George Greenough - Deep Tube Riding
Pioneer surf cinematographer, filmmaker, and board designer George Greenough recently found some lost 16mm waveriding footage from the late ‘60s. The footage was shot during filming of 'The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun'. It had never been seen until recently.
Long before HD video cameras went digital and GoPro swamped the market, Greenough was strapping a full-sized film camera to his back and capturing POV footage from inside the tube. Not only did he envision the shot, he hand-built the water housing for his camera to make it happen. It was just one innovation of many from a man who helped define modern surfing as much as anyone in history.
This year George cut the lost footage together and added narration explaining his motivation and techniques for getting the shots. Music by Band of Frequencies brings a taste of the psychedelic vibe that permeated the original film.
Comments
amazing footage & commentary
How's the stream of conciousness talking straight from one description of a wave into another without pausing to reflect or take a breath and then he's into yet another vivid description from a wave he rode 40 years ago.
Unreal.
Awesome footage and story. George was light years ahead of his time 40 years ago, and in some ways, still is today. I can't get my head around surfing deep tubes in double overhead Lennox on a fin-less mat let alone with a heavy camera housing strapped to his back?
To me, this film captures beautifully the 'soul of surfing' - George exemplifies that so naturally in his thinking and his actions? What an inspiration.
I second both of you.
That was captivating.
Incredible footage, beautiful colors & fantastic commentary/descriptions.!!!
Imagine George on a modern day bodyboard, his control would be even more mind blowing. Great stuff!!!
mindblowing to see how far ahead of his time he was, responsible for the shortboard revolution ,foiled fins...all surfers should acknowledge thate was the Godfathe of modern surfing
Inner most limits of pure fun,best movie ever on acid...George was and is still such an inspiration.....
George is why I kneeboard, since 1971. George is still a huge inspiration; innovative, passionate, skilful. As a film maker, camera and lens inventor, and most of all, fearless free surfer, he is quite simply without peer.
legend
George on a spoon at 4-6ft chopes.....he would love it.
He surfed 'chopes' in the early 70s. When him and chris brock sailed 'the morning light' boat from California to Australia ( see Crystal Voyager film) they parked in Tahiti for fair while. He didnt take the camera out though! He fitted a leggie to the front of his spoon, the leggie was made from car tyre inner tube and he attached it to his wrist. While 'chopes' is a great wave, i think in the early 70s you could score LONG grinding point breaks, like Lennox, and this was more appealing to the style of surfing that Greenough pioneered.
Gotta love George, he was a bit before my time, but as a grommet i borrowed every surf vid from the video shop and loved Crystal voyager, such a tripper building boats, weird boards and those tube shots, so far ahead of his time.
And gotta love Lennox, i miss that place one of my favourite oz waves, spent many many days surfing it and hanging in the carpark then camping in the old Kombi in the boulders bushes.
I believe he also still has the same haircut, classic guy with a classic haircut.
LSD at its best.
This drug creates great artists and inspirations of the like.
Try it, you will succumb yourself in a way of vision, just dont try the spoon;)
What does he mean by "tow in"? What were they towing in on?
Elmaco I was gonna to mention that to.....doesnt happen there any more...... .....freeride ?Not sure how long ago Georgie made that vid.
Boriiiing.
I have my GoPro on the front of my board and can see myself surf. My hand jives are the best. Much more fun being vain. You should see my facial expressions.
He's been working on that stuff for a few years now, the tow-in reference was to a time a few years ago when it became popular to tow the outside peak.
Only paddled now.
George surfs everyday. No excuses.
Greenough - Legend - I still remember the gasps in the crowd from the surfers when they saw his first movie at the Crystal Palace theatre in Auckand, NZ. George and his spoon showed surfers where they could really go on a wave.
Speechless. That was perfect.