Animals were harmed in these films
With the help of local surfing superstar Frosty Hesson, he trains like a champion to attempt the seemingly-impossible task of conquering the all-powerful wave.
An inspiring movie based on a true story, 'Soul Surfer' tells the tale of 13-year-old surf champion Bethany Hamilton.
This feel-good American surf movie sees a hot young surfer from Arizona head to tackle the waves on the fabled North Shore of O'ahu, Hawaii. Life lessons are learned in and out of the water in a classic 1980s surf drama.
Another true-life tale of pure surfing passion, this is a buddy movie with killer waves. It tells the story of young surf prodigy Jay Moriarity, who sets out to tame the legendary 'Mavericks' surf break—one of the biggest waves on the planet.
Get ready for some serious wave-riding envy in this tale of a group of surf-obsessed girls living their surf dream in Hawaii.
The film is based not on a book, but on a magazine article. The inspiration came from a 1998 piece, "Life's Swell," in Outside magazine, about a group of young surfer girls and their dedication to the sport.
The sight of a rain-soaked Keanu Reeves brought teenage girls rushing to the cinema to see this early '90s surf-crime drama that has become a stone cold classic.
The success of the first movie spawned a successful sequel, which saw Deborah Walley take on the title role. The surfing action switches to Hawaii, where Gidget is busy riding waves after a lovers' tiff with her surfer boyfriend, Jeff "Moondoggie" Matthews. It's a fun frolic of a movie with some seriously good surf scenes.
Surfing was riding a wave of mainstream popularity by the early 1960s, and 'Ride the Wild Surf' captures the energy of the scene in a fun tale of college buddies heading to Hawaii to try and beat the competition in a high-stakes annual competition.
A musical comedy with some high-energy surf scenes, it sees Elvis Presley's character Chad Gates return from the army to the beaches of Hawaii. His father has plans for his future, but all the surfing rocker wants to do is have fun on the sand with his buddies.
Hawaiian surf adventures of a less serious nature are the basis for this fun Elvis flick featuring the star's famous singing and dance moves.
It's impossible to talk about surf movies without talking about 'Gidget'. Based on the novel 'Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas' by Frederick Kohner, the film tells the story of a Malibu girl who isn't content to just sit and watch the boys surf.
A cult classic, 'The Endless Summer' is required viewing for any serious surfer.
Made when surfing was just taking off around the world, documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown follows surfers Michael Hynson and Robert August as they travel in search of the perfect wave (and the perfect temperatures). A competition-level surfer himself, Brown's passion is evident.
This Australian documentary, narrated by Toni Collette, is a thrilling look at the lives of surfing legends Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones, still at the top of their game in middle age, as they tackle some of the most incredible waves on the planet.
Sources: (Surfer Today) (Red Bull)
See also: Surfing Amazon's endless wave
Be prepared for some slightly racy content in this sexy surf drama. Based on the Doris Lessing story 'The Grandmothers,' it's a surf drama set in New South Wales, with some seriously sensual undercurrents.
The takeaway moral of the movie is "never surf alone." Blake Lively's character Nancy seeks some solace at sea, only to find she has a killer shark for company. It's a tense tale that would have any surfer thinking twice about braving the water unaccompanied.
Born to surf, Hamilton loses her arm in a shark attack. But rather than giving up on her passion, she learns how to live with her missing limb, and finds the courage to get back in the water and master the art of one-armed surfing.
An altogether darker surf movie, 'The Shallows' is a horror story based out at sea, with a great white shark providing the scares.
With blue sea and skies, crashing waves, and golden sands, surfing has to be the most cinematic sport on the planet. It's no wonder that filmmakers have long sought to capture the glamor and the glory of the surfing scene, from enthralling drama-documentaries to fun-in-the-sun romantic comedies. The best surf movies will make you want to clamber into a wetsuit and start surfing some waves: even if you've never stood up on a board in your life!
Surf's up, so get clicking through this gallery to discover some of the best surf movies of all time.
Patrick Swayze in a wetsuit ensured those teenage girls' moms flocked to the cinema, too. He plays the charismatic, surfing leader of a gang responsible for a series of bank robberies. Reeves is an FBI agent in town to investigate, and soon finds he's in deep with the surf gang.
If you like your surf movies with a dash of horror, this streaming flick could be right up your street. Like a nightmare version of 'Jumanji,' a group discover a cursed board game that brings horrific consequences to anybody that dares to play it.
On an altogether lighter note, this animated surf movie is fun viewing for surf enthusiasts of all ages.
No band captured the laid-back surf sound like The Beach Boys, and this 2014 biopic is a thoughtful insight into the life of key band member Brian Wilson.
Featuring some pretty impressive CGI waves, the film follows teenage surfing penguin Cody Maverick (voiced by Shia LaBeouf) as he leaves his Antarctica home in search of big waves and big success, learning a few life lessons along the way.
Although his music was the soundtrack to the 1960s California surf scene, Wilson was not a surfer himself, and the movie looks at the deep gulf between his fun-in-the-sun surf lyrics, and the personal demons that haunted him.
The author was inspired to write the book by watching his own daughter's adventures as a surfer, and Sandra Dee brought the character of Francie 'Gidget' Lawrence vividly to life on the big screen. The movie was a box-office smash, and inspired many a young American to ride the waves.
A classic coming-of-age movie with added breaks, 'Big Wednesday' is based around three California surfing buddies. The friends' lives drift apart, but they are brought back together again by their shared passion for the waves.
Two brothers in a small coastal town start a backyard business making boards and surfing gear, sparking a wave of interest that leads to the birth of an industry, despite some major obstacles along the way.
The surfing action takes place in 1970s Australia in this tale about the beginnings of surf as a big business concern.
The best surf movies of all time
Films to get you in the mood for riding the waves!
MOVIES Cinema
With blue sea and skies, crashing waves, and golden sands, surfing has to be the most cinematic sport on the planet. It's no wonder that filmmakers have long sought to capture the glamor and the glory of the surfing scene, from enthralling drama-documentaries to fun-in-the-sun romantic comedies. The best surf movies will make you want to clamber into a wetsuit and start surfing some waves: even if you've never stood up on a board in your life!
Surf's up, so get clicking through this gallery to discover some of the best surf movies of all time.