Fictional Surfing Films
by bubba_blais | created - 28 Jan 2012 | updated - 29 Apr 2012 | PublicThere haven't been many notable surfing features throughout cinema history, barely a handful. I know there are probably a lot of obscure surfing movies from the US and Australia but they are very difficult to find. Please help this list grow by suggesting any (fictional) surfing movies you may have heard of or seen that aren't on this list!
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1. Gidget (1959)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young girl discovers surfing and love (in that order) during one transitive summer.
Director: Paul Wendkos | Stars: Sandra Dee, James Darren, Cliff Robertson, Arthur O'Connell
Votes: 3,819
2. Where the Boys Are (1960)
Approved | 99 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Four very different college girls drive to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for spring break and seek out various adventures and romance for themselves.
Director: Henry Levin | Stars: Dolores Hart, George Hamilton, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Hutton
Votes: 3,095
3. Blue Hawaii (1961)
Approved | 102 min | Comedy, Musical
After arriving back in Hawaii from the Army, Chad Gates (Elvis Presley) defies his parents' wishes for him to work at the family business and instead goes to work as a tour guide at his girlfriend's agency.
Director: Norman Taurog | Stars: Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury, Nancy Walters
Votes: 7,498 | Gross: $10.44M
4. Beach Party (1963)
Not Rated | 101 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
A bearded anthropologist studies the habits of swingin' American teens while they enjoy the summer surfing, loving, and partying at the beach.
Director: William Asher | Stars: Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello
Votes: 2,338
5. Ride the Wild Surf (1964)
TV-G | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Fabian and Shelley Fabares are among the '60s stars surfing their way to paradise along the famous beaches on Hawaii's North Shore.
Directors: Don Taylor, Phil Karlson | Stars: Fabian, Shelley Fabares, Peter Brown, Barbara Eden
Votes: 800
6. Muscle Beach Party (1964)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Musical
Local beach-goers find that their beach has been taken over by a businessman training a stable of body builders.
Director: William Asher | Stars: Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Luciana Paluzzi, John Ashley
Votes: 1,770
7. The Girls on the Beach (1965)
Not Rated | 80 min | Comedy
The girls of Alpha Beta need to raise $10,000 in two weeks to save the sorority house. Among their schemes to raise the funds are a beauty contest, a newspaper puzzle, and a baking contest.... See full summary »
Director: William Witney | Stars: Noreen Corcoran, Martin West, Linda Marshall, Steven Rogers
Votes: 279
8. Beach Ball (1965)
Not Rated | 83 min | Comedy, Musical
Edd Byrnes tries to get an ethnic-music-studies grant to buy instruments for his rock and roll group, the Wigglers. College-finance-committee members Chris Noel, Gail Gilmore, Mikki Jameson... See full summary »
Director: Lennie Weinrib | Stars: Edd Byrnes, Chris Noel, Robert Logan, Aron Kincaid
Votes: 198
9. Hot Rods to Hell (1966)
Approved | 92 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
The new owner of a motel in the California desert has a run-in with a gang of delinquent teenage hot rod drivers.
Director: John Brahm | Stars: Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain, Mimsy Farmer, Laurie Mock
Votes: 1,103
10. The Happening (1967)
101 min | Comedy
Young drifters kidnap rich businessman Roc Delmonico for kicks and demand $200K for his release. But none of Roc's relatives or Mafia associates want to part with the money. So Roc switches allegiances and plots revenge.
Director: Elliot Silverstein | Stars: Anthony Quinn, George Maharis, Michael Parks, Robert Walker Jr.
Votes: 836
11. It's a Bikini World (1967)
Not Rated | 86 min | Comedy, Musical
Male chauvinist Mike attempts to get an intelligent burgeoning feminist Delilah into his harem. When she resists, Mike then poses as his brother Herbert, but in the process falls in love with Delilah.
Director: Stephanie Rothman | Stars: Deborah Walley, Tommy Kirk, Bobby Pickett, Suzie Kaye
Votes: 386
12. Summer City (1977)
Not Rated | 83 min | Drama, Thriller
The exploits of four boys who leave Sydney and head out for a weekend of surfing and adventure. Unfortunately the fun takes a serious turn when they find themselves involved in a murder.
Director: Christopher Fraser | Stars: John Jarratt, Phillip Avalon, Steve Bisley, Mel Gibson
Votes: 757
13. Big Wednesday (1978)
PG | 120 min | Drama, Sport
The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s.
