Directed and written by Milton Blair with cinematography by Bud Brown, Ron Church and Jim Freeman, “Blue Surf-ari” (1967) features Ricky Grigg, Greg Noll, Sue Peterson, John Teague, Mike Bennett and Pam Douglas. Like “Endless Summer” which preceded it, “Blue Surfari” is a well regarding surf film that presents the sport as seen through the eyes of Ricky Grigg, the 1967 World Champion surfer and oceanographer. The film includes an awesome surf soundtrack by the Blazers and is narrated by Nal Buckley. Some of the highlights in this film include footage of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), surfboard maker Dale Velzy shaping boards, shooting arrows and riding a dune buggy, and the iconic wave fotage from “Hawaii Five-O”. It also includes a bikini contest with the Blazers performing, tandem surfing with Mike Doyle at the Huntington Beach Surf Championships, and spaghetti fight between surfers and bikini girls. (Note: Ricky Grigg became a Professor of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii and was inducted into the Waterman Hall of Fame.)

00:00: Introduction of the main characters: Ricky, Greek Sue, Peterson Mike Benet (Frenchie), Greg, Douglas, John, Diane, Charles, and Stubby.

2:27 – 2:36: Description of the surf scene, focusing on the winter storms in the Northern Pacific and their impact on the Hawaiian Islands and Lada Bay, California.

2:43 – 3:09: The film “California Safari” is introduced as a story about waves traveling thousands of miles and the surfers who challenge them.

3:25 – 3:33: Surfers gather at the Redondo Breakwater to ride massive waves, with many seeing such surf for the first time.

4:09 – 4:48: The excitement of the big December day at Redondo is highlighted, with surfers achieving perfect rides.

5:58 – 6:10: The day is described as one of the most dramatic in California surf history.

6:40 – 7:08: The safari begins with two surfers, Ricky and John, heading out to pick up their girlfriends for a day of surfing.

7:10 – 7:29: The history of surfing in Southern California is briefly covered, mentioning its growth into a major sport.

8:03 – 8:29: A humorous scene where a non-surfer is in trouble at sea, leading to jokes about smuggling and all-night parties.

9:02 – 9:20: The surfers’ girlfriends are introduced, waiting for over an hour for Ricky and John.

9:33 – 10:32: The group heads to Rencon, a prime surfing spot, and the surfers enjoy the waves.

10:55 – 11:17: The surfers try to convince their girlfriends about rescuing a young Frenchman, Mike Benet (Frenchie).

12:12 – 12:23: The group arrives at Malibu, a crowded but iconic surfing location.

12:42 – 13:07: The history of Malibu surfing is discussed, mentioning famous surfers and the evolution of surfboards.

13:50 – 14:13: The introduction of lightweight surfboards and new surfing styles, like the “hot dog” style by Dewey Weber.

14:42 – 15:00: The group decides to give the girls surfing lessons at a less crowded spot.

15:45 – 16:10: The surfers show off their skills to impress their girlfriends, with humorous attempts at new tricks.

16:31 – 17:01: Sue tries surfing for the first time, with mixed results.

17:03 – 17:16: Frenchie attempts to surf but struggles, leading to a small accident.

17:48 – 18:00: Frenchie offers to pay for the damaged board, but Ricky reassures him it’s no big deal.

18:30 – 19:04: The group heads to a surf shop, where they meet Dale, a top board designer, and explore his other hobbies.

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