Bruce Brown

Bruce Brown (born December 1, 1937 - December 10, 2017) was an American documentary film director, known as an early pioneer of the surf film. He is the father of filmmaker Dana Brown. His surfing films are Slippery When Wet (1958), Surf Crazy (1959), Barefoot Adventure (1960), Surfing Hollow Days (1961), Waterlogged (1962), and his most well known film, The Endless Summer (1964) which received a nationwide theatrical release in 1966. Considered among the most influential in the genre, The Endless Summer follows surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August around the world. Thirty years later Brown would film The Endless Summer II with his son in 1994. He also made a number of short films including The Wet Set, featuring the Hobie-MacGregor Sportswear Surf Team and one of the earliest skateboarding films, America's Newest Sport, presenting the Hobie Super Surfer Skateboard Team. These short films along with some unused footage from The Endless Summer were included in the DVD Surfin' Shorts, as part of the Golden Years of Surf collection. Brown has gone beyond surfing a few times with the ski film, The Incredible Pair of Skis (1967), a film about motorcycle sport, On Any Sunday (1971) which is held in high regard as one of the best motorcycle documentaries of all time, and a documentary about extreme sports, The Edge (1975), On Any Sunday II (1981) Baja 1000 Classic (1991), and On Any Sunday, revisited (2000) He made a guest appearance in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode ...

On Any Sunday (1971)

Documentary on motorcycle racing featuring stars of the sport, including film star Steve McQueen, a racer in his own right.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  David Evans  •  Mert Lawwill  •  Steve McQueen

Documentary on motorcycle racing featuring stars of the sport, including film star Steve McQueen, a racer in his own right.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  David Evans  •  Mert Lawwill  •  Steve McQueen

Step Into Liquid (2003)

No special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. No other feeling comes close. Surfers and secret spots from around the world are profiled in this documentary.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Dana Brown
CAST:  Robert August  •  Rochelle Ballard  •  Shawn Barron  •  Layne Beachley

No special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. No other feeling comes close. Surfers and secret spots from around the world are profiled in this documentary.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Dana Brown
CAST:  Robert August  •  Rochelle Ballard  •  Shawn Barron  •  Layne Beachley

The Endless Summer (1966)

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Robert August  •  Michael Hynson  •  Lord James Blears  •  Bruce Brown

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Robert August  •  Michael Hynson  •  Lord James Blears  •  Bruce Brown

Water-Logged (1962)

The Fellini of Foam's fifth and last film before The Endless Summer, Waterlogged is made up of highlights from Bruce Brown's four previous films. This film features the best of four years of surf photography.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

The Fellini of Foam's fifth and last film before The Endless Summer, Waterlogged is made up of highlights from Bruce Brown's four previous films. This film features the best of four years of surf photography.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

Barefoot Adventure (1960)

Brown takes us to various surfing locales with his customary great photography, wry comments and solid musical score.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  Sammy Lee  •  Peter Cole  •  Kemp Aaberg

Brown takes us to various surfing locales with his customary great photography, wry comments and solid musical score.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  Sammy Lee  •  Peter Cole  •  Kemp Aaberg

Surfing Hollow Days (1961)

Filmed before his wildly popular Endless Summer, this Bruce Brown documentary follows famed surfers Robert August, Peter Johnson, Mike Haley, Kemp Aaberg and others as they ride waves in Australia, Mexico, California and Florida. It also goes behind the scenes, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

Filmed before his wildly popular Endless Summer, this Bruce Brown documentary follows famed surfers Robert August, Peter Johnson, Mike Haley, Kemp Aaberg and others as they ride waves in Australia, Mexico, California and Florida. It also goes behind the scenes, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

The Endless Summer Revisited (2000)

A documentary mostly edited together from unused footage from The Endless Summer and The Endless Summer II, this documentary gives further insight into the making and success of the original classic surf documentary. It is written, produced and directed by Dana ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Dana Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  Hobie Alter  •  Robert August  •  Dana Brown

A documentary mostly edited together from unused footage from The Endless Summer and The Endless Summer II, this documentary gives further insight into the making and success of the original classic surf documentary. It is written, produced and directed by Dana ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Dana Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  Hobie Alter  •  Robert August  •  Dana Brown

Slippery When Wet (1958)

Surfers Henry Ford, Freddy Pfhaler, Kemp Aaberg, Del Cannon, and Dick Thomas decide to leave California so they can embark on a dream trip to Hawaii. While in Hawaii the carefree quintet ride all kinds of waves at various top Hawaiian surfing spots and live ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown

