White Wash

Locations
Call Number: DVD 797.3 Wh
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 1st Floor 1-week checkout	DVD 797.3 Wh	1-week checkout	On Shelf

Originally produced as a documentary film in 2011.
Special features: photo gallery, theatrical trailer.
Narrated by Ben Harper, with Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter.
Although surfing originated in Hawaii as part of Polynesian culture, Americans adopted a blonde-haired, blue-eyed male surfer cliche that still dominates today. The role of black surfers is explored by introducing audiences to the likes of Michael Green, Rick Blocker, Sal Maselka, and Dr. Charles Ross. These guests recount their personal journey, while discussing surf history, its origin and revolution, all the while preserving the love of catching that giant wave.
DVD, NTSC, region 1; standard 1.78:1 aspect ratio (letterboxed).

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Beneath the Surface of Surfing submitted by Meginator on August 31, 2019, 11:18pm This documentary grapples with the complex history of race in the United States as it pertains to surfing. Drawing on interviews with academics and surfers, most of whom are people of color, the filmmakers examine the ways in which unequal access to education/instruction, beaches, and pools has led to an overwhelmingly white surf culture in the U.S. (despite the sport’s Hawaiian origins) and share several Black surfers’ personal stories. The film suffers from minor pacing and some repetition, but the surfers’ love for their sport provides a strong emotional core that holds everything together. By simultaneously confronting uncomfortable truths and celebrating the sport’s appeal across artificial cultural barriers, the documentary offers an important counterpoint to predominant narratives about surfing.