Revisiting An Endless Summer (Where Were You in '64?)

NPR ^ | 07/24/2014 | IAN BUCKWALTER

[Kid Shelleen]

--SNIP-- It's a little amateurish, eye-rollingly hokey, and yet irresistibly endearing in its aw-shucks wholesome sincerity. It's those qualities that have allowed the film to improbably endure as the most influential adventure sports documentary ever made, and warrant another limited theatrical run in a few dozen theaters nationwide to celebrate a half-century since it first screened.

[jonrick46]

In 1964 I was shaking hands with Barry and Peggy Goldwater at a rally in the Washington State Pavilion in Seattle.

[skeeter]

You an east or westsider?

Re: this review - Endless Summer was great - as was its 30 year anniversary follow on film.

BTW I wonder if the writer has considered that its he and HIS generation that has the sensitivity problem.

Because its true. They live in a humorless world where everyone is desperately seeking offense.

[GreyFriar]

summer of my 17th birthday, working on a farm in Indiana

[ErnBatavia]

I sure as hell know where I was on July 26 in 1968, however......putting on my civilian clothes and kissing Camp Pendleton goodbye. "Free at last!"

I was still a little pissed that 1968 had been a leap year, so the Marine Corps owned me for one extra friggin day.

[airdalechief]

In the navy

Yes, you can sail the seven seas

In the navy

Yes, you can put your mind at ease

In the navy

They want you, they want you
They want you as a new recruit

[PapaNew]

You an east or westsider?

You mean in Santa Cruz? No, I lived over the hill on the peninsula.

[skeeter]

Where did you surf?

I didn't start until around 1980, 38th st, The Hook, now at Steamer, mostly. I'm wondering where the spots were in 64.

[PapaNew]

Started out a Cowells (inside Steamers) and ended up at the Hook. Loved the Hook, smooth, glassy.

[jonathonandjennifer]

I tried to see this movie in Chicago with a couple of girlfriends, and we couldn’t get in because we weren’t eighteen. I never did know why the restriction.

[skeeter]

Its still the best quality, if not the largest, wave in the area.

Darn crowded all the time though. Oh to be there in 64...

[Toespi]

Lol! High desert girl “surfing” in Santa Monica.

[anoldafvet]

Hickam AFB, Hawaii and DaNang, S. Vietnam

[PapaNew]

They didn’t have a staircase back then so people perilously climbed down the cliff holing on to plant roots and stuff. I was too scared to do that, so I paddled around the west point from the beach on the other side of the point. A lot of paddling.

[PapaNew]

Cool. Love Santa Monica, but I body-surfed there. Had a ball.

[skeeter]

lol. O'Neill still owns the house right there on the ocean at 38th. We used to see him out in front of it by himself on an old Mal back in the very early 80s.

I still love surfing but it gets harder all the time.

[beelzepug]

The year I graduated from high school, turned eighteen, met the girl I’m still married to, more good memories than I can count. But...we just had our 50th reunion and everybody is so freaking old!

I still have a teenage brain much of the time but my 68 year-old carcass won’t let me keep up with it. I suppose it’s just as well.

[AFreeBird]

Let’s see, I was down at the creek enjoying my last summer before 1st grade.

[PapaNew]

I wish I could. I stopped for a long while, gained some weight, but still got up on a board at Waikiki probably the easiest place to surf anywhere. Later I tried in San Diego, but the boards were so small they just sunk and I had to swim to shore.

I basically boogie-board now and love it.

[skeeter]

I've recently talked myself into buying a 6'5" Haut I can still manage. But once I can no longer I'll still figure out a way to get out there. Maybe bodysurfing.

I will draw the line at SUP, though. No way will you catch me in the lineup with one of those.

[PapaNew]

What’s an SUP?