Surf movie: Momentum Generation (2018)
Surfing changed them, they changed surf culture, competition almost destroyed it
Surfing is not what you would call an old sport; on the contrary, it is still comparably new but there is already some history that has been written. If you have a look at surf history, you will come across the so-called Momentum Generation – a group of young surfers in the 1990s that changed how surfing is perceived in the world. It was their friendship that made surfing popular and turned it from a subculture into an action sport.
The documentary Momentum Generation, directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist, tells the story of the inner circle of the group and gives new insights and stories that have never been told before. It’s not just stories about fun and games that Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Shane Dorian, Kalani Robb, Pat O’Connell, Benji Weatherley, and Ross Williams are talking about in the movie, but it also takes a very emotional turn with them really opening up about their feelings and the things that almost destroyed their friendship and everything they had achieved. You will find yourself smiling and laughing about the scenes you see; you will most likely shed a tear or two and finish with a smile on your face again as you watch Momentum Generation. (It is available on Amazon Prime for £7.99).
Where they all came from
Broken backgrounds is the keyword here. They met when they were 12 years old, they came from different places – Florida, California, Hawaii – and they had two things in common: family stories where violence, alcohol, or abuse had left their marks and a love for surfing.
“A few guys should have turned out bad, considering the upbringing they had, but the group and having that support around, guys saying “Hey, don’t do that shit,” it kind of slaps some guys around that could’ve gone the wrong way.” (Kelly Slater in Momentum Generation, Minute 95)
How they all got together
They all were fascinated by the big, dangerous waves in Hawaii, it was the place they had to go to. At the same time, Benji’s parents had just broken up and without even knowing what they were doing, they moved to Hawaii in a house at the North Shore. It seems that it was meant to be that they all met at the same time in Hawaii. Benji’s house soon became their house – a home and a family none of them had at home. The interviews conducted for the movie show clearly that they all agree on that one point: Surfing was their way out, their salvation, and their purpose in life.
“But back then, surfing was not a career path. It was just something you enjoy doing.” (Kelly Slater in Momentum Generation, Minute 10)
How they stuck together
Surfing brought them together and it made them stay together, it was the basis of their friendship. But there was one other thing that was the glue: Taylor Steele’s movies. After the original “Momentum” movie that showed surfing as what it is and as what we know it today, the camera stayed with the group. If you now watch Momentum Generation, you can be very grateful for all that footage that exists – a lot of it has never been shown before.
The movies and Kelly Slater being in Baywatch turned the faces towards surfing. The Momentum Generation turned the surf world around. People started looking and what they saw were young athletes enjoying the surf. This changed the perception of surfing as a subculture of drug addicts into a recognised sport.
Are you watching it right now? Are you smiling? Charlie isn’t surprised because the movie clearly portrays these positive feelings, all the fun they had in and out of the water, at Benji’s house in Hawaii and on tour. The movie revives their memories of surfing everywhere in the world, fun at the house, and how they made fun of each other. You can see them making music together at the house, winding each other up, and rolling Kelly down a hill in a trash can after he had won his first world title.
When the competition takes over
In the beginning, it was just about surfing. The waves they surfed got bigger and bigger, they were all building each other up becoming better at the sport in the process. Soon enough, it was their goal to make it on the world tour. They already were pro surfers, earning their living through sponsorships. Going on tour to compete for the world title was the next logical step. Even that was fun in the beginning: They talk in the movie about how it felt to beat the older, established surfers and world champions. Martin Potter, Mark Occhilupo, and Sunny Garcia all tell their side of the story about how these little boys came and took over. You can see smiling faces as they remember those times and old footage showing emotional scenes of those moments when they realized that their dreams had come true.
There was just one thing they hadn’t anticipated: if they’re all on tour, they’re competing against each other, friends that compete against each other. Ross Williams and Shane Dorian share memories about punching each other’s surfboard, and Kelly Slater and Rob Machado talk about the year when the world title was decided between the two of them. A high-five in the water is marked as the decisive moment from where it all started to fall apart. The tension started to build up. For an injury wild card, all tour competitors had to vote for either Shane Dorian or Rob Machado. The latter was voted off the tour by those who were once friends. Judging by what they all say in the interviews about that moment indicates that they started to realize what they had given up for the competition.
At the same time, the competitive character, and managers wanting to make more money, caused the glue to be washed off: Taylor Steele wasn’t able to make the movies anymore.
It’s not just those events that happened in the competitive arena, things had changed back in their home, the Momentum-family-home in Hawaii. Todd Chesser, one of the original Momentum group whom they all describe as being the moral compass, the one that would have called them out for being too business-focused, that kept them humble and grounded, was gone.
“’Cause I’ve seen guys winning a contest and not enjoy it. I’ve seen guys get third and were ecstatic. So, who won? To me it’s the one having the most fun. ” (Taylor Knox in Momentum Generation, Minute 96)
A picture of Todd Chesser appears on screen as Taylor Knox continues:
“And that’s what I loved about Todd. It was about surfing for the pure love of surfing.” (Taylor Knox in Momentum Generation, Minute 97)
The movie shows that as a very emotional moment, better to have the tissues prepared!
Rewind: It’s about having fun
The group had fallen apart, and all of them started going their own ways. Rob Machado had become a free surfer; Shane Dorian became a big wave surfer and Kalani Robb started an office job. Wait, what? An office job? Yes, you got that right. For Charlie, it is one of the most iconic scenes when you see him leave that job in the movie – in a wetsuit and with a surfboard under his arm. Isn’t that what we all dream of? To leave the office job one day to keep on surfing.
“When I was working for the biotech company, it was just tearing me up inside. And I realized I definitely fit a wet suit vibe more than a suit suit vibe.” (Kalani Robb in Momentum Generation, Minute 93)
They all started to realize that they had gone down a path that had nothing to do with the true spirit of surfing anymore. This was the key to getting back what they had lost through the competitive years by wanting to be the best.
Once again, Momentum Generation takes an emotional turn as you see Kelly Slater trying hard to hold back the tears when he talks about his father dying of cancer. That was the moment he realized what they all had lost, and he started to reach out to the others again. First, it was just text messages and it ended in a reunion.
“Now that the competition’s been taken out of our friendship, it brought us back to being kids again. It was like being there 25 years ago. ” (Taylor Knox in Momentum Generation, Minute 98)
This moment filled with good memories and a lot of fun in and out of the water is what the movie Momentum Generation ends with. And by the way, Benji’s house – the place where it all started – lives on in the restaurant “Breakers” run by Benji Weatherley and his mum. If Charlie ever makes it to Hawaii, she’s going to have lunch there, for sure.
