The Search

The Search documented the epic meeting of Tom Curren and Jeffery's Bay.

Sonny Miller's "The Search" broke old ground when it was released by pushing the typical surf video back onto the road, exploring waves and cultures reminiscent of "The Endless Summer" and by pulling away from contest surfing and shameful quick-cut, rock and slop images so prevalent in popular videos of the era. The waves they chose to ride were sometimes dangerous and sometimes cold, but always visually stunning.

An ecclectic band of "Search Boys" was assembled: Tom Curren, Damien Hardman, Gary Green, Chris Davidson, and Frankie Oberholzer. But when the end credits roll it's the virtuoso performance of Tom Curren that will strike you as truly wonderous. Among his countless perfect turns, immeasurable tube-time, and uncanny knack for staying deep in the pocket no matter how heavy the situation, Curren also treats us to "the move of the decade" which laid the groundwork for much of today's fins-free explorations.

Here we see Curren's first wave at Jeffery's Bay: a seamless interweaving of old-school rail to rail carving and modern speed and agression. Depending on your surf stance (i.e. goofy-foot or regular), the video may seem to have some slow spots, but the 48 minutes of surfing, music, and overall vibe make it worth purchasing.