Billabong Jack McCoy Surf Film Festival European Tour 2004

The final leg of the BH World Tour finished in the Spanish town of Mundaka Saturday night to a packed audience of 500 who were treated to a good old fashioned surfing film experience in the tradition of the late 1950's to early 1980's.  

The Tour started January 21, 2004 on Queenslands Gold Coast at it's world premier.  Now, almost 7 months later in Spain, the audience there in Mundaka, complete with  Spanish subtitles were as vocal in their stoke as the 55,000 others who'd come to see the film on the BIG screen before them.  

For the films producer/cameraman, Sinclair Black, and cinematographer/director, Jack McCoy, both who had been at every showing, it was the end of a 4 year dream to make a great surfing film and take it on the road to share with surfers and non surfers alike internationally.  In the end the film played 151 screenings in 73 venues in 10 countries around the world.  

Three weeks later, the European tour kicked off in Bournemouth England to a sold out house at the local IMAX theatre.  Rasta began the evening by playing the zyladrum as everyone entered the theatre.   The stoke factor registered high on the hoot meter as did the second night in Plymouth.  Both of those shows were treated to a Q & A session with Rasta and Jack at intermission.  Everything from what camera's does Jack use, to is Rasta married (by a young star struck lass), the two shows in the UK were special.  

Next stop was Germany in the board sport city of Kiel.  This sold out show was a but more subdued than in a solid surf audience, where the large audience of windsurfers and kite boarders held their thanks and enthusiasm until the credit sequence came on.

The next stop was the French town of Lacanau.  The highlight for the BH crew was an 8 minute standing ovation that seemed to go on forever.  The French really appreciate art and it was obvious by the response we received.  

Hossegor would prove to be the largest screening in Europe and right up there with the opening night on Queensland's Goldcoast where over 1300 people crammed into the Salledes Spetackles ( or community Hall).  The audience was filled with not only surfers, but French mom and pop with a few grannys and grandpa's came along to see what all the fuss was about.  It was a great showing and the surf stoke flowed long into the night.

Portugal was a special treat.  Although people in the UK and France had the odd traditional surf film experience in the late 70's, Portugal had missed out.  Blue Horizon was the first surfing film to play on the big screen since Big Wednesday (cit.: 1978).  The people of Portugal were super appreciative and hospitable and really were stoked at the surf movie experience.  It was a very special experience for all of us.  We shall return.  

Our next showing was on the French Rivera. The summer coastal town of Hyeres, located next to San Tropez was another exciting night.  Wanting to try and see how we would go there in the south of France was our interest, and although this was the only show that did not sell out on the European tour, the hoot factor was exceptional.

The second last showing of the tour was in Italy.  Why go to Italy, I asked the Billabong team when I saw it on the tour.  The told me that there was surf on the Mediterranean and that summer crowds packed the beaches.  I envisioned a flat ocean and a bunch of people eating pasta.  However the summer resort of Viareggio had to have been one of the world tour highlights.  

We arrived the day before the showing to a flat sea and a 100,000 Italians on the beach under their neatly lined up umbrellas.  Our local contact Max was there to greet us and tell us that the surf would be coming up.  Rasta and I looked at each other knowing full well we'd heard all of this before.  Max assured us that there would be some surf later that afternoon or in the morning.  “Yeah sure” we said.

That night the local surf crew threw an Italian Bar B Q for us with huge slabs of Tuna where we got to party with the local crew.

I was the first one up the next morning and as I walked down the beach, all I could see was white water all the way to the horizon.  It looked like cloud break at Waikiki on the swell of the century.  I had to rub my eyes.  It was messy, but solid.  Soon Rasta, Sinclair, Carl, Stephan and myself made the 1/2 hour battle to get out the back.  The result was some 8-10 ft faces sucking then going fat for 100 yard rides.  It was soooooooooooo much fun. After a working up a big appetite, we were treated to an Italian feast for the next 3 hours.  The food kept coming and the DORA bar.  We Added Miki to the Dora and felt right at home.  

Althought Italians do not go to indoor cinemas in summer, a sold out 900 strong were one of the most vocal audiences ever.  Although only 4% of Italians can speak english, the version shown on the night, the crowd went off from the start and went nuts and crazy during any wipeout, big wave, or beautiful sequence.  They applauded where no one had ever before.  One of our best shows Ever!

The final show was in the magical Spanish coastal town Mundaka.  In the community hall on the point overlooking the famous break, the last show was destined to be a classic.  The entire BH crew claim that this audience cheered the opening sequence and the end of the film.  The big auditorium had an echo going and it sounded like a Soccer crowd going crazy after a goal.  

On the plane back to Australia, I could not help but thinking how much effort went into making the Blue Horizon and then showing the film internationally for the past 7 months.  There were so many people who contributed making the Billabong Jack McCoy Surf Film Festival a success behind the scenes.  We thank you all.  The Reward... there were over 55,000 people we'd shared the film with, and returned to old and new fans alike, the renewed surf culture experience of a Big Screen Surfing film.  Long live the surf movie and ALOHA.

 Aloha  Jack...