Director: John Milius | Stars: Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey, Patti D'Arbanville
Votes: 7,360
14. Puberty Blues (1981)
R | 87 min | Comedy, Drama
The mating rituals of two teenage surf chicks from the southern suburbs of Sydney.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Nell Schofield, Jad Capelja, Jeffrey Rhoe, Tony Hughes
Votes: 1,663 | Gross: $0.24M
15. Back to the Beach (1987)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Musical
Frankie and Annette, having grown up and put aside their beach-partying lifestyle, visit their daughter in Southern California and discover there's still some wild times left in them.
Director: Lyndall Hobbs | Stars: Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Lori Loughlin, Tommy Hinkley
Votes: 3,392 | Gross: $13.11M
16. North Shore (1987)
PG | 96 min | Action, Drama, Romance
After learning how to surf by using the local wave tanks, Arizona resident Rick uses his winnings from a recent contest to fly to Hawaii and try to make a living for himself as a professional wave rider.
Director: William Phelps | Stars: Matt Adler, Nia Peeples, Gregory Harrison, John Philbin
Votes: 2,957 | Gross: $3.83M
17. Point Break (1991)
R | 122 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
An F.B.I. Agent goes undercover to catch a gang of surfers who may be bank robbers.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty
Votes: 201,970 | Gross: $43.22M
18. Blue Juice (1995)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
JC thinks surfing is everything. His girlfriend Chloe wants him to settle down. When he decides to go surfing one night with friends from London, she throws JC out. Surfing or Chloe?
Director: Carl Prechezer | Stars: Sean Pertwee, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ewan McGregor, Steven Mackintosh
Votes: 2,942
19. In God's Hands (1998)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Drama, Sport
Three pro surfers - gifted Shane, once-great Mickey and rising young star Keoni travel to Madagascar, Bali and Hawaii in search for the ultimate wave.
Director: Zalman King | Stars: Matt George, Matty Liu, Shane Dorian, Shaun Tomson
Votes: 1,249 | Gross: $1.38M
20. Johnny Tsunami (1999 TV Movie)
TV-G | 88 min | Drama, Family, Sport
A Hawaiian teenage surfer shows off his skills when he takes to the snow slopes in Vermont.
Director: Steve Boyum | Stars: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brandon Baker, Mary Page Keller, Yuji Okumoto
Votes: 6,099
21. Blue Crush (2002)
PG-13 | 104 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
As a hard-core surfer girl prepares for a big competition, she finds herself falling for a football player.
Director: John Stockwell | Stars: Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis, Sanoe Lake
Votes: 32,897 | Gross: $40.39M
22. Surf's Up (2007)
PG | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A behind-the-scenes look at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship, and its newest participant, up-and-comer Cody Maverick.
Directors: Ash Brannon, Chris Buck | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, Jeff Bridges
Votes: 90,693 | Gross: $58.87M
23. Surfer, Dude (2008)
R | 85 min | Comedy
A wave twisting tale of a soul searching surfer experiencing an existential crisis.
Director: S.R. Bindler | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Alexie Gilmore
Votes: 9,117 | Gross: $0.04M
24. Cutback (2010)
PG | 87 min | Drama, Sport
High school senior Luke has dreams of being a pro surfer, but his parents want him to focus on picking a college. When a spot opens on the local surf team, he sees his big chance to prove to them that he can make it as a surfer.
Directors: Lance Bachelder, Johnny Remo | Stars: Justin Schwan, Kelsey Sanders, Raquel Gardner, Greg Carlson
Votes: 299
25. Soul Surfer (2011)
PG | 112 min | Biography, Drama, Family
Bethany Hamilton, a professional surfer, loses her left arm in a shark attack. Unwilling to pay attention to the gravity of her situation, Bethany decides to get back into the ocean and surf again.
Director: Sean McNamara | Stars: AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood
Votes: 52,848 | Gross: $43.85M
26. Blue Crush 2 (2011 Video)
PG-13 | 113 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
Haunted by the memory of her deceased mother, Dana leaves Malibu behind and heads to South Africa to fulfill her mother's dream of surfing Jefferys Bay.
Director: Mike Elliott | Stars: Sasha Jackson, Lizzy Mathis, Ben Milliken, Sharni Vinson
Votes: 3,907
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