A Tribute to Bud Browne (July 12, 1912 – July 25, 2008)
August 15th, 2008 by RodneyBud Browne - known as "the father of surf films" passed away at 96 years old.
Maybe you don't recognize his name, but maybe you recognize some of these titles:
- Hawaiian Surfing Movie (1953)
- Hawaiian Holiday (1954)
- Hawaiian Surf Movie (1955)
- Trek to Makaha (1956)
- The Big Surf (1957)
- Surf Down Under (1958)
- Cat on a Hot Foam Board (1959)
- Surf Happy (1960)
- Spinning Boards (1961)
- Cavalcade of Surf (1962)
- Gun Ho! (1963)
- Locked In! (1964)
- You'll Dance in Tahiti (1967)
- Going Surfin' (1973)
Honestly, the only Bud Browne movie that I saw was Going Surfin'. And what a surf movie it was. In my book, Going Surfin' ranks even higher than 5 Summer Stories. In fact, since I thought the movie was so good, I went out and bought the soundtrack.
Yup, that's an LP, not a CD. And if anyone knows where I can get a copy of Going Surfin' on DVD, I'll be eternally grateful.
By Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 29, 2008Bud Browne, a onetime Venice Beach lifeguard who became known as "the father of surf films" after he began showing his 16-millimeter surf movies commercially up and down the California coast in the early 1950s, has died. He was 96.
Browne died in his sleep Friday at his home in San Luis Obispo, said his close friend Anna Trent Moore, daughter of surfing legend Buzzy Trent.
Bud Browne began shooting footage on 8- and 16-millimeter cameras in the late 1940s. He screened his first film, the 45-minute-long “Hawaii Surfing Movies,” in California beach towns in 1953. Admission cost 65 cents.
"Bud created the genre of surf films," Steve Pezman, publisher of the Surfer's Journal, told The Times on Monday. "What was unique about Bud and his films was the water footage, and the fact that he lived with the surfers he was filming.
"All those surfers actually just loved the guy, and he was a great athlete himself."
A former captain of the USC swim team who learned to surf while working as a lifeguard at Venice Beach in 1938, Browne bought an 8-millimeter movie camera two years later and began making home movies of his fellow surfers.
In 1947, after serving in the Navy during World War II, he upgraded his camera to a 16 millimeter Bell & Howell and got more serious about shooting the action on the waves, particularly during his annual trips to Hawaii.
Several years later -- after working as a middle-school physical education teacher and attending the USC film school -- Browne had enough footage to edit into a 45-minute movie.With handmade posters nailed to telephone poles near local surf spots, he debuted his first film, "Hawaiian Surfing Movies," at John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica in 1953.
Browne, who charged 65 cents admission, introduced his film onstage, then hurried back to the projection booth to narrate it via microphone with taped musical accompaniment.
A couple of other successful beach-town showings followed, and Browne gave up teaching to launch his career as a surf filmmaker.
Between 1953 and 1964, he released a new surf film each year, including "Trek to Makaha," "The Big Surf," "Surf Down Under," "Cat on a Hot Foam Board," "Surf Happy" and "Gun Ho!"
In the process, he captured on film longboard-era greats such as Phil Edwards, Miki Dora and Dewey Weber and first-generation shortboard heroes, including David Nuuhiwa and Gerry Lopez.
Browne, who shot big-wave action from the water with a waterproof camera housing of his own design, was known to be fearless.
"He was completely at home in the water," Matt Warshaw, author of "The Encyclopedia of Surfing" and a former editor of Surfer magazine, told The Times on Monday. "With a camera cased in housing, he was willing to go out and take lumps and get angles no one else wanted to get."
In a 2005 column in the Orange County Register, surfing champion Corky Carroll recalled "running over" Browne one day at Pipeline in Hawaii.
"He told me to surf like he wasn't there, so I did," Carroll wrote. "I am tucked deep into this monster barrel, and there is Bud, right in the way, filming me. I figured that he was gonna dive under before I ran him down. Wrong. He just stayed right here filming, and I took him out like a Greyhound bus nailing a highway dog."
As a surf-film pioneer, Browne predated other early surf filmmakers such as Bruce Brown, Greg Noll and John Severson.
Brown, whose film "The Endless Summer" became a phenomenon after opening nationally in 1966, remembered watching Browne's films as a teenager. In fact, Browne captured him on film surfing in Hawaii.
