A Successful Retaliation Against Traditional Surf Films

Surfers often try to escape the realm of traditional surf movies by introducing acting to a dull highlight reel. The result is often corny, forced, and cringe-worthy. There are some cases where a little extra pizazz plays well. The best one that comes to mind is Mick Fanning and Mason Ho in Red Monkey, Full Moon. The animations and voice-over lay an entertaining runway for world-class surfing not far behind.

I haven’t pinpointed the exact formula for mixing acting with surfing, but Tomás Valente and Tomás Loureiro have a solid grasp on the concept. Their new film Pablito is one of the most entertaining surf excerpts I’ve seen. It’s the story of a drug dealer named Pablito who is betrayed in a business deal gone wrong and swears revenge on those who deceived him.

Aside from Valente’s tube expertise, he also has a bag of claims that are difficult not to laugh at. Refer to 2:10 and 4:10 to get a glimpse of Tomás’ personality. He’s not qualifying for the CT anytime soon, but he surfs well and doesn’t take anything too seriously.

The absurdity of this clip is what makes the acting blend so well with the surfing. Tomás Valente and Tomás Loureiro address that a film like this is ridiculous, and they use it to their advantage.

Click here to watch Pablito pelvic thrust his way towards vengeance.