I just bought the DVD. This movie blows my head off it’s so good. It seems to me it has influenced all of the best modern surf movies, especially the Malloy / Jack Johnson films. (I just got A Broke Down Melody too, It’s great.) But Morning of the Earth has such a great feel and presence. It makes me wish I was older and had lived and surfed through the early 1970’s. Which must have been the most exciting and most FREE time to be a surfer. Do you agree? and also, Who has the best segment?
Surfing in the '70’s was OK, but I liked surfing in the '60’s much better.
'70’s were already crowded up by SanFrancisco, with lots of travelling surfers who sampled and stayed, causing major crowds and snake/stinkeye factor.
'60’s was still comraderie, picking up buds hitchhiking, hitchhiking myself with or without boards, lending and borrowing boards, and a sense of doing something special that the masses abhorred.
Of course, I didn’t grow up in SoCal, up here, average water AND air temps was like 53 degrees.
Yeah, I’m 28 years old, so I have no experience with surfing when it was pure… and subversive! I know all about the evil eye, getting snaked, hassiling and being hasseled and CROWDS!!! I went to school up in San Luis Obispo so I have had some uncrowded waves! But, know it’s crowded up there too… the only reason I say the 70’s must have been exciting is because of board developement. It would have been so thrilling to ride a log your whole life and then suddenly to have the short board! They’re so different.
I love the feel of Morning of the Earth. It was about going surfing. No stickers or labels, just a bunch of guys out to experience the utlimate experience in one of the then utlimate far and away never never land places. No dialog, just music, backdrop and surfing. One of the few movies that simply let it hang out with no pretense.
I still feel there are times like that, but they are fewer and once we get older we don’ t have near the spirit of adventure. I loved growing up surfing in the mid 70’s through the early eighties. I think we all love our early years. I feel I get more out of it now though.
Its a great surf flick. I watch it all the time. Seventies like LeeD stated were already crowded. Especially, in Southern California. Baja was still uncrowded. We used to surf it before school. Or, if it was good skip school. The drug thing took its toll on my bro’s and many others. I hope the drug seens in M of the E don’t encourage that type of thing with the younger guys, today. I love to watch Michael Peterson surf. He’s one of my all time favorites. Mike
Great movie!I agree with 100%
M y favorite part is Terry Fitzgeralds segmant
cool!
Morning of the Earth is a Great Film, I also watch it all the time.
My favouritre bits are:
That wave at Winkipop/bells that is F&*? massive and goes for eveeeeeeeeeerrrrr…
The Whaley Wedge (whale beach, sydney segment) cause I surf whaley when its good.
Nats section at Broken Head (because I had a very spiritual session there with Chicks, Dolphins & Great, Fun, Epic waves.
Chris Brocks living in a tree segment,
The veggie segments pretty good too but i hate veggies, Except Potatoes…
Possibly the best… was Baddy Treloars section at ‘angas’ as it remides me of my expierinces of the north coast, still very 70s buy the way.
Uluwatu Bali!!! EPIC!!
Kuta Reef was also good,
The Uluwatu section with the hendrix style track (awake My freind theres nothing in this place…)
The Sunset at Kuta Beach (reminds me of when i was there)
The MP at Kirra section,
Daycomes segment,
The following segment,
Terry Fitz… segment.
Wait till Chippa finds this thread, he’l be stoked!
MORNING OF THE EARTH IS A GOOODEN!!!
Josh.
Morning of the Earth is definitely one of the all time greats. I remember seeing it as a junior in high school and was most intrigued with the Bali segment. Never had I seen such perfect waves, and was wondering where the hell was this spot. Up until then the surfing world consisted mainly of California, Hawaii, Australia and South Africa. Back then we didnt have the luxury of watching it over and over like we do today on video. I’m so stoked that a lot of the films from back are being released on tape and discs. The seventies were a cool time, not nearly as commercialized as it is now, a lot of stuff was still being discovered as far as board design was concerned, new boundaries were being broken, but drugs were a bit more prevalent and took its toll on a lot of people. It was a great time to be a surfer, but its great to be a surfer now or back then…
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Morning of the Earth is a Great Film, I also watch it all the time.