"That was a big deal to go to Bud's movies and to see if you were in it," Brown told The Times on Monday.
He held Browne in such esteem as "the originator" of commercial surf films that "when I got a chance to make one of my own, I went to Bud and said, 'I don't want to do it without your blessing.' He said, 'No problem; go for it.' "
Warshaw said the work of Browne and other early surf filmmakers was, to surfers, the equivalent of passing around a scrapbook.
"When Bud first came out, there weren't even surf magazines," he said. "Everyone was so starved to see imagery of surfing."
Nicknamed "Barracuda" for his tall, slender build and the amount of time he spent in the water, Browne was known as a top body surfer. In the early '60s, he was famous for body surfing at the Wedge in Newport Beach, the most dangerous body-surfing spot in California.
As a filmmaker, Pezman said, Browne "made a film record of the surf culture that he was intimate with."He was allowed inside as one of them, even though he was quite different than they were," Pezman said.
"He was a traditional, old-school gentleman, and they were rambunctious rebels, but somehow they coexisted, and he recorded their lives and their culture as it expanded from a few hundred [surfers] in the '50s to several million in the '60s, and he and his films helped fan the flames of that growth," he said.Warshaw said Browne retired for a while in the mid-'60s, then came back in 1973 with what many consider his best film, "Going Surfin'."
Browne also shot footage for Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman's 1972 classic "Five Summer Stories" and was part of the team that filmed the surfing sequences for "Big Wednesday," director John Milius' 1978 feature film.
Born in Boston on July 14, 1912, Browne moved to Los Angeles in 1931 to major in physical education at USC.
Browne, who lived in Costa Mesa for many years before moving to San Luis Obispo three years ago, was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame in 1996.
He was honored in March at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival for his contributions to surf films.
Moore, who said Browne remained active until he developed health problems due to diabetes, recalled that she and Browne went on three bungee-jumping trips to New Zealand together in the 1990s.
"He loved to bungee jump, and he bungee jumped until he was 86," she said.
Browne, who never married, is survived by two nieces and a nephew.
At Browne's request, close friends will scatter his ashes at Pipeline on Oahu.
A celebration of his life will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at Waimea Falls.
As at tribute to Bud Browne - let's recall our surfing memories.
MOVIES
When I was a young surf rat, I remember my mom dropping me off at Kapahulu theater to see 5 Summer Stories by myself - and I was hooked on surf movies. However, as I mentioned above, Going Surfin' was my favorite.
Other surf movies that I saw (which I can remember) was Pacific Vibrations (which we named our social club after), A Sea For Yourself, and The Inner Most Limits of Pure Fun. I remember seeing Free & Easy and Endless Summer on TV before I started surfing.
There was a lot of other surf movies that we used to watch at Roosevelt Auditorium. Some were hard core surf movies with no narration - just surfing and rock music. Others has minimal narration and all surf footage.
WAX
The wax that we used to use was parafin wax. Then Surfline had a square block of a light blue surf wax that smelled like bubble gum - which we appropriately called "bubble gum" wax. Eventually, Mr. Zogg came out with Sex Wax and that became the wax to use.
SURF LEASHES
Commercial surf leashes weren't available when we started surfing - just the concept. We used to use nylon rope. We threaded surgical rubber with the nylon rope at one end. That's the part the tied around our ankle. The surgical rubber was to prevent chafing from the rope rubbing against the ankle. A hole was drilled at the base of our skeg where we'd slip through the other end through and tie a knot on each end to keep it in place. We also had to use knots to tie the surf leash around our ankle. It was the pits when a portuguese-man-0-war would wrap around the surf leash right at the knot area. Or worse yet when the man-o-war wrapped around the leash at the ankle - because it took a couple of minutes to untie the knots while the man-o-war was stinging our ankle. Then later we replaced the nylon rope with bungee cord. The Hobie Cats left on the beach had a lot of bungee cord that we cut off and used. 
THE BOARDS
Pin tail "sticks" for big wave riders. Rounded pin for shorter boards. Box tails. Diamond tails. Swallow tails. Fish tails. Swish tails. Asymmetrical tails. Stingers. And the board invented before it's time - the Bonzer.
