Summer is right around the corner. Nothing says summer like surfing, and today I’m diving into a cult-classic from the 80s. On a small stretch of coastline as powerful as a man’s will, a young man will come to surf the big waves. He would also find a woman who’d show him how to survive, and a challenge unlike any other, when Rick Kane would hit Oahu in 1987’s North Shore. I’m going to dive into the casting, production, financials, the legacy of this hidden gem, and much more. So, wax up your board because we’re hitting the waves.
Now the idea for North Shore came from Randal Kleiser, most known for directing the iconic Grease in his debut behind the camera. Kleiser would go on to produce and direct The Blue Lagoon and for 1982’s Summer Lovers he would direct, produce, and write. When Kleiser attended the premier of the Blake Edwards comedic drama That’s Life! he was hit with an idea for a new film.
For That’s Life! Edwards was able to use his own home and assemble a group of his friends to create a film and Kleiser found the simplicity of this style of filmmaking appealing. Kleiser had a love for surfing. He had plenty of friends and connections. And he owned a home on the coast of the North Shore, so a surfing film was the obvious choice.
Kleiser then spent time in Oahu and began watching the surfers of the North Shore. Kleiser began to see the inner workings of the surf culture very quickly. How the locals primarily (the hui) clashed with the hordes of tourists flooding their land and waves. People referred to by the locals as haole (or haole’s). Kleiser also observed the rift between traditional longboard surfers and the usually younger hot dog surfers on shorter boards. So, it didn’t take long to see there was potential there for a layered story revolving around surfing.
Kleiser then got in touch with his friend, writer and filmmaker William Phelps who had recently done a very well received surfing documentary called Wave Warriors. Kleiser was impressed with how Phelps shot the surfing from in the water and felt the footage was the perfect style needed for crafting a great movie about surfing culture in the North Shore, while also delivering quality surfing footage. So, Kleiser would hand directing duties over to Phelps.
Kleiser and Phelps began writing and the story would take shape. One that could take an out-of-town kid and place him in the heart of the world of surfing in Hawaii while also exploring the culture of both the sport of surfing and the region surrounding the North Shore. And admittedly it’s a basic plot structure and a familiar one from the 80s, but it’s a feel-good film and plenty effective for creating an iconic tropical escape.
Once a loosely drafted story outline and pitch was in place Kleiser and Phelps shopped the idea to three different studios in one day and that same day Universal Pictures would make a deal and production was underway. Kleiser and Phelps along with Tim McCanlies would iron out the story details and casting would begin. Now when it came to casting the main focus was getting actors that were able to surf. They didn’t have to be pros or anything but needed to be able to comfortably maneuver on the board in water and even better to be able to catch waves so their take-offs could be used in the film and cut with stunt doubles.
Young actor Matt Adler, most notably known for being friend #2 in Teen Wolf was a frequent surfer and would hit the waves 2-3 times a week. He only had a few films under his belt at the time, but he tested well and when seeing his ability on a surfboard he was chosen as the lead Rick Kane. Which I think works because he has the disarming presence needed for this naive character. One loosely based on Connecticut born surfer Benjamin “Barney” Partyka.
For Chandler, the older mentor of the story and character patterned after surf legend Ken Bradshaw, they quickly had their eyes on Gregory Harrison. Now Harrison was an experienced actor having started his career in the early 70s with a hefty resume of TV work. But he also grew up on the island of Catalina and was a surfer since he was a kid so like Adler, he had the grace in the water to get the role done so he would get the part.
Young actor John Philbin, only a few years into his career with a string of smaller appearances, would desperately want the role of Turtle. But when he showed up to the studio for his audition the producers weren’t sold at all on him being right for the part. Philbin pleaded his case for a second shot and went out to Hawaii a few months prior to principal photography on his own.
He would study the culture, perfect the pidgin language and accents, he would learn to surf, he got in great shape, and when the crew arrived in Hawaii they were blown away by the transformation and Philbin instantly had the part. He’s still acting today, he was one of the “Dead Presidents” in Point Break, and he reportedly travels the world giving surf lessons.
