Fiberglass and Megapixels: totally tubular, dude

Movie still. (Picture courtesy of "Fiberglass and Megapixels")

Enjoying its Californian premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival, “Fiberglass and Megapixels” is an indie documentary examining the relationship between the top surfers who flock to Oahu’s North Shore in the winter and the photographers that follow them.

Filmed on a shoestring budget over two winters, “Fiberglass and Megapixels”, in a compact 48 minutes, effectively details the intense commercialisation of a dream (that of the surfing lifestyle) and the “supermarket of image gathering” that takes place at what is regarded as the proving ground for top surfers. With the $1bn surfing industry’s perpetual need for extraordinary photographs to deliver unto the public eye, top photographers don helmets and flippers to gather in surprisingly numerous shoals, riding the huge winter waves beneath their board-riding subjects.

And it ain’t easy. As surfer Flynn Novak remarks, “You run over them sometimes”. One of the photographers recounts an out-of-body experience after being smashed down by a huge wave, cracking his helmet open against the sea floor. A mutual respect has formed between these two groups of pros, resting on the twin pillars of the awareness of the inherent difficulty of their individual occupations, as well as understanding that each is responsible for the other’s commercial success.

The verve of the photographers interviewed passionately conveys their excitement about being involved in this particular niche of sports photography; one likens their closeness to the sport’s practitioners as being similar to “shooting the Superbowl, and using a wide angle lens, running around the pitch with the players”. Indeed, the enthusiasm of the photographers for their choice of career seems to outshine that of their (usually) more highly paid counterparts.

The situation has become, as one particularly philosophical surfer puts it, “insane, almost, like, ridiculous”.

The surfers, for the most part, seem worn out by the intense competition and commercial reality of the pro surfer dream. Interviewees admit worrying about whether they’re surfing in the right light to deliver the best photos and, consequently, guarantee continued sponsorship. The situation has become, as one particularly philosophical surfer puts it, “insane, almost, like, ridiculous”.

Despite the short length and broad perspective that governs “Fiberglass and Megapixels”, directorial siblings Derek and Craig Hoffmann interweave enough individual stories, between the broad brushstrokes of the big picture, to ensure an affecting and memorable documentary.

With thanks to the Newport Beach Film Festival.

For more info: http://www.fiberglassandmegapixels.com/

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