Riding Giants (DVD, 2005, Special Edition)

Growing up in Hawaii I learned that surfing is not just a past time sport, but a way of life. Having never had the oppurtunity to enjoy that lifestyle myself the sport has always had a type of intrigue that has fascinated me. Big wave surfing is the newest and most extreme trend in modern surfing, with athletes riding waves reaching 60 ft.

"Riding Giants" is one of several amongst my collection of surfing documentaries that include, "The Billabong Odyssey", "The Endless Summer", and "Step Into Liquid". However, what most stands out with this one is that Stacy Peralta, the same man behind "Dogtown and Z-Boys" documentary, is the director. Peralta brings a extremely humorous and informative narrative and his cast interviews are candid, frank, and emotional. The footage and artwork are incredible and the whole movie comes to life, almost as much as the gargantuan waves do.

I highly recommend this movie for anyone wanting to learn not only about the history of surfing and its key players, but also the possible futures of the extreme sport.

Simply Brilliant. A history of surfing from the ground up; accurate, funny, engaging, this will have you on the edge of your seat!

Incredible, moving. I have watched it 7 times, and it gets better and better. Takes you to the edge of human limitation.

I bought this DVD a few weeks ago, and it was delivered quickly and in great condition. This movie showed places of "Giant Waves", and how professional surfers handled them. Great movie documentary.

One of the best movies I have ever seen. If you are landlocked, but love the surf, sun, and a little history this is an excellent purchase. The version I bought has a little bit dodgey sound at times and is missing a small section of the documentary on foil boarding, but really for under 10 bucks, considering I have already watched this flick 4 times, and my girlfriend now digs working out to it, who am I to complain?

This was a very detailed documentary about surfing and was well filmed and highly informative!

~mike

the old original footage was great! Very well done. I LOVED it. Made me want to go and get me a surf board and im 52 yrs old. (what do you think?)

The DVD was in great condition, no scratches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would buy from this seller again. Fast shipping.......................................

I have been tracking this DVD for a while now, and other sites had it brand new for twice the price and "none available at this time". The DVD was in the "like new" category, and arrived within a week of ordering. The seller was prompt in sending me information as to the transaction activity. The quality is perfect and I'm very satisfied with the exchange. Would buy from this seller again! Thanks!

Most wonderful movie on surfing big waves ! Great history lesson with alot of old footage i've never seen before. recaptures my youth and great days of surfing. great story on pioneer surfers like Greg Noll and modern day Laird Hamilton. NOT a mere documentary but a real story.

A mental vacation filled with beautiful oceans, wild waves and a history lesson of surfing that leaves you wishing you could drive to the shore and try your hand at the craft.

DVD was new in box.We live near Maverick's which is a big wave surf spot and Jeff Clark the man that found it was profiled.We bought the movie because I could not find it anywhere else.We surf and live the lifestyle so we grab every good surf movie that come out.

Do you love watching guys try to handle raw power? Does listening to 60 year old guys who used play and party, like most of us have only dreamed, crack you up? Are you into some rockin' tunes? Have you ever dreamed in one of those dark corners of you mind of riding in a tube of water on a surf board? Can you enjoy watching a film set at the beach without seeing scantily clad women? And finally, do you have that certain morbid sense that kind of enjoys seeing guys absolutely pounded by tons of water? If you answered 'Yes' to any or all of these questions, then this film is for you.

Laird Hamilton, who is the modern king of big wave surfing, is basically the focal point of this documentary, but there are so many entertaining personalities to go along with him. The footage is amazing as one would expect, but it's the dialog of many of these slightly insane guys that makes for surprising entertainment. Greg Noll alone makes this film absolutely worth watching. If you don't want to go and have a beer with this guy by the end of the film, you just aren't a fun person.

Getting back to Hamilton, the man is pure and simple, a world class athlete the likes of Michael Jordan in his prime, or Walter Payton, or Carl Lewis. Strength, balance, power, and that intuition all the great ones have. The kinds of things that he and all the others who dare to 'ride giants' possess, is purely spectacular. There are a few self serving moments, and even a couple one might consider slow, but all in all, this is a heck of a ride.

Remember, if you answered yes to any of the above question at the start of the review, take the time, put on the surround sound, and let yourself image the feeling of truly 'Riding Giants'.

Surfing at its best. Great photography, commentary, and music. A must have for any person that loves surfing and wants to find out more about the history of the sport.

Bla Bla Bla bla balabalabalabalalbalbabalbalabablabalbalba ahalahal aalajhlk lakhja alkjhal a ahakja lakhalkjha great thanks!

A must for anyone who has any interest at all in surfing. Not your normal surfer movie though. Concentrates mainly on three surfers: Greg Noll in the '50's and '60's, the first from the mainland to tackle the big ones in Hawaii, Jeff Clark, who "discovered" the waves at Maverick's and rode them for over ten years alone before anyone else dared, and Laird Hamilton who is just unbelievable. Some great footage from past and present, and current day interviews. You will find yourself watching this movie more then once.

this movie is great, and explains a lot about the growth of surfing and its evolution. fully recommended.

great surf film, destin to be an all time great surfing film.
first time i seen the movie it was on satellite. right then
there i knew i had to have it highly recommend it for anybody's
DVD'S library.

It is a great documentary about big wave surfing. I am not a surfer (my husband is) and I enjoyed it as much he did.

In my opinion the greatest challenge facing a documentary filmmaker is constructing his project in such a way as to draw the viewer into, and create a passion for, the subject. I'm not a surfer, but Stacy Peralta sucks you in so fast and so well that you feel you're actually hanging with the pioneers and current stars of one of the world's most challenging and dangerous sports and in the end, I came to regret not having gotten involved in the sport when I could have during it's infancy in Southern California in the '60's. And if you have an interest in documentary filmmaking, the "making of" featurette included on the DVD (which is almost feature-length itself) is the most practical, in-depth, hands on primer I've ever seen on the subject. Highly recommended even if you haven't the slightest interest in surfing or riding giant waves.