BBC Northern Ireland - BBC Radio Foyle - Surfing

Title: Sprout
Reviewer: Jay

True to his style, Thomas Campbell has brought us another godsend of artwork/ cinematography. Famed for his surfing and skateboarding art, Campbell has put together over an hours worth of grimey super 8 footage of surfing, and travel, centred around California but spreading throughout Mexico, Costa Rica and the north west coast of the states.

Where this video differs to the vast majority of surf videos, is it’s dedication to exposing two of the most important and basic elements to surfing. 1. fun, and 2. style.

The majority of filming is longboard and fish based, but there is some shortboarding interdispered, and a pinch of skateboarding too. Like many of surfings forefathers, Tterry Fitzgerald, Larry Bertleman, Gerry Lopez - the surfers showcased here are all stylers.

They go big too, don’t be mistaken, but what we see is surfing at it’s most graceful and original. Modern professionals like Rob Machado, and Dan Malloy, shown alongside Gerry Lopez, and Tom Wagener on 10ft planks and wide fishes, having a good time and making it look like it did way before the era of arials, and million dollar prizewinning wave rides. Campbell has showcased not only the act of surfing well, but shown the beauty of the surroundings and the people involved.

I dunno, basically I hate surf videos, but I love this one. Really makes you want to go surf, which is always worth shelling out a few bob for.