Hoole-McCoy’s classic flick Storm Riders back on the big screen at Lennox Head

Dick and Jack’s influential gem – one night only – here’s the news as reported in The Ballina Times – author: Mitchell Craig

Lennox-Ballina Boardriders set to bring classic surf film Storm Riders back to the big screen

THE Lennox-Ballina Boardriders is bringing one of surfing’s most influential films back to the big screen with a special one-off showing of the 1980s classic Storm Riders.

It will be held at the Lennox Head Cultural Centre on Saturday 8 August.

Presented in conjunction with filmmaker Dick Hoole and the family of the late surf filmmaker Jack McCoy, the event will celebrate a movie that inspired a generation of surfers.

Le-Ba Boardriders secretary and event organiser Tony O’Brien said the screening followed the success of the club’s previous surf film event featuring Bob McTavish and Chris Brock in the The Innermost Limits, which reunited surfing legends and attracted a strong local crowd.

“I met Dick Hoole through that and we thought, let’s do it again. Let’s have another older sort of surf movie and get all the old crusties together,” O’Brien said.

“Storm Riders was the movie when I was a grom. I’ve still got the original poster. To me, it’s my favourite surf movie.”

Released in the early 1980s, Storm Riders broke new ground by taking viewers to remote surf destinations across five continents, showcasing waves including Uluwatu, Nias and G-Land long before they became bucket-list destinations for surfers.

O’Brien said the film fundamentally changed surf travel.

“That was the movie that really opened it up, particularly for Nias and G-Land,” he said.

“It got people thinking about travelling, looking for surf and looking for uncrowded waves. It was such a special movie.”

The film features surfing greats including Wayne Lynch, Rabbit Bartholomew, Pete McCabe, Thornton Fallander, Simon Anderson, Tom Carroll, Cheyne Horan, Mark Richards and Gerry Lopez.

Its soundtrack has become just as legendary, featuring artists including INXS, Split Enz, Australian Crawl, The Church, Mondo Rock, Little River Band, Sharon O’Neill and Mi-Sex.

“It’s an unbelievable soundtrack and that is such a big part of it, too,” O’Brien said.

“Some of the footage of G-Land and Ulu back in the day when it was pretty remote is incredible.”

Audience members will also have the chance to hear first-hand stories from those involved in making the film, with several surfers expected to attend alongside filmmaker Dick Hoole for a post-screening question-and-answer session.

O’Brien said organisers were also hopeful Lennox Head actor and keen surfer Simon Baker would again lend his support after appearing at the club’s previous surf film night.

He said Hoole’s stories from filming were almost as remarkable as the movie itself.

Half of the proceeds from the evening will go towards the Ngulingah Education Program, an Aboriginal outreach education initiative run through John Stewart at the local Living School.

Tickets can be purchased at events.humanitix.com/storm-riders-ngulingah-education-program

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

 - SOURCE: THE BALLINA TIMES