Now it was a given that professional surfers would be used as stunt-doubles and extras for the surfing montages. But it would be Kleiser’s friend, writer/director John Milius, known for films like Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn who would suggest they hire some professional surfers as some of the characters. Among his recommendations were pro surfers Laird Hamilton, and Gerry Lopez.
Kleiser clearly loved the idea because Hamilton would be cast as Lance Burkhart, the film’s antagonist, and rival to Rick Kane. And Lopez would be cast as island native Vince Moaloka, the leader of The Hui’s another semi-antagonist for Rick during portions of the story. Although Lopez has stated that he really wanted to play the role of Chandler. Hamilton and Lopez weren’t the only pro surfers cast though, Mark Occhilupo would play as Occy, and Robbie Page would play Alex.
But there are so many more incredible surfers filling out the roster for this film to make the story feel realistic and to ensure the surfing looked fantastic. Shaun Tomson, Mark Foo, Derek Ho, Hans Hedemann, Christian Fletcher, Lord James Blears, and many others make appearances throughout the runtime.
Now for the role of Kiani they initially went into production with another actress. I haven’t been able to track down her name, but she took part in filming for a handful of days. If you watch the Blu-ray extras they have an alternate ending. Often endings are shot first in production it seems but you can see this actress with Rick Kane as he’s leaving Hawaii and she’s admittedly beautiful, but she isn’t the best actor and certainly no Nia Peeples.
This would be the feature film debut for Peeples who in only a handful of years had built a strong resume of TV and soap opera work including 58 episodes of Fame so despite this being her big screen debut she was comfortable behind the camera and perfect for this part. Both Kleiser and Phelps have stated she was able to fly at the last minute and was a pro when it came to learning lines with no time to do the reshoots and they praised her overall for just being able to blend seamlessly into production.
As for production. I mentioned earlier Universal Pictures agreed to green light North Shore and they would jointly produce the film with Finnegan/Pinchuk Productions who were only a few years into operation at the time. Universal would also handle the US distribution both theatrical and on the home entertainment side.
Now you may remember earlier when I said how Kleiser, when envisioning North Shore, was keen on the idea of small budget filmmaking. Like his friend Blake Edwards did when he made his movie at home with his friends. Kleiser and Phelps planned to have a very small film crew shooting North Shore, but this idea was quickly thrown out the door when Universal sent in a full production team with many of the same crew members already familiar with filming in Hawaii having worked on Magnum P.I.
Despite things not initially going as planned for Kleiser and Phelps, production seemed relatively smooth outside of recasting Kiani. Production would kick off in February of 1987. I wasn’t able to find the budget for this movie but if I had to guess, I would say it was somewhere between $9-$11M. But again, just a guess. Shooting for North Shore would begin on March 9th and would complete on April 19th so as you can assume it was a relatively seamless shoot for only lasting around 5 weeks.
North Shore would be shot on Super 16mm and Regular 16mm to incorporate in the water footage. The film opens with Rick in his hometown in Arizona, but The Oasis Water Resort in Palms Springs California was used instead. And of course, many locations throughout Oahu were used when filming the majority of the film.
On the surfing side there’s Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, and the Banzai Pipeline all in this movie. Then there’s Chinatown’s Hotel Street District in Honolulu and the legendary Club Hubba Hubba. This was a world-famous strip club dating back to WWII when GIs would visit the club to relax and enjoy the frivolities. This club would actually remain open until 1997 when the iconic sign would shut off after 50yrs of pouring drinks and serving lap dances. And lastly the long-lasting Fujioka Supermarket in Haleiwa.
Another strength of North Shore would without question be its vibrant music. The soundtrack for this one just lands a complete summer surfing atmosphere. Chris Isaak’s “Blue Hotel” oozes surfing vibes and Gary Wright’s “Am I the One?” is a perfect blend of 80s montage melodies and riding waves energy. The line-up also includes songs from Pseudo Echo, Gang Gajang, Kids in the Kitchen, Hunter, Zoo Drive, Lords of the New Church, and even Nia Peeples would make a contribution. Her song “Be My Lover” can be heard in the background when Rick first arrives in Hawaii and heads to meet a guy he met back in Arizona.
