IC: Well, we were in the Northern Ranch, where the breaks Cojo and Governments are. We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. What a way to make a living, eh? Ian Cairns, shown above, was the surf double for Gary Busey. Back then they built the whole Hollywood wall set and we were staying in this country town called Lompoc, which is just north of the Ranch, in the middle of farmland, with all the actors and crew. Also notice all the longboards. Robb Report. We pitched up at Sunzal, which happens to be where theyre holding the ISA World Games this week. The friends reunite years later, after Barlow has served in Vietnam, for the "Great Swell of '74". You had to have permission from the director, John Milius [to paddle out]. Although today Big Wednesday is considered one of the best surf movies ever made, the path that led to its cult status was a long and convoluted one. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. He was also responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore and some of the most iconic lines (Charlies dont surf) in Apocalypse Now (1979). Also starring Jan-Michael Vincent ("The Winds of War"), real- life mother and son Barbara Hale . Business boomed with the late 80s surfwear explosion as Bear expanded its line, replacing fishing as his main source of income. As part of the sequence, the director wanted big wipeouts and snapped boards, so he roped in Aussie pro Bruce Raymond, whom he paid $200 a day a months rent on the North Shore back then to repeatedly go over the falls. Recently, we called him up at home in Laguna Beach to see what he could remember from his time working on the film. They were sure this guy was a SEAL!. There was perfect longboard waves coming through, a little groomed south swell at Cojo Point, and while the surfers managed to get out and score a few waves, it was the extras who had to suffer. That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. [3] It was inspired by a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Mance",[4] and published by Australian surfing magazine Tracks in April 1973[5] and the lives of a group of friends who used to surf with Aaberg and Milius including Lance Carson. IC: Well in May we were in El Salvador, in the summertime, from August to September we were in the Ranch, then we did surf the winter events on the North Shore. Official Sites "Big Wednesday" follows three young surfers in the LA area (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey). Directed by John Milius.Written by John Milius and Denny Aaberg, loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Lance." WL: I just watched it the other day and its incredible the surfing you guys are doing on those big single fin longboards. But not just any BEAR Surfboard made for Big Wednesday -- we have for you the Original Bear Surfboard made for Big Wednesday director John Milius. tui annual report 8, 2022. One day this El Salvadoran militia comes to visit our beach set, continues Milius. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. After the film came out, Bill began shaping under the Bear label depicted in the movie. Denny Aaberg continues his life long passion for playing music. It inspired the names of things as disparate as the weekly New Zealand lotto draw, an Australian pale ale and countless storms and hurricanes. Shop Now, Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns, 8 OF THE BEST FEMALE SURF RETREATS FOR 2023, Where To Surf In Italy The Wavelength Guide. When he comes home from Vietnam he is an Army Green Beret. Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent), Jack (William Katt) and The Masochist (Gary Busey) are three buddies who are the local surfing champions of Malibu in the early 1960's. Initially, Milus and Aaberg set out to write a novel that combined some of Malibus real characters with a grander narrative around surfings mythology. [24], Milius later said the film was "sort of a numb spot in my life. The talent behind the lens for the surfing sequences was equally prolific, with George Greenough (fresh off the back of Crystal Voyager), legendary stills photog turned filmmaker Dan Merkel and surf movie pioneer Bud Browne all overseen by Five Summer Stories co-creator Greg MacGillivray. It wasnt just a story about somebody trying to ride the biggest wave or something. This thing would be wrapped up in two weeks. Nature enthusiast Dean Bannatyne captured this epic video footage They were depicted as both titanic figures who embody physical perfection and barbarians who refuse to conform to the rules of civilised society. (1) George Greenough surrounded by his tools of the trade and (2) with his homemade housing. Here well present a miscellany of facts, trivia and anecdotes from behind the scenes on Big Wednesday. And thats what the movie is. ), For starters, it was only decided that the tour was a tour halfway through the year, with a few events from the dozens of surfing comps that had already taken place around the world chosen retrospectively as the opening leg. I went there 190lbs and ended up a 170, and in fact one night I lost 10lbs, vomiting and shitting, just incredibly sick. So's John. Denny wrote a song about it with Phil Pritchard and it was featured in this film and became quite popular. "What I've got to watch out for is getting lost in the surf again," said Milius during filming. Terry Remick is now heavily involved with the marketing of vintage rail trips along the central coast. Milius was flipping out, remembers a chuckling Peter Townend in an interview with Surfline. Much of the authenticity of the film was due to the fact that Milius was himself an avid surfer. Jean Micheal Vincent and Billy Kat were there but the Masochist wasnt. A few of the extras,including Kym Herrin in the blue dress. The points