-fin section that drips with typical flow and steeze, while a few waves from Danny Wills remind us that he remains one of the most technically complete surfers to ever set foot on a board. Mick Fanning’s cameo on a performance twin fin is also another highlight.
Admittedly I was probably watching with a little mid-40s bias, riffing on the older generation to whom I could better relate – Dan Ross is also ripping harder than ever. However, the performances from the modern slayers were every bit as impressive. ‘Re-Pulse’ gives you good reason to believe in the modern push of Australian surfing. Morgan Cibilic demolishes Nth Coast sidewinders and proves he is much more than a smart competitor, while Jack Robinson makes his presence felt as something other than a barrel virtuoso. Nobody ever tires of watching Ethan Ewing’s distinctive brand of body torque while the King brothers – Kyuss and Rasmus – play like an Ozi incarnation of the Fletchers; punk-inspired shredders whose every turn is trailed by a whip of platinum blonde. While there are certainly moments of aerial wizardry the bulk of the action, from surfers young and old, features rail and power surfing with a little tube glory for good measure. The wipeout section is another welcome tribute to surfing’s past while many of the clips showcase full length waves as opposed to single moves – something many viewers prefer. This is also real-time surfing. No one is hitting the Red-Camera slow-mo, which can sometimes make good surfing like an overdose of valium.
The best thing to do is buy a copy of ‘Re-Pulse’ (available on Vimeo streaming or DVD – a free streaming code comes with the DVD ) and leave it on your screen for a few weeks like you did with the old VHS tapes. The soundtrack is a core blend of Aussie punk, rock and metal and plays well in its own right as background music. Then when it’s time to go surfing flick to your favourite section and get psyched. Ultimately ‘Re-Pulse’ reminds you that it doesn’t matter if you are fifteen or fifty there is nothing wrong with dialling in the surfing action to get pumped up before you paddle out.