The Bonzer
THE SURFBOARD MAKERS
Surfline on Piikoi street. Lightning Bolt on Kapiolani. Rich Parr on Queen street. Stonebreaker on Mililani street. Hawaiian Island Creations on Hahani street. Haleiwa surfboads in Haleiwa town. Dick Brewer on the north shore someplace. Town & Country in Pearl City? And of course, home made surfboards. At Rich Parr, you could buy a surfboard kit (includes blank, fiberglass, resin, skeg, rope, etc.) for $55 (?). A custom made board without color from Rich Parr - $100. Add $10 for tint or pigment.
Oh yeah, and Rich Parr was thee place to go for your Body Glove wet suit.
Mainland surfboard makers? Plastic Fantastic. And Bing surfboards had the coolest logo. Whether you read the logo right side up or upside down, it still reads "bing".
THE SURFERS
Gerry Lopez, Ben Aipa, Tom Stone, Reno Abellira, James Jones, Rory Russel, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, David Nuuiwa.
Okay, that should start stirring up the old memories. So strain your brain and add to the lists. *I purposely left out surf spot names otherwise this entry could go on forever. 
Rest in Peace, Bud Browne. And thanks for all the footage.
Tags: 5 Summer Stories, Going Surfin', Midlife Crisis, pacific vibrations, surf movies, surf shops, surfboard makers, surfers
August 15th, 2008 at 1:33 am
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August 15th, 2008 at 3:46 am
Yep, I remember Rich Parr, as I had him design and shape a paipo board for me back in the early 70's.
What ever happened to him? Here's a theory:
http://classicsurfhawaii.com/ohanaprofiles/richparr.html
Here's a couple of more surf related videos:
North Shore - Nia Peeples.....mmmmmmmm
The seven mile miracle
Johnny Tsunami
Mavericks, a documentary film
Point Break
Slippery when wet
Blue Crush
August 15th, 2008 at 7:04 am
I believe Rich Parr got into some sort of trouble. I heard he was threaten by someone and left the islands(probably by some moke) Rod, remember : Jeff Hackman, Barry K.(BK), Larry Bertlemen (he could pick up the old metal trash can covers with his toes!). Aso,they have re-released 5 summer stories on DVD.
Surf spots? too many but my favorites are: big lefts, lighththouse, chuns, pakalas(kauai), freight trains & maui pipeline(ma'alaea mud flats,maui), also Olowalus. There are too many too name!
Pipe littles....................
August 15th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Nothing to add, not a surfer, poor swimmer but did a lot of boogie boarding with plywood plank and varnished and surfed mostly at Hau Bush. Was those called boogie boards, not sure what we called them but also used them for sand surfing on the shoreline. I recall seeing the ads for the surf movies at Roosevelt HS but nevah went and don't recall seeing any of the above movies except for Endless Summer.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Ben Aipa had a shop on Waialae Ave. were Downing Hawaii is now. Still see Ben surfing on the north shore.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:00 am
My brother took me surfing once - though, I never stood up on the board (I was hanging to it for dear life!) and thought my arms were going to fall off! That was the beginning and the end of my surfing experience! I remember going to see 5 summer stories with him, too (he must have had to babysit me or something). He so loved that movie that I had to endure weeks of him singing the song from that movie while making wave movements with his hand, attempting to "recreate" scenes that he was so excited by (of course, I had no idea what he was talking about but I just played along... !)!
August 15th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Hmmm. I don't remember the name Bud Browne. That's a long list of movie credits though. Looks like he lived a long and full life.
I do remember Endless Summer was quite popular. Wasn't the theme song popular for many years, too? I recognize Gerry Lopez more for his role in Conan the Barbarian.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:40 am
@anklebiters - I remember reading in the newspaper about the Rich Parr story. He lived upstairs of his surf shop and someone broke in during the middle of the night. He shot the guy. He was found innocent since he was protecting his property, but he feared for his life. I thought he moved to Maui, but I wouldn't be surprised if the moved to the mainland - and changed his name. Too bad. That was thee surf shop to go to.
Sometimes during lunch, I walk pass the old shop and remember the days. Whenever I smell neoprene, I immediately think of Rich Parr surf shop.
@shoyu burner - Thought of a couple more big name surfers this morning: Mark Richards and Dane Kealoha. Of course there's the Aikau brothers.