Once completed North Shore would land a bit unenthusiastically into theaters late in the summer on August 14th, 1987, in 802 theaters. It would pull in a little over $1.3M in its domestic opening and with international numbers after a 140-day run in theaters North Shore would only pull in a bit over #3.8M worldwide. Not exactly the return the studios were probably hoping for.
However, this film was huge on VHS when I was a kid. I remember it was hard to rent at my little Mountain View Video down the street from my house. I also read the film did well overseas on home video as the sport of surfing gained more popularity. So, the film may have done some decent numbers on home video and cable television. It was probably not enough to consider this film a glowing financial success but regardless, to the many of us who grew up as 80s kids and 90s teens, North Shore was a go-to for lighthearted summer themed entertainment.
Now the plot structure of North Shore is essentially a twist on the Karate Kid formula with karate being swapped for surfing. We get young Rick Kane learning to surf in a wave pool in Arizona. He wins a small contest and uses his $500 check to travel to Hawaii to ride the big waves. Once on the island he’s thrust into the world and culture of not just surfing but surfing in the North Shore. He also falls in love with a local, meets a new friend, and finds an older board shaper who will teach him the meaning of surfing, and he faces his hero in competition.
So, you can see the Karate Kid inspiration of this plot but that isn’t a ding on this movie. Because outside of the tried-and-true concept North Shore is able to feel like a unique film. Sure, the mentor friendship between Kane and Chandler feels very – LaRusso and Miyagi – but in the hands of Adler and Harrison and some strong writing there is a genuineness to them that’s compelling to see evolve.
Chandler’s old-school and despises the competitions and growing spectacle in surfing. He’s a veteran longboarder that feels at one with the waves and respects the motion of the ocean and the spirit and history of surfing. Kane is young, his hero is Lance Burkhart, he has a poster of him on his wall so he’s certainly new school and awe-inspired by the thought of competing and being a star in the sport.
And throughout the film you can see this clashing of generations and as Kane learns from Chandler, he is able to adapt. Kane romanticizes the sport; he’s drawn to the photographer who’s started paying attention to him knowing his picture in a magazine could be a big break. But most differently, Kane is drawn to the Pipeline Classic, something Chandler isn’t happy about.
So, there are back-and-forth’s, and ups and downs and respect and appreciation in this friendship that allows their bond to carry the story driven moments with ease. And we can’t forget Philbin’s Turtle who steals every scene he’s in. He works for Chandler, he befriends Rick, but also has to deal with the jealousy of seeing Chandler taking Kane under his wing. You can see the pain in his expressions but vocally he’s positive and eventually Chandler and Kane give him his dues, so the optimism and laid-back personality of this character is extremely likable.
This all gives the story a nice appealing flow. Rick drops into Hawaii like a true fish-out-of-water. Conveniently in 80s movie fashion Kane runs into other surfers and gets a place to crash at a coastal surf shack. He’s immediately overwhelmed by the power of the ocean, and it isn’t long before he runs into Vince and his crew and gets his bag stolen.
So right out of the gate you get this kid tossed into a new world and out of his element but still inspired by the legendary waves around him. And after taking a tumble he meets Kiani, a local girl and immediately falls in love. I know I did the first time I saw her as a teenager.
But overall, there’s just a smooth balance of character dynamics to complement the strong pace. It’s an easy watch and filled with all the nostalgia of 80s coming-of-age stories. The characters are all likable, they’re relatable in various ways, and the notion of summer love can appeal to the teenager inside us all. And on top of this teenage drama is the exploration of the sport of surfing, and the culture of surfing in North Shore capturing the quiet tension between the locals and the hui, the inner workings of the sport, and the culture of the region like the bonds of family.
However, the most appealing thing about North Shore is the impressive wave riding captured on camera and the blending of the actors with the stunt doubles. There are some amazing shots in this film that still look fantastic all these years later. Phelps’ direction is pristine as he brings the camera into the water and takes the viewer with him to put us in the middle of the surfing like few films have been able to do.
North Shore is littered with professional surfers and their exploits are captured flawlessly on camera to give this film a lasting visual appeal. And when the energy of the music kicks in and the surfers are captured from only a few feet away the result is a collection of incredible montages, inside a little surfing film that will always have its following and always be respected in the surf community.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2024 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die!