were aggregated, and surfers were informed of their standing, as well as of the remaining competitions that would constitute the second half of the tour. "[15], Milius invented the Bear brand of surfboard as a fictional brand to be used in the movie,[16] and even had surfboards made and arranged for a Californian designer to create a logo. Other highlights included a complex dual scoring system and hilariously swollen heats sizes, often featuring up to eight competitors, (which sounds like a heavy crowd, but thanks to a lack of leashes and clean up sets, still resulted in frequent periods of entirely empty lineup. Big Wednesday is a 1978 American coming of age film about California surfers facing life, the Vietnam War, and use of the ever-changing surf as a metaphor for the changes in life.. The attrition rate among surfers is very high. I mean, they were all just waiting for the Big Wave. Every morning wed meet at Earl Warren and get on a bus for the ride up, going through the Jalama entrance to Bixby. We were outlaws, juvenile delinquents, anarchists and rascals. In 1971, Milius discussed the idea of writing a book about their youth in Malibu with his Aaberg. It's based on the lives of three friends ten years ago. Crumple Car was a nickname for Little Drakes. We pitched up at Sunzal, which happens to be where theyre holding the ISA World Games this week. Ian Cairns, shown above . Unlike many Holywood surf flicks, Big Wednesday had real surfers' fingerprints all over it. Senior Lecturer, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. George had broken it up into pieces and [stuffed it into] that yellow fibreglass thing. He would then either place the big homemade housing on his shoulder while sitting on a board in the channel or balance it on his surf mat. He had a lot of innovative ideas that changed surfing, and he created them. I went there 190 pounds and ended up a 170, and in fact one night I was 110 pounds, vomiting and shitting, just incredibly sick. We never got a Big Wednesday day down there, and I was always just saying to Milius, dude, you should have just gone to Western Australia. It doesn't work. "It was the most personal film I'd done," said Katt. So, PT told Milius, hey, Ive got a bronzed Aussie buddy who could replace him. September 10, 2020. Set in Malibu over a twelve-year period between 61 and 74, it centres on three friends Jack, Leroy and Matt following them from their hedonistic youthful days, surfing, partying and talking with their fists, through their transition to adulthood in the shadow of the Vietnam War. It's a movie that I have never forgotten. An 8' 6" BEAR Surfboard single fin made for Big Wednesday. This largely autobiographical film from director John Milius ("Conan The Barbarian") features truly spectacular surfing scenes. She said it was the last shot on the roll. I have fond memories of being one of the extras. This film about three Malibu surfers in the 1960s has been branded major statement and it's got Big Ideas about adolescence, friendship and the 1960s. Hes riding one of the prop longboards made for the film. "The novel is a story about old Malibu, its waves, its local characters, and what it was like to surf there in the 1950s and 1960s," explains Aaberg. Milius wrote the script with his friend and fellow surfer, journalist Denny Aaberg. When it comes to authentic depictions of a surfing life, few Holywood films hold a candle to 78 cult classic Big Wednesday. New York Surf Film Festival. But we simply didnt take into account things like, oh, sharks, civil war and dysentery.. All the main characters were inspired by real people, in particular surf legends Lance Carson and Kemp Aaberg and surfboard makers Hap Jacob and Dale Velzy. Did working with them that winter help smooth things over a bit? (2) On the surf trip to Mexico, reportedly inspired by true events. In the background you see all the Hollywood chairs for the actors and such. Those [guerrillas] looked at him and absolutely freaked. Vincent was covered in The Undefeated (1969). Big Wednesday is American writer-director John Milius' attempt to use surfing as a metaphor for life. Terry Remick is now heavily involved with the marketing of vintage rail trips along the central coast. Youlll see in the movie Jean and Billy paddling out, pushing under and catching a couple of waves and then youll see the stunt doubles come in. He looked at these little skinny surfer idiots and he thought these guys are total pussys! Shop Now , Home Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales From The Set With Stunt Double Ian Cairns, [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surfs Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. Big Wednesday is the opposite of all those "beach party" movies of the early 1960's; it takes surfing as seriously as the surfers themselves. The picture was screened at various film festivals, including: the Davao City Film Festival, Philippines; the Turin Film Festival, Italy; and others. Nowadays, he lives inland in Connecticut, having traded trimming the waves down the Bu for clay pigeon shooting and smoking cigars in his later years. While Big Wednesday was a "Hollywood production" and featured then popular actors William Katt, Gary . Sign up for the Wavelength newsletter to get the latest news, announcements, special offers and event information, Wavelength Media, Unit GF43 & GF55, Winslade HouseManor Drive, Exeter, EX5 1FY, UK, Wavelength Magazine. The enforcer (played by Reb Brown) was loosely based on a Malibu icon Ray Kunze, who patrolled the lineup and looked out for Milius and Aaberg in the late 50s, while Jack Barlow was loosely based on Aabergs older brother, Kemp. IAN will be signing his new book from 6:30 to 7:30. The surfers and stunt doubles with director John Milius. With Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey, Patti D'Arbanville. