Storm Surfers Video Series is BORING

You're missing the point of the videos. They're outtakes (or microdocs) from the main feature, which premiered last night on Discovery Channel. There was so much unused footage from all of the the trips that it was decided to use them as promo for the movie rather than leaving them on the cutting room floor.

i thought storm surfers last night was awesome! A fly on the wall look at the time and effort that goes into chasing huge waves. the weather does'nt always cooperate-thats part of it! i think tom and ross can hold they're own in the big stuff and the photography is first class! this stuff is for mainstream consumption and even if you dont surf you can get a feel for what these guys are doing! maybe they will score big time on the next trip and silence the knockers who have probably never surfed a wave over 6 to 8 foot!

i know what you mean opinion man..i mean watching footage of the young blokes towing into chopes blows my mind every time i watch it and supers, cyclopes, jaws etc. but i watched it on discovery last night and it wasnt that epic, but the respect i have for tom charging a solid wave in 3 degree water with hail and howling winds? uncomprehandable. i think they should just open their window of swell a little scored somewhere remote you know?

alva, it's a logistical nightmare to 'open the swell window' for a production like this. It's not just Tom and Ross traveling around with one cameraman - the equipment and personnel required to produce Storm Surfers is enormous, which can really only be effectively deployed for a single region at a time. Additionally, in order to build a story line, its preferable to focus on one location so that there is enough backstory to make for a full hour of viewing. The Storm Surfers series is more about the mechanics of sourcing, tracking and getting to big waves, rather than just riding them.

And, it's a shame that the ocean didn't cooperate like we hoped it would. But - that's reality. We had a three month waiting period (Sep/Oct/Nov) to get the show done (so, that's around fifteen people on standby for ninety days), and we assumed that there'd be at least one large swell at NZ's South Island during this time. It just didn't happen - this part of the swell window went quiet for three months. We had no choice but to scramble to a brand new spot that we'd never reccy'd or researched, in the last few days of our three month waiting period. Without this we wouldn't have been able to finish the show.

The good news is that we've got a whole stack of new locations up our sleeves that we'll tackle for the next documentary, including Storm Surfers 3D (which we're shooting a pilot for over the coming months). There's a lot of unexplored coastline out there with a lot of new big wave locations to be ridden.

you say that ben, but like old mate said before..it looks like theres a solid budget behind this doco because of all the crystal clear HD footage and what not. But my point is what about all the awesome footage people score at other places aroudn the worl? i mean yes they would have a much bigger waiting period. but its a big planet. anyway ill get off your case man, its all a big learning curve..
by the way im not saying i didnt like it just all the build up and what not was sick,but was kind of an anti climax you know what im saying?

can i add that the SNOWTOW video is the gayest thing i have ever seen!

Everyone knows that a 10 - 15ft doubling up 'below sea level' reef that sounds like a jet is heavier and more exciting to watch than a slow motion 20 - 30ft outer bombie.

By: "opinion"

Correction: Every surfer knows that. When it comes to non-surfers (who the movie is directed at) it's all about the height. And anyway, speak for yourself, I've seen twenty movies of Shippies and ten of the Right just this year. Every time they break Tim Bonython and cohorts are all over it. I want to see somewhere I haven't seen before.

This is an interesting post - looking at all of the evidence, one has to come to the conclusion that there are far better exponents of big wave surfig than TC and RCJ, and they are surfing way heavier waves than them.
Storms is a 100% commercial venture and the backers are going to want their dollars returned - expect hyped advertising.......in the end its up to the viewer and the consumer. Is this stuff going to drive you to BUY the associated product???? I'm thinking that very few young surfers will associate with whats on offer here and the venture may have given the two surfers a last few days in the sun but little more.
There are clearly better surfers getting into more critical situations than the Storm Surfers (the Hollmer-Cross brothers and Paradisis for example) but they are travelling rusty car to a range of waves - other than Ships - and only sometimes documenting their efforts. Their photographers are mates who are part timers.
It's therefore an industry decision regarding who the companies want to back.......

Its a good subject to discuss- where is big wave surfing going, and where has it come from? Tom and Ross dominated the big wave scene in the 80's& 90's. This was by paddling into the most extreme waves on hawaii's north shore. The question is does this take more balls and skill than towing into slabs? Shows like Storm Surfers are made to appeal to a broader audience than teenage frothers. Tom and Ross have the reputations and character to pull off a show like this.

very valid point. its directed at people who are interested in surfing not so much surfing..if you wanted to see sick footage fuck off tv and buy a dvd.