Documentary Film
The Endless Summer
1966
Filmed In
Waikato
Towns & Areas
Manu Bay, Raglan
The Story
A pioneering surf documentary that introduced the world to New Zealand's Raglan and its now-legendary left-hand point break, following two American surfers on a round-the-world hunt for the perfect wave.
The Stars
Robert August and Mike Hynson, narrated by director Bruce Brown. This documentary's two central surfers carried what became one of the most influential surf films ever made.
Behind the Lens
Written, directed, produced, and narrated by Bruce Brown — a low-budget independent production that became one of the most influential surf films ever made. Brown shot, edited, and narrated the film almost entirely himself on a self-funded budget.
Why NZ?
Brown brought August and Hynson to Manu Bay as one stop on a round-the-world search for perfect waves. The point break's mechanical, rock-reef-fed left-hander turned out to be one of the longest and most consistent in the world, instantly putting Raglan on the global surfing map. The film's influence on Raglan's identity as a surf town has, if anything, only grown in the decades since.
On Set
Surfers Robert August and Mike Hynson had a real, unplanned encounter in South Africa with a young surfer who would later become a world champion. Director Bruce Brown was only 26 when he made the film, and has joked that he "majored in not going to school."
Legacy
Widely regarded as one of the most influential surf documentaries ever made, the film is credited with putting New Zealand's Raglan on the map for international surfers for the first time.
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