SLO Surfing

Anna Trent Moore is the keeper of the vault for surf filmmaker Bud Browne (Photo/Joe Johnston, San Luis Obispo Tribune) In a small closet inside Anna Trent Moore’s Shell Beach home, dozens of 16 mm films are stacked on shelves, all meticulously labeled with titles such as “Underwater Diving,” “Animals—Birds—Dogs” and “Wipe Outs.”  But the ones labeled “Buzzy Trent” and “Buzzy Trent Family” have a special place for Moore — and they signify the relationship she had with Bud Browne, the man who made all the films.  “His history is so tied to my history,” says Moore, whose father, Buzzy Trent, was a big-wave pioneer and frequent subject of Browne’s surf films. “I don’t remember a time without Bud.”  Browne, who would have turned 100 this month, is considered surfing’s first filmmaker. But exploring the world in search of surf left little time for marriage or children. So, since he passed away in San Luis Obispo four years ago, his entire collection of films, photos, letters a...

  The video surf filmmaker Jack McCoy made for Paul McCartney's song was released this month -- and, apparently, the former Beatle is pleased with the results. "When I saw Jack McCoy's underwater surfing footage put to the soundtrack of 'Blue Sway,' I was blown away," he said, according to NME . McCartney had actually sought out McCoy to make a video for the song, which was written 20 years ago and currently appears on McCartney's recently reissued 1980 album "McCartney II." The video will also become part of the Surfrider Foundation's summer PSA campaign. McCoy, meanwhile, is tauting his new surf movie " A Deeper Shade of Blue ," which delves into the history of surf culture and the technology of the surfboard. The ambitious movie tells the history of surfing in 11 chapters, featuring surf legends like Joe Quigg, George Greenough, Gidget and Tom Wegener.

Sizing up the bite Standing by my car, hair still wet from the surf, I witnessed a surreal sight Saturday morning: two dozen surfers hustling out of the water.   I figured the State Parks truck driving on the beach had warned them of a shark sighting. But a couple of minutes later, a beachgoer at Morro Strand State Beach (“A-Beach” to surfers) said a surfboard had been bitten. And I knew then that I would have to pull a Saturday shift. Normally, I at least have a crumpled reporter’s pad on the floorboard of my car, next to melted surf wax, sweaty gym clothes and discarded straw wrappers. But not this time. So I took my iPhone and immediately started recording as I ran toward the crowd that had gathered near the State Parks truck. I first caught a glimpse of the board — and the huge chunk missing from it — I knew it was going to make international news. And, as luck (or unluck) would have it, I was the only reporter in sight. As I got in position to shoot video of the surfbo...

Jackson Prudhon catches a wave in Morro Bay.  As the majestic Morro Rock casts a soft shadow in the early-morning light, Jackson Prudhon quickly applies wax to his 7-foot surfboard, eager to paddle to the lineup. The conditions look promising: Offshore winds are creating a gentle fanned-back spray on shapely 3- to 4-foot waves. “The tide’s a little high,” Prudhon says, applying the wax in circular strokes. “But it’s going to be fun.” He tucks the board under his left arm and heads for the water, where many surfers have already joined the morning shift, including members of the Mustang Surf Club that he co-founded. “When I came here, there was no surf club,” he says later. “I didn’t know anyone who surfed.” The business administration major with a finance concentration said he was able to create the club thanks to the William L. Chillingworth Scholarship he received. It is among about 130 scholarships provided by donors for Orfalea College of Business students. With the scholarship,...