North Shore (film)
Encyclopedia
North Shore is a 1987 film about Rick Kane (Matt Adler
), a young fictional
surfer from a wave tank
in Arizona
, who heads to surf the season on the North Shore of Oahu
and see if he has the skills to cut it as a pro surfer. As he progresses on his journey, he learns the qualities he possesses are not going to pull him through alone.
), which causes Vince to wipe out and leads to a confrontation where he is chased off the beach after he realizes his stuff was stolen from the beach by a member of the Hui. With nowhere to go, he fortuitously runs into Turtle (John Philbin
). Kane meets and falls in love with Kiani (Nia Peeples
), a beautiful local girl who helps him acclimate to the local culture and customs. Turtle introduces him to Chandler (Gregory Harrison
), a shaper and soul surfer, who teaches Rick about soul surfing and Rick masters the art of appreciating and riding the waves. Rick is a talented graphic artist who helps Chandler design a more contemporary logo for his surfboards. The film's antagonist is Lance Burkhart (Laird Hamilton
), a famous, top-ranked surfer whose competitive and materialistic values conflict with the spiritual teachings of Chandler. The film climaxes with a surf contest on Banzai Pipeline
as Rick ends up competing against Lance in a duel of skills and beliefs.
, Gerry Lopez
("Vince"), Laird Hamilton
("Lance Burkhart"), Mark Occhilupo
, Robbie Page ("Alex Rogers"), Mark Foo
, Derek Ho
, Hans Hedemann, Ken Bradshaw
and several others.
swing/ska
band The W's
on their CD titled Fourth From the Last
.
Part of the plot is parodied in Surf's Up
.
During a concert in 2010, Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara
admitted that their song "Northshore" was entitled after this movie after Tegan had an experience similar to that of Rick Kane.
The movie is mentioned heavily in the Sarah Vowell
book about Hawaiian history, Unfamiliar Fishes
.
Matt Adler
Matthew D. "Matt" Adler is an American film actor. He is best known for his work in the 1980s for his supporting roles in the teenage films: Teen Wolf, White Water Summer, North Shore, and Dream a Little Dream....
), a young fictional
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
surfer from a wave tank
Wave tank
A wave tank is a laboratory setup for observing the behavior of surface waves. The typical wave tank is a deep and narrow, transparent-sided box filled with liquid, usually water, leaving open or air-filled space on top. At one end of the tank an actuator generates waves; the other end usually...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, who heads to surf the season on the North Shore of Oahu
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
and see if he has the skills to cut it as a pro surfer. As he progresses on his journey, he learns the qualities he possesses are not going to pull him through alone.
Synopsis
Rick Kane, approximately 18 years of age at the start of the film having just graduated high school, uses his winnings from a wave tank surfing contest in his native state of Arizona to fly to Hawaii the summer before that start of college to try and become a professional surfer. He takes a plane to Honolulu with plans to stay with a surfer that he met in Arizona six months ago. He finds the friend tending bar at a seedy gentlemen's club. At the bar he meets up with two pro surfers, Alex and Mark, and stays with them at the house of Lance Burkhart. In the morning, he goes out surfing with Alex and Mark and realizes that surfing in the ocean is totally different to surfing in a wave tank and he is not as good as he had initially thought. During this scene he gets in the way of Vince, leader of the local group the Hui (wave slider club) and (real surfing legend Gerry LopezGerry Lopez
Gerry Lopez , aka Mr. Pipeline, is an American surfer, shaper, journalist, and film actor.-Early life:Lopez was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, grew up in East Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii and attended Punahou School. He frequented the semi secret reefs in and around Aina Haina as well as better known surf...
), which causes Vince to wipe out and leads to a confrontation where he is chased off the beach after he realizes his stuff was stolen from the beach by a member of the Hui. With nowhere to go, he fortuitously runs into Turtle (John Philbin
John Philbin
John Philbin is an American surfer who has appeared in television and film.John first began acting in high school, around the same time he began surfing. Choosing acting over wrestling, John joined a drama team that went on to win awards throughout his high school career. Upon leaving high school,...
). Kane meets and falls in love with Kiani (Nia Peeples
Nia Peeples
Virenia Gwendolyn "Nia" Peeples is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nicole Chapman on Fame...
