Video: Surfing icon Derek Hynd on embracing the wave philosophically
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Still from The Man, The Sea by Andrew Kaineder
Escaping into a pure source — A new documentary short offers an intimate portrait of one surfer's free-spirited approach to feeling at one with the sea.
The Man & The Sea is a stripped-back portrait of one of Australia’s surfing greats, Derek Hynd. It was filmed by Andrew Kaineder over two weeks in Jeffreys Bay, along the eastern cape of South Africa, and captures the 58-year-old’s philosophical approach to nature.
“Surfing, for me, is purely an escape into a pure source,” he says in the film. “Communion with the birds and the dolphins… Energy within the universe.”
Hynd, who once lost his right eye in a surf contest when his board hit him in the face, is known for his finless approach to surfing – a contrast in style he likens to the difference between jazz and rock.
“Reflection time grows as you get older – you discover that in the sea. It’s about reducing actions in order to achieve a better understanding of where you’ve been and where you’re going.”
Check out more of Andrew Kaineder’s work.
This film is an entrant in Reelers: The Surfing World Short Film Competition.
Latest on Huck
Culture
Analogue Appreciation: Maria Teriaeva’s five pieces that remind her of home
From Sayan to Savoie — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. First up, the Siberian-born, Paris-based composer and synthesist.
Written by: Maria Teriaeva
Activism
Petition to save the Prince Charles Cinema signed by over 100,000 people in a day
PCC forever — The Soho institution has claimed its landlord, Zedwell LSQ Ltd, is demanding the insertion of a break clause that would leave it “under permanent threat of closure”.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Music
Remembering Taboo, the party that reshaped ’80s London nightlife
Glitter on the floor — Curators Martin Green and NJ Stevenson revisit Leigh Bowery’s legendary night, a space for wild expression that reimagined partying and fashion.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai
Sport
A timeless, dynamic view of the Highland Games
Long Walk Home — Robbie Lawrence travelled to the historic sporting events across Scotland and the USA, hoping to learn about cultural nationalism. He ended up capturing a wholesome, analogue experience rarely found in the modern age.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Music
The rave salvaging toilets for London’s queers
Happy Endings — Public bathrooms have long been contested spaces for LGBTQ+ communities, and rising transphobia is seeing them come under scrutiny. With the infamous rave-in-a-bog at an east London institution, its party-goers are claiming them for their own.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Sport
Baghdad’s first skatepark set to open next week
Make Life Skate Life — Opening to the public on February 1, it will be located at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the city centre and free-of-charge to use.
Written by: Isaac Muk