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HE
AIN'T LUCKY, HE'S JUST THAT GOOD:
KEVIN
WELSH HITS #13 WITH NRG CRISIS
By
Mike Fish
NRG
Crisis is Welsh's 13th surf video release in fourteen
years. And it would've been the 14th--if it weren't for
the dual hurricanes that hit his home of Brevard County,
FL, last fall. A Surfer Magazine senior staff photographer
for more than 15 years, Welsh is considered the "Godfather
of East Coast Surf Videos" for his Right Coast-centered
SurfNRG Series. The series chronicles over a decade
of East Coast waveriding history, pride and heritage--and
it opened up the door for many others to follow in his
footsteps.
Seeing
all that, we felt that rather than us try to tell the
story of NRG Crisis--as is usually the protocol
for films featured in ESM's Cinematheque Department--we'd
let Kevin tell it himself. What follows is a special Q&A
with the Godfather himself about making "Lucky 13," the
future of the SurfNRG series and his heaviest East
Coast session yet.
ESM:
You had an interesting editing session for NRG Crisis.
Tell us about that.
KW:
I thought it would be cool to sail down to the Port St.
Lucie area and edit the hurricane segment there--you know,
kind of drawing off the ambiance. It was definitely inspirational
to be anchored and editing in a place so relevant to the
film. I felt like I had more energy to put it together.
KW:
Most of my videos are about documenting special moments
in East Coast surfing. It's a lot more than just driving
down to the Inlet, setting up the camera and then later
saying, "Cool, I got a few more action clips for my next
video." I try to make sure there's some classic moments
in each one.
ESM:
Where did you find the inspiration to make your first
movie?
NRG:
There were a couple of East Coast guys making movies back
in the '80s, including Paul Pruitt and the Poling Brothers.
Soonafter, I coordinated a shoot for Surfer Video Magazine
during the Natural Art Pro in Barbados. The show aired
on ESPN. After watching those guys plan the shoots, do
the interviews, cover all the angles and see the final
product--I knew that I wanted to make my own surf movies.
Timing worked out so that I had just purchased my first
Canon L1 Hi-8 video camera when the Halloween swell of
'91 came along, which was part of my first movie. The
rest is history.
ESM:
What sets NRG Crisis apart from your other flicks?
KW:
Lucky #13. The session with Kech, CJ and Baron in South
Florida was pretty heavy for the Sunshine State. I've
been a surf photographer since the '70s and I've honestly
never seen a day that thick and gnarly on the East Coast.
The Halloween swell was big, but it still didn't compare.
All the boys agreed that it was the heaviest waves they've
ever seen here on the East Coast.
ESM:
What else is in the film?
KW:
We headed up to New York and New Jersey in the RV during
the months of September and October last year. All the
contests going on there scored great surf, so that's documented.
The list goes on: Hurricane Season 2004, tow-ats with
Adam Wickwire, Matt Kechele and Clay Marzo, not to mention
North Shore action with Slater and a slew of other international
riders like Tom Curren, Randall Paulson and Jamie O'Brien...
But I still think the highlight of NRG Crisis is
that all-time swell in Palm Beach with Kech, CJ, Baron
and the boys.
ESM:
What direction do you see your moviemaking heading?
NRG:
It all depends. What direction is East Coast surfing heading?
Who's going to be the next in line for the WCT? Where's
the next area that's going to score incredible waves from
a hectic Hurricane Season? That will dictate my direction.
I just want to continue being a part of it. I love the
adventure.
ESM:
Your next release is already in the works, isn't it?
NRG:
Let's just say we're quite 'en-Gulf-ed' with some pretty
sick hurricane footage from the other side of Florida.
I drove over three times to score Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
And all three times, we went to the Panhandle where most
of the energy was. The surfers I took were surprised by
the quality of waves over there. There are some amazing
setups on the Gulf--it's just not consistent. Where else
in Florida can you find a perfect lefthand pointbreak
that's protected from the winds? The only drawbacks were
the crowds, red tide and all the driving.
ESM: Who is a filmmaker that you find particularly inspirational? NRG:
Jack McCoy is one of the greatest ever. He digs inside
of the person he's filming and captures truly unique angles.
He utilizes humor, as well, which is always entertaining.
The inspirational award goes to Jack.
NRG:
That's tough, there's so much from cameras to lenses to
computers (I highly prefer Macs), not to mention transportation
in the NRG RV. But I can say that my double-trouble bracket--that
I've been using since the day I started shooting video--has
been a real asset to me. It enables me to shoot both stills
and video simultaneously. It's a very effective piece
of equipment and it seems like everyone is shooting with
this tool nowadays. Not too long ago, I was the only one
using what photographer Sean Davey labeled "The Greedy
Plate." Too bad I couldn't have put a patent on it.
ESM:
Give us some behind-the-scenes dirt on NRG Crisis.
NRG:
Boy, where to start? Here's one: I was shooting all morning
at the Unsound Pro in Long Beach, NY. I headed back to
the NRG RV to make myself some lunch. Eric Taylor, Sterling
Spencer and Adam Wickwire were inside watching a movie
in between their heats. So I kicked back on the couch
and fell asleep. Then, all of a sudden, I'm rudely awakened
by someone slapping two pieces of ham on each side of
my cheeks. The room fills with laughter. The culprit was
Wickwire. I immediately chased him down the hall into
the back bedroom, where Dylan was just chillin' with his
iPod. Dylan was very startled to see me jump on top of
Wicky with the look of the devil in my eyes and shake
him like a rag doll. I could have pleaded temporary insanity,
right? Anyway, I call Adam the poster child for birth
control and the sole reason why I won't have any kids.
But I'm only kidding. In all seriousness, he's a cool
kid who just likes to have fun. He's a lot like me when
I was young.
ESM:
That makes a nice segue: who are your favorite surfers
to work with?
NRG:
Of course, Kelly's a major bonus whenever he's in town
or when we get to travel, but that doesn't happen nearly
enough. The Hobgoods are also a lot of fun and are usually
very productive. Peter Mendia is awesome, as well--and
after all these years pushing him as the gnarly underground
guy from Florida, he's finally been getting some great
coverage in the media over the past couple of years. Baron
Knowlton is another one of my favorite surfers to shoot
and travel with. Also, younger guys like Dylan Graves.
Oh, and definitely Wickwire.
ESM:
What's your ideal trip?
KW:
Anywhere that has warm, uncrowded, perfect surf. The Caribbean
is my garden. But it's gotten so crowded lately. That
means I need to get a bigger boat to explore new spots
that are more out of the way.
ESM:
What do you think is an important trait that has allowed
you to become the "Godfather of East Coast Surf Videos"?
KW:
I'd probably just say consistency. There's so much work
that goes into producing a surf video. It takes a lot
of determination to make it happen. Luckily, I don't require
a lot of sleep. I like creating opportunities instead
of waiting for them to happen.
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Interview
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