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. Following on from their El Salvadoran debacle, the production set up shop at Hollister Ranch, the privately-owned 8.5 mile coastal stretch of glistening point breaks that sits to the north of LA. [13], The leads were played by Jan Michael Vincent, Gary Busey and William Katt. So, PT told Milius, hey, Ive got a bronzed Aussie buddy who could replace him. The Novel Before the Movie. But to be perfectly candid my interest in competing on the tour dramatically diminished, because I realised there was another world out there. Too bad the movie sucked, the premiere at the Arlington was pretty exciting anyway.. Heres a good one from Paul Baragona. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. While Milius has been forgotten by most contemporary viewers and critics, the legacy of Big Wednesday continues to live on. Milius cancelled shooting for the day and let everyone surf. Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. All Rights Reserved. Filming & Production Wed have certain times where wed be shooting scenes and the rest of the time we were just hanging out on the film set watching shit happen. In the end, the trip set the production back half a million dollars and yielded just four minutes of useable footage. "[7], Aaberg says "it took about a year to write" the script. IC: For about two months we were on the North Shore, filming mainly at Sunset, but also other places to get pick up shots. Big Wednesday: Directed by John Milius. IC: The guys were held at gun point at Sunzal one morning as part of the revolution thing, but that was before I got there. Overview System Requirements Related. It become one of the most influential surf movies ever made. The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s. Te Herenga WakaVictoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. It was a lot of money. He has since had a long and illustrious career promoting surfing as a sport. Jan-Michael Vincent and Lee Purcell in Big Wednesday. | Nineteen seventy-six was a big year for innovation. But to be perfectly candid my interest in competing on the tour dramatically diminished, because I realised there was another world out there. Over the last 40 years, John Milius surf cult movie, Big Wednesday (1978), has made a mark on global popular culture. Milius created a mythical aura around the protagonists of Big Wednesday. In particular, Milius film had a huge impact on surfing subculture, both in shaping the international perception of the sport and providing one of the most authentic depictions of Californian surfers during the 1960s and 1970s. IC: We were with the whole Hollywood crew, and the stunt coordinator was this really famous guy that did Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movie, a real mans man. Click Here to hear the song and see some stills from the film. In the 1980s, Milius would go on to make commercially successful films such as Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. Rent $2.99. When we saw these photos, we contacted surf legend Denny Aaberg to give us some more insight. Finally, a nice shot of Denny Aaberg, co-writer of the film, enjoying the fruits of his labor. With our encyclopedic knowledge of the worlds waves, we decided there were a couple of surf points we could use there, Milius recalls in an interview with Sports Illustrated. This was their first production. According to a famous Hollywood legend, Big Wednesday was part of a three-way profit point swap between Milius and his old friends, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. What was amazing was to see how many waves went by without anyone surfing them, recalls Art Brewer. PT leapt at the chance. There was no one living there and you had to come in by boat, even until today its really uncrowded. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. We had a helicopter [for filming] and all these fit surfers with really short haircuts, so these guys figured we were CIA, U.S. military or something. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. ). It was a central experience in our lives. This is reminiscent of Dennys brother Kemp Aabergs famous pose, captured in an iconic photo taken by John Severson, below. It's all changed now."[7]. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. This movie is about friendship: surfing is just the background. Actors - Big Wednesday (1978) Returning Jan-Michael Vincent played troubled surfer Matt Johnson. Buy $9.99. Trips planned for this summer include roundtrip runs to SLO from SB and Goleta on June 30th, July 21st and August 18th. Working on big Wednesday in 77, we earned 50 grand. He flew to Hollywood and headed straight for Warner Brothers studios, where he happened to pull up a chair alongside another of the films stars, Billy Kat. It took an awful long time to write the script. . Shop Now, 8 OF THE BEST FEMALE SURF RETREATS FOR 2023, Where To Surf In Italy The Wavelength Guide. [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surfs Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. The picture stars Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, and Gary Busey as California surfers facing life and the Vietnam War against the backdrop of their love of surfing. It's about their friendship, and the value of friendship. Sign up for the Wavelength newsletter to get the latest news, announcements, special offers and event information, Wavelength Media, Unit GF43 & GF55, Winslade HouseManor Drive, Exeter, EX5 1FY, UK, Wavelength Magazine. It was work that you got to have fun and got paid for, which was rare back then., Being a lifelong surfer himself, Jan-Michael Vincent had no trouble pulling off an authentic-looking knee paddle.