@hemajang - Paipo boards. I heard that paipo boarders don't like their boards to be in the same class as boogie boards. Boggie boards were modeled after paipo boards.
@NKHEA - I thought Ben Aipa had a shop, but didn't know where. Now that you mention it, I recall seeing it on Waialae.
@snow - The 5 Summer Stories soundtrack is a classic. Who can forget "Lopez". And of course, Pipeline Sequence. Da nant da nant! Dant!
@JM808 - You are the movie master! Gerry Lopez and Conan the Barbarian. I don't think anyone would've remember that one!
August 15th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
[...] A Tribute to Bud Browne (July 12, 1912 – July 25, 2008) [...]
August 15th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Hey NKHEA, you know Ben Aipa? I went to elementary school with his son Duke & Loke. We were best friends in elementary until he turned "punk rock" and changed schools. Haven't seen him in 20+ years.
Sex Wax came in little "bubble gum" sized pieces too - so dat it could fit in your pocket easily without it bothering you.
Surfed for a about half a year, mainly a body boarder (boogie board is like da 70/80's)
but now back to da purest form: body surfing. Dang, missed all da summer swells dis year cause my cankle. 
August 15th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Hey little bro, this is your big brother. Too bad you were a short boarder and never got to cruise on a long board (now day's anything over 9'). And no leashes, swam many miles and Makaha, and had many dings at Sandy's and Pipelittle. By the way friends, Rod had a nice skeg job in the back of his head while I had mine on my face, and his 2nd brother had a punctured ear drum. So, 3 brothers surfing out of 4 ain't bad, laters rod, and I have a couple good vid's and the Billabong Quest is a really heavy movie, nothing but big waves starting with an epic scene at Peahi (Jaw's).
August 15th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
oh, btw, the new wax sucks, can't chew it like the old parafin, didn't need gum just a bite of wax.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
@BL - Did you see the picture of Obama sliding down the face at Sandy's?
@Bruce Lee - Hey big bro. I was saving that back of the head story for the "Puka Head and Tankobu" post. That's cool. It's just a little teaser. You can add your on-the-face story too. Speaking of surf videos, I'm sure you saw this one (if you don't have it, let me know), but it's always a joy to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYQQtxb8wv0
August 15th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
BL - Nah I don't really know Ben just used to order knee bds. from him in the early 70's, now days when I see him just talk to him about the new design of surf bds. everybody going over to epoxy bds. now days.
The epoxy boards are ligther and can take more punishment so they last longer. Yeah,you surfer's out there what you think about the stand up paddle (SUP) craze that happening now....gotta admit I getting hooked on it get 3 boards already.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Never tried surfing but thought about it. Wonder if I can handle the stand up paddle board? I was more into boogie or body surfing. Did scuba and like to snorkel. I enjoy the water. I have a Malibu Two Sit on top Kayak to cruise around the bay with my family. Thinking of mounting a rod holder to go fishing with it. Hey we live in Hawaii surrounded by water, why not enjoy it?
August 15th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Ynaku you got that right....and like I keep saying, life is to short enjoy.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:27 am
I loved those surf movies. Used to watch em at Mamo or Palace Theater in Hilo. I think the only surf shop was Orchidland Surf. The Big Island isn't really a surf mecca. I remember 5 Summer Stories and I think there was one called Free Ride. There was that song Zero to Sixty in Five by Pablo Cruise.
Lately I've been looking for Classic designs from T&C and Local Motion. Lightning Bolt is still around too on Maui although I don't care for their stuff.
August 16th, 2008 at 4:38 am
I've tried surfing in my younger days, but was never any good. I also used to paddle in Kona. Never got to see any of those classic surfing movies - maybe I should check them out now.
I started paddling again this season & last weekend tried stand up paddling for the first time. It's much harder than it looks! Not so much the paddling part, but standing up & getting your balance is tough! I spent more time in the water getting back up on the board. But after awhile, it starts to get easier, so you can actually paddle, too. I had aches & pains for days! I'm sure Ynaku could handle, though!
August 16th, 2008 at 6:50 am
There will be a Memorial for Bud Browne August 25th @ Waimea Falls Park @ 7pm.
check budbrownecinema.com for more information...
August 16th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Rod-man,
Going Surfin' better than 5 Summer Stories? Well which one sold out Aikahi theater? I left kailua many years ago, but afaik, only Enter the Dragon and 5 Summer Stories filled the seats...i actually convinced my parents to come the 2nd time I saw it. BTW, I finally did get 5SS on dvd.