), a beautiful local girl who helps him acclimate to the local culture and customs. Turtle introduces him to Chandler (Gregory Harrison
Gregory Harrison
Gregory Neale Harrison is an American actor. He is probably best known for his role as Chandler in the 1987 cult favorite North Shore and as Trapper John MacIntyre's young surgeon, Dr. George Alonzo 'Gonzo' Gates, on the CBS series Trapper John, M.D....
), a shaper and soul surfer, who teaches Rick about soul surfing and Rick masters the art of appreciating and riding the waves. Rick is a talented graphic artist who helps Chandler design a more contemporary logo for his surfboards. The film's antagonist is Lance Burkhart (Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
), a famous, top-ranked surfer whose competitive and materialistic values conflict with the spiritual teachings of Chandler. The film climaxes with a surf contest on Banzai Pipeline
Banzai Pipeline
The Banzai Pipeline, or simply "Pipeline" or "Pipe," is a surf reef break located in Hawaii, off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on O'ahu's North Shore. A reef break is an area in the ocean where waves start to break once they reach the shallows of a reef...
as Rick ends up competing against Lance in a duel of skills and beliefs.
Professional surfers
North Shore features professional surfers Shaun TomsonShaun Tomson
Shaun Tomson is a South African professional surfer and former world champion, environmentalist, actor, author and businessman.-Life and career:...
, Gerry Lopez
Gerry Lopez
Gerry Lopez , aka Mr. Pipeline, is an American surfer, shaper, journalist, and film actor.-Early life:Lopez was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, grew up in East Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii and attended Punahou School. He frequented the semi secret reefs in and around Aina Haina as well as better known surf...
("Vince"), Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
("Lance Burkhart"), Mark Occhilupo
Mark Occhilupo
Marco Jay Luciano "Mark" Occhilupo is an Australian surfer and winner of the 1999 World surfing champion title.Occhilupo, also known as Occy, began his professional career in the World Championship Tour at the age of 17....
, Robbie Page ("Alex Rogers"), Mark Foo
Mark Foo
Mark Sheldon Foo was a professional surfer.-Life and career:Born in Singapore to Chinese photojournalists for the U.S. Information Agency, he relocated to Hawaii at age 10. Foo spent his early childhood surfing the South Shore of O'ahu...
, Derek Ho
Derek Ho
Derek Ho is an American surfer who won the world surfing championship in 1993. Ho was born in Kailua, Hawaii. He began surfing at the age of three, and won the world title at age 29. Derek Ho is the brother of Michael Ho, another American champion surfer, and the second cousin of Don Ho, the...
, Hans Hedemann, Ken Bradshaw
Ken Bradshaw
Ken Bradshaw is an American professional surfer and winner of the 1982 Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship....
and several others.
Popular culture
The movie plot is the narrative for the song "Hui" by the ChristianChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
swing/ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band The W's
The W's
The W's were a Christian ska/swing band, formed in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. Success came quickly to the band and their first album, Fourth from the Last, was a sleeper hit unexpectedly having had the strongest debut of any Christian album to date for its distributor. They toured the United...
on their CD titled Fourth From the Last
Fourth from the Last
Fourth From the Last is the first album by the band The W's. The name of the album is derived from the fact that the letter W is the fourth from the last letter in the Latin alphabet....
.
Part of the plot is parodied in Surf's Up
Surf's Up (film)
Surf's Up is a 2007 American computer-animated mockumentary family comedy film directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It stars the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder among others....
.
During a concert in 2010, Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie band composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin . Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write songs.-History:...
admitted that their song "Northshore" was entitled after this movie after Tegan had an experience similar to that of Rick Kane.
The movie is mentioned heavily in the Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell
Sarah Jane Vowell is an American author, journalist, essayist and social commentator. Often referred to as a "social observer," Vowell has written five nonfiction books on American history and culture, and was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio...
book about Hawaiian history, Unfamiliar Fishes
Unfamiliar Fishes
Unfamiliar Fishes is a nonfiction book by This American Life contributor Sarah Vowell, first published in 2011 in print and audiobook versions.-Synopsis:...
.