User Reviews

More than just a surf movie, "Maverick's" is an insider's look at a historical phenomenon as it happens. A mix of glassy 16mm and gritty video, Grant Washburn and Lili Schad have captured the evolution of Maverick's from a place where a lone lunatic named Jeff Clark roamed the water to one of the most famed big wave spots in the world. As you watch the film, the enormity of the place just smacks you in the face. Washburn's matter of fact commentary such as "That guy's gonna die" is unforgettable, and all the more believable when you see him hurlting his body off of the same waves he's documenting. This film is not "Endless Summer," but it's damn close....see for yourself.

Maverick's: A Documentary Film follows the discovery of Maverick's in the early 1990s, who the original riders are, and how they feel about riding the largest monster in the world. Although the footage is amazing, what really makes the movie unique are the interviews with the original riders of Maverick's. Any surfer who has ever been taken down by a 5 footer, a 10 footer, or a 40 footer will be on edge throughout a lot of this film. The stories they have, directly from the riders of Maverick's mouths, will haunt you. There were several moments during the film where I was panic stricken. Although I have never ridden anything above 7 feet, and have never been out in anything above 10 feet, I have still had a few scary take down moments (for me anyway), and Maverick's: A Documentary Film puts every surfer in the seat of what it would feel like to be put down by an ice cold 40 footer. Jay Moriarty's famed wipeout is particularly a good story, as is the death of poor Mark Foo. If The Endless Summer is Huckleberry Finn, Maverick's: A Documentary Film is Rocky.

This movie kept me glued to the screen for its entire (albeit short) 55 minute running time. Interviews with a core group of big wave surfers are interspersed with shots of them and others riding the waves at Maverick's. There is a lot of footage of waves that are absolutely unrideable also. The music by the Mermen is a big factor with its edgy, driving "surf" sound.

There is discussion of whether big wave contests are a good idea or not, and about the dangers and thrills of riding these waves, but the best thing about the movie is its footage of the monster waves themselves. Awesome!