Kai Neville has turned a high performance surf movie into an art-house masterpiece that not only documents some of the best surfers cutting loose, but captures surf sessions and the surf experience as a whole. It unravels random moments in time and space, blending sci-fi hallucinogenic effects with beautifully edited raw footage that is genius in its subtlety. Brownian motion blurs melt into close-ups of the talent, juxtaposed with sublime footage of nature and light.
I love how you get to see the crew failing on several attempts before nailing that massive air, getting washed up on the rocks, running down the beach, getting suited up. It’s classic.
Next time I watch Modern Collective I’m going to do an air count because I reckon there are well over 200 in this movie. But fans of the power carve won’t be disappointed as Jordy Smith unleashes fury throughout and is ably assisted by Dion Agius, Mitch Coleborn, Dane Reynolds and Dusty Payne.
It’s power combined with flair combined with artistry: and that’s just the first wave.
Modern Collective – The First Visions from Poor Specimen on Vimeo.