Riding Giants is a superb documentary on the history of big wave surfing, directed and co-written by Stacy Peralta, who also made 2001′s skateboarding documentary “Dogtown and Z-Boys”. Peralta was a Z-Boy himself, as well as a skateboarding manufacturer and videomaker, so “Dogtown” was very much his element.
But “Riding Giants” surpasses “Dogtown” with improved technical proficiency, writing and editing. It’s a dynamic account of the history of the surfing subculture, starting centuries ago, but focusing on the past 55 years, which saw surfing explode into mainstream culture and become extraordinarily athletic and increasingly daring.
“Riding Giants” has 3 parts or acts, each concentrating on one surfing innovator and the culture in which he thrived.
