The Newport Harbor High School Alumni Association invites the community to kick off summer with the Surf Saturday Film Festival on June 7 in the NHHS Robert B. Wentz Theater.
Enjoy two documentaries by NHHS Alumni about Newport Beach surfing history: “The Wedge: Dynasty, Tragedy, Legacy” and “Living It Forever,” followed by a discussion with filmmakers Bob Rogers (Class of 1968) and Rick Chatillon (Class of 1970).
Begin under the bell tower at 4:30 p.m. to catch up with old friends while enjoying live music from the Surftones and food available for purchase.
The films will begin inside the theater at 6 p.m. and will wrap up with a lively discussion about the legendary local surf spot.
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can, so everyone is able to attend. The Suggested Price is $25 for adults and $10 for students. All proceeds benefit the NHHS Alumni Association Scholarship program, so donations of any amount are much appreciated.
Tickets and information: newportharboralumni.org/surf-saturday-film-festival.
About the Films
“The Wedge: Dynasty, Tragedy, Legacy” takes us back 99 years to the tragic accident that changed a family, a community, and the sport of surfing forever.
Written, hosted and co-produced by Academy Award nominee and Class of 1968 graduate Bob Rogers, this film returns to the early days when Newport’s sand bars made it the best longboard surfing spot on the west coast. Then in June of 1926, tragedy struck when the oldest son of George Rogers was killed in a boating accident in the notoriously dangerous harbor entrance.
The grieving father dedicated ten years to making sure this would never happen again. His efforts to improve the harbor entrance destroyed the original Newport surf spot but also created a new legend: The Wedge. Through the Rogers family’s personal film and photo archive, see what Newport was like before the Wedge and learn the history behind this local icon.
“Living It Forever” chronicles an epic era of Newport Beach surfing from the mid-1950s to the 1960s through rare archival footage and interviews with the legends who lived it. A standout at the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival, this documentary tells the history of Newport Beach’s surfboard revolution in the decades after the Wedge changed the local surfing landscape forever.
Take a ride down memory lane to high school hijinks, Bal Week, fashion, and the camaraderie of the surfers in the face of ridicule and regulation. Modern-day champions recount their inspiration and bring the story full circle.
Produced by Class of 1970 Rick Chatillon, the film includes highlights from Alex Knost, Ilima Kalama, John Peck, David Nuuhiwa, Ed Hardy, Mike Marshall, Bobby Russell Brown, Don Craig, and Dano Forte.