Actually, I still like Endless Summer, as a paipo/bogie boarder those Cape St Francis shots were dreamland back then.
August 16th, 2008 at 10:29 am
ditto CW. i remember all the surfas lining outside Palace or Mamo to catch the latest surf flick. and yeah....only had Orchidland Surf. i had Stan custom make me a 5'-10" twin fin, pin tail with channels. wasn't too good tho. if you wanted quality boards/shapers.....you had to get them from Honolulu. Minami, Cino, Aipa, Pang etc.
ahh....that 5 Summer Stories poster brings back memories. remember Hot Lips and Inner Tubes? hah! loved that title.
but Free Ride was my fave at that time. ho....Zero to Sixty in Five was one of those perfect surf tunes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkxiQI3-dbs
August 16th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Wow, all you guys are young, I mean it was like Kailua High or Intermediate for the surf movies, and if in town it was at Roosevelt High School. I don't think Rod was even born when my brother and I started surfing at Kalama's on a red wood board, then we got to graduate to pop-outs like "Tiki" bought at Wigwam's. Had a balsa board called "Hawaii" with a red wood skeg, wish I never got rid of that. But gotta say that "Endless Summer" brought back memories and blonde girl friends.
August 16th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
oh, btw, still got my old sandsliding, paipo board, shaped from plywood with resin, vintage 1960's. That's why I got the legs and all my brother's have parakeet legs, muwahahaa
August 16th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Opso, you Da Man! I love that song. Thanks for the link.
August 16th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Rodney, if it's not too much trouble, can you post the song list and artists for the Going Surfin' soundtrack? I remember a song from one of the extended chapters of Five Summer Stories plus 4 that had lyrics something like "I'm going surfin'. Yeah, let's do it again..." well something like that anyway during the skateboarding chapter. It was catchy and is not on the video of the movie and I just can't find it and I'm going berserk and I don't know what time of day it is and I'm going bald and got rash all over and now my eyes are crossed... I wonder if that song I'm obsessed with is on that soundtrack of yours? If it is, I can get my own copy one day off ebay and then sanity will return.
August 16th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
np CW. that song is haunting.
RBB - we used to make those plywood sandsliding boards in shop class too. what....your shins get the dings from the board when get stuck in the sand when you throw em down and run into it? ouchee!!
Goodbeer - skateboarding! is that nother topic for later Largo? or did you do that already? aigoo.....MLC moment.
August 17th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Whoa! Zero to Sixty in Five. Pablo Cruise. Memories of the 70s coming back now. I wasn't a surfer but that was one song that I remember.
Thanks opso.
August 17th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
@Goodbeer
Going Surfin' soundtrack:
Side 1
Going Surfin' (Richard Henn) Dan & Jean
Basic Barry (April Fulladosa)
Lady (Bob Hawkins & Brad Crenshaw)
Wipeout (Al Okie)
Flying (Alicia Cory)
Orange Blossom (traditional)
Surfin' Sunsets (Richard Henn)
Side 2
The Wall (Bob Hawkins & Stan Hain)
David (Val Johns)
The Good Old Surfin' Daze (Dennis Fullerton & Friends)
Sunlit Horizon (April Fulladosa)
Surfin' Safari 1974 (Alicia Cory)
Going Surfin' Instrumental (Richard Henn)
Goodbeer, you are the master of songs. Let me recall some lyrics from memory from the Going Surfin' theme:
Going surfin',
Surfin' like we did back then,
Going surfin',
Yeah let's do it again,
Take me back to those good, good, good ol' surfin' days,
Well can't you just hear the sound of those distant waves
One day I'll get my turntable hooked up to my computer and convert the songs. Until then, I'll leave you with this classic (not from Going Surfin')
*Before you click on the link, close your eyes, click it, then just listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH1K23rAYOQ
August 18th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Thank you Rodney. What a fabulous way to start the week. I turned off the monitor and that guitar just sent me to Happy Place. Speechless. It's gonna be a great week; such a positive high. Thanks again!!
and I'll be on the lookout of ebay and Jelly's for that soundtrack. THAT"S THE SONG, DUDE!!! Happy happy!!! WOOWOO!!!