Geography renders our community finite, shaped as much by our proximity to coastlines as our ability to reach them. In this niche, word of new surf films spreads rapidly. The majority of videos, however, survive mediocre exposure and relative fanfare as waveriders supplement their time in the water with time in front of the screen. Yet one filmmaker suffers no such obscurity. For nearly 20 years, Taylor Steele has offered his interpretation of surfing and the world upon which the craft depends. While Steele’s version of life has provoked as many favorable receptions as unflattering scoffs, he’s also cemented his name as one of the most recognizable in surfing — and certainly the preeminent behind the video lens.

Sandrine Lima, Todd Heater, Alejandro Berger, Dan Malloy, and other members of the cast and crew helped Steele debut his latest film, Castles In The Sky, at New York City’s intimate yet dynamic Tribeca Cinemas on May 4th. Filmed over the course of three years, amid production and completion of other projects like 2008’s The Drifter, Castles emerges as a pictorial of life along the shores in the places where waves are sought. Surfing, in this case, serves as an aesthetic demonstration of the finest in our sport, while also offering insight into the locations, the people, and the rigors of arriving at each destination.

Just before the film reel spun to a crowd of New York City’s allegiant surfing and action sports fans, Taylor Steele gave us a moment — opting for words over images to emphasize his love for travel and why he chose to deliver his newest edition to the world in New York.

ESM: Were all of the locations for Castles In The Sky new to you? Had anyone else — from the crew to the surfing talent — ever visited the spots in the film?
Taylor Steele: The locations were new for all of us. I talk to the surfers about trips, and these trips are places they always wanted to go to. Dan with Iceland. Rasta with India. Rob with Peru. These were on their dream list for a while. Same for me.

ESM: Did you have a favorite for any particular reason — great surf, excellent food, majestic scenery, ease of transportation, etc.?
TS: I love India. Great people and food, unexplored surf. The culture and visuals are pretty amazing. Not the easiest travel, but I enjoy the challenge of that part.

ESM: Which destination did you spend the most time?
TS: We spent a month in Vietnam and India. My wife is half Vietnamese, so we brought her mom back after 35 years. She hasn’t been back since the war. That’s how the movie starts. Pretty layered with personal journeys. I think that holds true until the last trip to India, where we traveled by train through the north. It’s been a dream to visit these places and experience it all.

ESM: Was there an absence of surfing culture in many of these places, where surfers with film crew in-tow were most foreign to the locals? Did any surprise you with a familiarity to surfing?
TS: Most locations were completely foreign to surfing, which makes it hard to find waves. Although in Iceland our bartender said he surfed in Iceland 20 years ago with no wetsuit. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but a good story. Peru is nice as it has such a long history in the waves.

ESM: Castles seems to place an emphasis on understanding the places surfers visit. Were there any memorable adventures, dangerous encounters, terrorists looking to kidnap Rob Machado, etc., as you traversed the coastlines to film Castles?
TS: I think it’s great to be aware of your surroundings. We try to go into the trips with open minds and embrace the differences in culture. Yes, I think that should be the way to travel. We had so many memorable memories it’s hard to narrow them down. We almost slid off the road in Iceland — no chains on the tires. We got in a car crash in India — 15 stitches to my head. We ran into some borderline violent encounters, but luckily no one was hurt.

ESM: What is the biggest hassle in producing a surf flick? Do you have a routine dialed in when readying to embark on lengthy travel?
TS: Well, the hardest part is bringing camera gear into these countries that aren’t used to tourists or film crews. It gets intense in the secondary. In the Sahara, they wouldn’t let me bring in my camera. To the second part, do I have any routines? No. I fly by the seat of my pants. I am always running around gathering batteries or cables. I think, like other artist types, my mind doesn’t work like most.

ESM: Were there many conflicts trying to shoot Castles as you continued working on other projects? Were you aiming for a deadline, or was it just finished when it was finished?
TS: We had to push back a lot of trips when The Drifter got delayed. Yet that made the next trips for Castles that much more enjoyable.

ESM: Much has been made of the stylistic evolution underway in surfing. Was there a visible shift in the types of surfing you saw from the beginning of making Castles to the end, three years later? How much did the younger guys add to their repertoire? What about how classic flowmasters like Rob and Rasta surfed from wave to wave?
TS: Rob and Rasta have such great styles. We were shooting in slo-mo to capture the feeling more than the high performance. With their styles, they really flourish when you have the time to see them. Then to have Dion, Jordy, Dane, and Craig added the new type of surfing. Yet their styles also look great when slowed down. I think they compliment each other well. In most cases, the guys were surfing with their mentors or heroes.

ESM: What role does surfing play in future Taylor Steele/Poor Specimen productions?
TS: I like to think of surf movies evolving and improving in both categories. I am hoping Innersection will be the action-style movie.

ESM: How did you get hooked up with Waves Of Health, who held a silent auction at the premiere of Castles In The Sky with photos of native populations taken during filming?
TS: Some friends of mine recommended that I check out what they’re doing. I think it’s a great organization. Very inspiring.

ESM: What compelled you to premiere Castles here in NYC over, say, conventional ol’ Southern California?
TS: New York fits the vibe of Castles — a place I love to go to. New York has such energy with creative people. It’s inspiring to me. So I guess it was a great excuse to get back there. Plus the surf community appreciates surf movies. In SoCal, surf premieres are pretty regular.

For more info on Castles In The Sky, visit www.castlesinthesky.tv