Baddy Treloar near Angourie…
Shaping this board in the front room of the farmhouse, sanding it in the paddock
Uluwatu ...14 yo steve cooney surfing well overhead ulu’s on his backhand on a 5’9 square tail single fin, while rusty miller rides a 7’ + gun…
The MP at Kirra section, watch this in super slow motion at least 20 times…take note of his feet movements…and of course, the stubbie 5’9 he’s riding… Q… Alby Falzon filmed kirra , angourie, and… Byron and Lennox, so… WHY was George Greenough not included, is what I always wondered ? Was he in Santa Barbara or on his yacht, making 'Crystal Voyager at the time , I wonder ?? …it would have been GREAT to have had Alby film him slotted on his velo or mat at big lennox or broken head/buckets, I reckon… “chip”
I enjoy all of the surfing. MP is the stand-out of the film. But, I love that section with Nat Young! He’s just screaming down the face on that super narrow, gunny board, and cross stepping on that backhand? Crazy. He’s so smooth and fast. I just read the Nat’s Nat book, so maybe that’s a bias. I also like that chicken feeding segment… I’m not sure why, maybe the Irish Setters? Anyway, Fitzgerald wins for craziest style, just straight leg power, it’s amazing watching him throw that board around.
I picked up that DVD about three months ago and have nearly broke the player watching it over and over again. Love it. Especially that huge introductory wave. My favorite surf flick. The music is kinds cheesy by todays standards but I later find my self humming the songs the rest of the day.
Question: Since this is not my era, I have a hard time identifing some of the surfers. Which segment is MP? Is it the big left that he is hardly turning, just cutting huge lines on the face?
THIS is Michael Peterson…kirra is a RIGHTHANDER…
[ See if you can get hold of the MP book…it’s an interesting read… ]
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[Soundtrack to this segment: “sure feels good” song ]
bonus <span style="text-decoration:underline">M.P. "fangtail</span>" shot...M.P. won a contest [the pa bendall] surfing this !!...
…hope this helps,
ben
https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/1003281_stubbie…%27THE%20cutback%27%20%20[M.P].jpg
SoCal in 60’s had it’s moments. My eblematic memory is Trestles @ perfect 6-8 feet with maybe 10 surfers spread between uppers and lowers at the peak crowd of the day. Walk down the rail tracks from elementary school in San Clemente in the dark and sit on the beach until light enough to see a little then paddle out and get a couple hours in before anyone else shows up. Playing chase with the Marines, though they were MUCH more serious about it than we were. tons o’ fun
One time drove in and hid car in bamboo thicket. Got caught and bribed our way out with Randy’s Mom’s homemade meatloaf sandwiches for lonely southern boy marine far from home :()
More than thanks for the pics and explanation. I got it on the player now. Soaking it up on a Friday after work. I spent many a watchings looking the a thick mustashe on one of the surfers.
I got to sign off and watch the movie.
SF
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I spent many a watchings looking at the thick moustache on one of the surfers…
Yep, that’s michael !
…as with donutvan frankfurtbiter, the chicks [‘babes’] LOVED it…
believe it or not , he didn’t ALWAY have a mo though, bro … [hohoho !]
here’s proof… [1970]…
surffish, did the dvd come with the ‘morning of the earth’ booklet ?
…and , any ‘extras’ at the end of it ? [I have the video ]
ben
Who was the surfer shown shaping/sanding his own board then running out to the point to surf it? That’s the Swaylock’s thing for me. Build it yourself and ride it. The board worked good, too. Dam good surfer.Mike
I think that surfer that was making the board is David Treolar.
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'60’s was still comraderie, picking up buds hitchhiking, lending boards…
No reason why that had to stop in the 1960’s, Lee.
If you wanted to, you could always do that today, and tomorrow, and spread good vibes for the rest of your life…
it’s a choice…to 'share the stoke ’ , if you like…
ben
Yep that was Baddy Treloar with the board at angas scene,
Chippa’ if you speed up the MP footage after watching it in slow mo it shows how good he was to move his feet as much as he did so fast…FLOW!!!
The Ulus section with Stephen riding th 5ft9 was cool too… he also rides the same board at kuta reef…
Josh.
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surffish, did the dvd come with the ‘morning of the earth’ booklet ?
…and , any ‘extras’ at the end of it ? [I have the video ]
ben
Chip, The Mote booklet does come with the dvd, its a really cool free book too… and there is no extras on the Dvd…unfortunatly…
Josh.