The laid-back lifestyle of the now glamorised, competitive sport of surfing is given its elegant, spirited close-up in Jeremy Gosch’s documentary/winning homage “Bustin’ Down the Door,” narrated by none other than actor Edward Norton. In the early 50’s and 60’s, as surfing began picking up momentum, slowly but surely making its way out of pastime obscurity, a new breed of surfers were preparing to take over the waves of the world, and by preparing I mean that they were youngsters, children, foetuses even, struggling to find their footing in the life.

Surfing was very much a means to conquer the harsher realities of life for many youngsters, and the water became a place of solace where nothing else mattered but the sheer will to defy gravity and to become one with yourself and the volatile waters in which they found themselves most alive. It didn’t matter if anyone noticed their talent, as long as they could do their thing uninhibited. All this changed when a bunch of youngsters from the South, Australians and South Africa, fuelled with determination, skill, heart and self belief shook the foundations of surfing as the world knew it, and it has never been the same again.

The doc, the brainchild of South African surfing legend Shaun Tomson, tells the story of those tanned youngsters who paved the way for the inevitable future of the sport in the early 70’s, told from the perspective of them now as men, living legends who were nothing from the start, never to be forgotten. With nothing but the shirts on their backs and the boards at their feet, the youngsters (including Aussie legends Ian Cairns, Mark Richards, Peter Townend, and Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, and South Africans Shaun and Michael Tomson) muscled their way to the legendary North Shore in surfing Mecca Hawaii in order to make a name for themselves at a time when surfing was nothing but a local distraction where the socially defiant could do as they please as a disconnected entity from society. And, on the shores where the mightiest waves contain the power to make or break dreams, these boys formed tight communities bound by mutual respect and natural competitiveness.

Their aggression shocked the local Hawaiians, who had been struggling with unwanted intrusions for years, and a power battle eventually came into play during an already explosive time of change. The outsiders where in search of fame, publicity and unheard of success which threatened the more traditional approach to surfing the Hawaiians developed long before “professional surfing” became the new buzz word. Although this further attrition of Hawaiian culture and even the birth of surfing as a dominant money market causing friction with those in favour of its more organic roots is not fully explored, it provides a backdrop of significance to the otherwise good willed, unforced characterisation of the revolution of surfing itself into an international, mutli-billion dollar market driven by sponsorship and commercialisation.

“Bustin’” is more focused on nostalgic reminisce than groundbreaking revelation, and is therefore respectful enough to please water bound viewers and inspiring enough to engage even the most dry footed audiences as well. Backing up the talking head narrative structured around interviews and anecdotes of many sun damaged surfing greats, most of which will be unknown to those not entirely interested in the sport, is the stunning Super-8 and 16mm archival footage of those very greats performing their innovative feats when in their prime. It’s amazing to see those manoeuvres which broke rules and challenged solid ideals of the sport filmed at the time when they had literally never been seen before, most of which are still considered insurmountable even today.

For its ability to remain completely easygoing and engaging throughout, “Bustin’ Down the Door,” which gets its title from a controversial article written by one of the surfers featured in the film published in “Surfer” magazine in 1976, is an entirely pleasurable, even emotionally stirring look into the close-knit community of surfing greats and unknowns proving that dreams, hope and determination can overcome the greatest of odds, be it poverty stricken childhoods to 30ft swells. The real trick that revolutionised the world of surfing was the complete disregard for normalcy a group of six highly spirited individuals had and how they pushed boundaries, made a change, and never looked back. Until now, some thirty odd years later, where their past dreams now form the life forces that drive thousands of likeminded daredevils to the edge of danger, who then glide over it with no holds barred.

Fatac Rating: ***

Bustin’ Down the Door. Directed by Jeremy Gosch. Written by Jeremy Gosch, Monika Gosch, Robert Traill and Shaun Tomson. Narrated by Edward Norton. Cinematography by Gary Rohan. Editing by Danny Bresnik. Music by Stuart Michael Thomas. Featuring: Wayne “Rabbit” Barthololmew, Peter Townend, Mark Richards, Ian Cairns, Shaun Tomson and Michal Tomson. Running Time: 95 minutes. Age Restriction: . Year: 2008. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. [C]