“I enjoy capturing and preserving those fickle, perfect surf days,” says filmmaker Josh Pomer, and that is exactly what his new movie, “Destination Point” has done.
The film will have its world premiere on Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) Sherwood Auditorium. It features some of the best wave action seen the last two years in California and other worldwide surfing hot spots. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the past two winters in particular have featured weeks on end of consistent quality surf with some of the most talented wave-riders on the globe tearing it apart in front of Pomer’s camera lens.
Pomer is a 32-year-old resident of Santa Barbara, and a University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) film studies 2000 graduate who has produced 15 other surfing videos since 1992. Originally from Santa Cruz, Pomer’s credits include the highly acclaimed and influential “The Kill” series of seven movies, along with “Flight Academy,” an instructional video with top pro-surfers performing radical high-flying aerial maneuvers, and “Wow,” which documents an insanely huge day at Teahupoo in Tahiti, possibly the scariest wave on earth. Pomer’s videos regularly feature surfing’s best riders, such as seven-time world pro champion Kelly Slater, surfing legend Tom Curren, aerial wizard Jason “Ratboy” Collins, along with mega-talents Andy Irons, Taj Burrows, Corey Lopez and many others.
For “Destination Point,” Pomer was filming as recently as late December 2005, when California was rocked by a stunning display of epic surf. The hour-long film is packed with different locations and talents, including perfect Rincon with explosive goofy-foot rider Bobby Martinez, huge Mavericks with Chris Brown, three-time world champion Curren at what Pomer describes as “the best ever” Santa Clara River Mouth, and Santa Cruz locals like Darryl “Flea” Virostko, Ratboy and Shawn “Barney” Barron ripping in Northern California waters. Other highlights include the rarely breaking and heavy tubing Sandbar in Santa Barbara, local San Diego surfer Derek Dumfee at Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Other awe-inducing footage shows the “No Fear” team scoring perfection in the Indonesian Mentawaii Islands, grinding Hawaiian barrels, and stars like Slater, Mick Fanning, Dane Reynolds, Chris Ward, Taylor Knox and Bruce Irons, to name a few.
Music for “Destination Point” is by Pennywise, Distortions, Slightly Stoopid, and Ribsy’s Nickel, among other groups. One Drop Entertainment produced the film with sponsorship from Surfer Magazine, Surfline.com and Sector Nine.
“I’m stoked on the sick footage I’ve gotten,” Pomer noted. “It was an amazing last year and nice to capture it. This will also be my biggest tour in a couple years.”
After the La Jolla showing, the film will tour the California coast and finish up in South Beach Miami during March.
Two showings, at 7 and 9 p.m., are scheduled for the MCASD Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect St. Advance tickets for “Destination Point” may be purchased for $8 online at SouthCoast.com. Call (877) 636-6656 for more information.