Riding Giants

This may be the only documentary on my list. It's here because it does not "feel' like a educational experience. Riding Giants feels much more like a thrill ride. It's smart. It's funny. It is visually stunning. And, regardless if you surf or not, you will learn something, and you will enjoy it.

Director Stacy Peralta, the genius behind Real Genius, Dogtown and Z-boys, and Made in America, also his this impressive notch on his totem. If we learn nothing else from this film, it should be that if we do what we know best, and stick to that, we will do very well. And nobody will have issues with us going beyond our reach. And isn't that what we all want?

While super sportsman, actor, and model, Laird John Hamilton is a key focus of the film, he is not the only star by any means. Household names in the world of surfing like Greg Noll, Jeff Clark, Buzzy Kerbox, Mikey Munoz, and Kelly Slater all show up to help tell the story.

The story itself takes you from Hawaii, to California, to Fiji. If you like looking at beautiful beaches and great waves, this movie is chock full of both. If you like watching guys surf, this is a great way to do it from your sofa.

One of the great lines of the movie is something like - A guy will fight you over a 2 foot wave but he won't over a 20 foot wave. The point is, that is a great reason to ride the giants.

Watch this movie with someone who loves the ocean.