By DREW DIXON, Shorelines
Two of surfing's earliest professional world champions will attend Saturday's Jacksonville premiere of Bustin' Down the Door, a documentary film that chronicles how short surfboards have impacted the sport.
Shaun Tomson and Peter Townend will take part in the event at 6:30 p.m. at the Regal Cinema, 14051 Beach Blvd. Townend, also known as P.T., and Tomson star in the documentary, which traces how short boards challenged surfing's traditions that originated in Hawaii in the 1970s.
"It will move your emotions in what we were trying to do in making a career in surfing," said the Australian-born Townend, the 1975 world title holder, who is known as the first global professional surfing champion.
Also on Saturday, Townend and Tomson will visit Aqua East Surf Shop at 696 Atlantic Blvd. in Neptune Beach at 1 p.m., then Sunrise Surf Shop at 834 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville Beach at 2 p.m. Then at 3 p.m., they'll be at the Sandy Forsyth Memorial Pro/Am Surf Contest at the Jacksonville Beach pier. A post-premiere party will occur at TacoLu restaurant, 1183 Beach Blvd., after the movie Saturday; the party will be free to the public.
Tomson, the 1977 champion and a native South African, said the film is a retrospective but that it also teaches audiences how big-time contemporary professional surfers can make such big bucks.
"It's really an untold story about how professional surfing and that surfing industry started. It's a coming-of-age movie about young boys becoming men," Tomson said. "It also delves deeply into a cultural clash that happened over that period of time."
Now that Tomson is 53 and Townend is 55, they can look back fondly at their aggressive and brash approach to charging the huge waves in Hawaii, and the resultant huge resentment. Both acknowledged it was difficult at the time, since many Hawaiian surfers were less than welcoming to see upstarts invading the surf lineup with unorthodox moves and what some saw as an arrogant attitude.
"This clash definitely did happen. There was a perception that this group of surfers had a disrespect of the Hawaiian community and the Hawaiian heritage," Tomson said. "At the same time, professional surfing was being formed. ... There definitely was a lot of conflict there. Many of the guys were beaten up and had death threats. We're covering this particular period."
Tomson and Townend have been touring much of the world premiering their film. Tomson said in planning such a tour, they were convinced Jacksonville had to be included. Both have visited and surfed in Jacksonville.
"It has a tremendous surf community. It has a great surfing culture," Tomson said.
And surfing heritage is the centerpiece of Bustin' Down the Door, Townend said. It's told with a story line narrated by actor Edward Norton. Historical documentaries have been increasing in frequency in surf film over the past decade and Townend said he was encouraged to help make Bustin' Down the Door after the seminal Dog Town And Z-Boys was released in 2001.
Mitch Kaufmann of Jacksonville Beach, director of the Northeast Florida district of the Eastern Surfing Association, said Tomson approached him about the premier and he jumped at the chance.
"It's pretty cool. They picked Jacksonville to show up at their East Coast premiere because they know this is a happening spot," Kaufmann said.
Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313
