Industry News

 Open Men Winners

They're standing at the bottom of the cinema, microphone in hand, about to answer questions from the Durban audience at the South African premiere of their global film tour for "Fighting Fear" - They are director, producer and driving force of the filmamking process, Macario De Souza, who's previous film "Bra Boys" was a global hit with surf fraternity. Next to him, his two best friends: the towering figure of infamous big wave surfer Mark Mathews, who's name is synonymous with charging massive Shipsterns, and Richie Vaculik,  hard charging surfer and recent-MMA World Title contender.

"Following Bra Boys, We wanted to make a film that focused more on the personal relationships rather than the dramatic circumstances" says Macario. "A lot of people took the Bra Boys message the wrong way, so this time around, we wanted to show that having positive roles models can get you out of shit sometimes"  
 

 

The film itself, narrated by Joel Edgerton, takes you through the lives of the young tearaways from Maroubra. Ritchie and Mark - bonded together by a love for surfing, and a mutual support for each other as both their parents split up around the same time. The spirit of the Bra Boys is also a compelling factor as the youngsters push the boundaries in and out of the water always trying to impress the older guys.

The film is made up of mostly of real-life footage from Ritchie and Mark's exploits as Mark chases swells around the world, and Ritchie finds himself on the fast track to a competitive MMA career. This is interspersed with interviews from friends, family, love interests and fellow professional surfers and fighters. Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, BJ Penn and Bruce Irons all contribute in this area which gives an interesting insight into the respect that Mark and Ritchie have garnered from the best athletes in their respective fields. The family interviews are honest and compelling, especially as both our protagonists find themselves facing life-altering circumstances - like jail-time and hospitalisation.
 

Both Mark and Ritchie face potential jail sentences for various violent misdemeanors, and both suffer serious injury threats which almost kill them on various occasions. The point of the film though is to ultimately show how the unwavering friendship and support between Mark and Ritchie, get them through their personal setbacks as well as help them overcome the obstacles in their professional paths.



Fighting Fear is an emotionally engaging film, that literally takes you into the double-stepped mutant that is Shipsterns, into the Octagon of a Word Title MMA fight and into the hearts and lives of two best mates overcoming the odds to achieve their dreams.

If you're up for a beautifully shot, adrenaline soaked journey, and you enjoyed Bra Boys, you must check out this film.

Review by Iain, All images by Mike Van Heerden/ODM.

 

Heat Sheets
 

 

Girl Surfers  Kat Steffen, Kirsty Delport and Nicole Pallet gear up for the Lizzard Summer Surf event and the R5000 cash prize from SPAR KZN (pic Julie de Vries)
 

Click here for Entry Forms

 

I was in Europe earlier this year and one the things on my list was a pair of black hi-tops. I shopped quite a bit for them and didn't find exactly what I wanted, especially when forking out in Euros, so I didn't get anything in the shoe department. So I was pleasantly surprised to come home and a few months later to find these. It's a really awesome limited edition collection from DC in collaboration with Skullcandy.

 

The DC Spartan Hi-top sneakers are at the top end of the DC fashion collection, are functional and super comfy and come with a pair of the famous Skullcandy smokin buds as part of the packaging. The smokin buds come in a nifty little round soft-case and the wiring is cleverly encased in a DC shoelace. 

 

 

- and I'm a fan of the DC brand too, having a few pairs in the closet already, so I was double stoked.  I've worn this pair flat out since getting them - from post surf cruising around town, to the jol and and I'm a huge fan.

The thing I love about this collection though is the attention to detail in the make up of the shoe. The collaborative design sports the DC and Skullcandy logos embroidered in with a fine gold thread - so it's finished elegantly and is subtle enough to be cool, but is definitely gonna catch the eye.

 

The Skullcandy smokin-buds are also very cool. I've got a pair of Skullcandy fix-in ear buds already which I use when I'm editing clips and listening to my ipod on the go. These smokin buds are super comfy in the ear and produce great sound quiality, so it's an awesome value add to go with the Hi-tops.
 

 

Two of the coolest brand teaming up together to do something like this is a win in my book. This limited edition collection is gonna sell out fast - but we have secured a special limited number available for BOMBsurf fans in various sizes in  theBOMBsurf Online Store - so if you have sneaker-lust and don't want to miss out - click here and purchase a pair now.

All images and review by Iain.
 

 

 

theBOMBsurf is giving away one pair of these DC Spartan Hi-tops with the Skullcandy Smokin buds - it's a UK size 9 up for grabs, so if you want to win 'em - enter below. Winner will be announced on Thursday 15th December 2011. 

And the winner is:     Cameron Doubell from Cape Town. (19/12/2011).

If you liked this, you may also like:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark is a Big Wave Surfer. He dreams of being the best.

Richie, Mark's best mate shares his love of Big Wave Surfing but has his own ambitions.

A carpet layer by day, Richie dreams of becoming a MMA Cage-Fighting Champion.
Both are fearless, living life on the edge, daring each other to surf bigger waves, party harder, take greater risks.

But when their adrenalin-seeking antics & hardened partying turns sour, it sets in motion a dramatic and life-changing series of events that threatens to derail everything they have worked so hard for. 
 
In an instant, Mark's Big Wave surfing career is in tatters & Richie is facing a jail term.
But for these two friends, giving up is not an option.

It’s not the mistakes you make but how you overcome them.

Their unwavering friendship gives them the courage to battle their demons, rise up from their troubled past & conquer their fears.

One good friend can change your life.
 

This feature-length docu-drama, told through the eyes of the two friends, Pro-surfer Mark Mathews and MMA fighter Richie Vaculik and filmed over three years, provides a unique and candid insight into the tumultuous life of two world-class athletes facing against-all-odds personal challenges. This is the second feature film by exciting new Australian talent, Macario De Souza, co-director of BRA BOYS, the highest grossing Australian documentary (non-imax) of all time. Aged just 27, Macario not only wrote, directed, edited, shot and produced FIGHTING FEAR but as Kid Mac wrote and performed five songs on the soundtrack.

With a rip-roaring soundtrack and featuring entertaining & insightful interviews from some of the world's most influential action sports athletes, including ten-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater, two- time World Surfing Champion Mick Fanning, Big Wave Surfer Bruce Irons, three-time Women's World Surfing Champion Steph Gilmore & two-time UFC World Champion BJ Penn, FIGHTING FEAR is a jaw-dropping action-packed documentary that is surprisingly emotional, powerfully uplifting & utterly compelling.
FIGHTING FEAR is inspirational, heart-stopping entertainment.