Surfers Henry Ford, Freddy Pfhaler, Kemp Aaberg, Del Cannon, and Dick Thomas decide to leave California so they can embark on a dream trip to Hawaii. While in Hawaii the carefree quintet ride all kinds of waves at various top Hawaiian surfing spots and live ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown

The Search for Freedom (2015)

THE SEARCH FOR FREEDOM is the story of a cultural revolution fueled by the human desire to live in the moment and do what makes you feel the most alive. We discover how an electrifying new world came about through pure energy and imagination and the infinite ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jon Long
CAST:  Annie Boulanger  •  Bruce Brown  •  Yvon Chouinard  •  Gary Fisher

THE SEARCH FOR FREEDOM is the story of a cultural revolution fueled by the human desire to live in the moment and do what makes you feel the most alive. We discover how an electrifying new world came about through pure energy and imagination and the infinite ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jon Long
CAST:  Annie Boulanger  •  Bruce Brown  •  Yvon Chouinard  •  Gary Fisher

Surf Crazy (1959)

Surf Crazy is the second movie from veteran surf film producer Bruce Brown. During this movie a group of surfers head down to numerous unsurfed spots in Mexico, some huge waves in Hawaii and some classic surf in California.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

Surf Crazy is the second movie from veteran surf film producer Bruce Brown. During this movie a group of surfers head down to numerous unsurfed spots in Mexico, some huge waves in Hawaii and some classic surf in California.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

The Endless Summer 2 (1994)

Bruce Brown, king of surfing documentaries, returns after nearly thirty years to trace the steps of two young surfers to top surfing spots around the world. Along the way we see many of the people and locales Bruce visited during the filming of Endless Summer (1966).  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Robert 'Wingnut' Weaver  •  Patrick O'Connell  •  Bruce Brown

Bruce Brown, king of surfing documentaries, returns after nearly thirty years to trace the steps of two young surfers to top surfing spots around the world. Along the way we see many of the people and locales Bruce visited during the filming of Endless Summer (1966).  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST:  Robert 'Wingnut' Weaver  •  Patrick O'Connell  •  Bruce Brown

Surfin' Shorts (1964)

This program includes three of Bruce Brown's short films: "The Wet Set," featuring the Hobie-MacGregor Surf Team; "America's Newest Sport," presenting the Hobie Super Surfer Skateboard Team; and an early television special which includes the first surfing trip to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

This program includes three of Bruce Brown's short films: "The Wet Set," featuring the Hobie-MacGregor Surf Team; "America's Newest Sport," presenting the Hobie Super Surfer Skateboard Team; and an early television special which includes the first surfing trip to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

America's Newest Sport (1966)

America's Newest Sport is a short film made for Hobie. It was about his new skateboard and skateboard team. Hobie, as he always did, figured he could design something better. He came up with flexible trucks and clay wheels which sure beat the old steel ones. His ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

America's Newest Sport is a short film made for Hobie. It was about his new skateboard and skateboard team. Hobie, as he always did, figured he could design something better. He came up with flexible trucks and clay wheels which sure beat the old steel ones. His ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bruce Brown
CAST: 

A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story (2020)

Follow the summer season around the world with two surfers on a quest for the perfect wave. As it turned out, Bruce was on to something. Not only did the film become a hit, it earned a cult following, became the most successful surf film of all time and arguably ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Dana Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  Dana Brown  •  Mert Lawwill  •  Gerry Lopez

Follow the summer season around the world with two surfers on a quest for the perfect wave. As it turned out, Bruce was on to something. Not only did the film become a hit, it earned a cult following, became the most successful surf film of all time and arguably ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Dana Brown
CAST:  Bruce Brown  •  Dana Brown  •  Mert Lawwill  •  Gerry Lopez

Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of St.Francis (2023)

The documentary "Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis" reveals the untold story behind Bruce Brown's iconic film "The Endless Summer." It follows the journey of Dick Metz, a California surf pioneer, as he travels the world from 1958 to 1961. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Yelland
CAST:  Robert August  •  Bruce Brown  •  Dana Brown  •  Michael Hynson

The documentary "Birth of The Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis" reveals the untold story behind Bruce Brown's iconic film "The Endless Summer." It follows the journey of Dick Metz, a California surf pioneer, as he travels the world from 1958 to 1961. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Yelland
CAST:  Robert August  •  Bruce Brown  •  Dana Brown  •  Michael Hynson