Film Reviews

Waveriders

• Rating:
• Director: Joel Conroy
• Starring: Kelly Slater
• Details: IRL/80mins (G)

Having screened at the recent Jameson Dublin International Dublin Festival, Waveriders deservedly picked up the audience award, which comes as no surprise as this is one of the finest documentaries - or feature films - to come out of Ireland in recent memory. Heading out towards the Atlantic, where some of the biggest waves on earth regularly crash against the Irish West Coast, director Conroy has assembled an informative and engaging doc that will appeal to more than just those familiar with wipe-outs and lungs full of seawater.

Taking in interviews with nine-time world champion Kelly Slater, as well as surfing stalwarts The Malloy Brothers, this is much more than talking heads on a beach. Conroy has shot some truly spectacular footage, with waves as high as four stories being surfed by both local guys who grew up near the beaches, and their American counterparts. The Malloy Brothers, who are widely regarded as California's First Family of Surfing, have been coming to Ireland's west coast for the best part of a decade to immerse themselves in the truly stunning conditions, and appear to have a genuine bond with the place. But some of the most absorbing stuff here comes from the history of surfing, as we learn that the man who pioneered the sport, as it's now known, is of Irish parentage. His story alone is a film waiting to be made, but as quickly as you're caught up in his amazing life story, Conroy has us back on the beaches of Bundoran - having dazzled us with an innovative use of grainy photographs and drawings, while various prominent surfers and journalists wax enthusiastically about his legacy.

This has a better chance of finding a global audience than anything else to come out of this country in a long time. Its story is firmly rooted in Ireland, and it most definitely has a green heart beating at its core; but this is a documentary of universal appeal that you can see packing in theatres from Malibu to Melbourne.

Review by Mike Sheridan