NU The Movie – The Interview

Nalu Underground photo staffer Daniel Russo has probably spent a whopping two hours of this North Shore winter on land. Fortunately, he was kind enough to dedicate one of those hours to catching up with the movie’s director Ross Haines to get the scoop on NU The Movie.

Russo: What’s the deal with this NU thing? I mean, why the name NU The Movie?
Haines: NU stands for a couple things. Nalu Underground, as in the surf magazine, but also for “new” because this is something totally new in surf movies. It’s our – NU people – approach in putting this project together. And like the magazine we want to put an emphasis on new talent and expose new faces in the amateur surfing movement. And like the mag, the big names are there too: Slater, Irons, Parko, Rastovich, Wardo. And of course you can’t forget the boys: Braden Diaz, Dustin Barca, Mark Healy, Danny Fuller, Pancho, Sunny…the list goes on.

Russo: Do you have a favorite section of the movie?
Haines: Huh! A favorite…. man that’s tough. Um, I think Ola [Eleogram] is going to blow a lot of peoples minds with his technical airs and stuff, and then he goes out and finds his way out of bombs at backdoor. Carissa Moore, at thirteen years old, is raising the bar for girls twice her age. The Bali kids are ripping! Hawaii, Australia…oh yeah, there is a really sick tow session with the Kauai boys, including Titus, that went down this summer on a giant south swell. South swell of the decade they were claiming.

Russo: Is there anything that makes this movie different?
Haines: It’s what I like to call a special blend. It’s a special blend of all the right ingredients. We get to hang out with Ola, on Maui, and Carissa, on Oahu, along with the best surfers ripping the heaviest waves on the planet. Some tow-in combined with bits of small wave destruction, airs, exotic locals and you have everything you need. Plus, it has a killer soundtrack.

Russo: What is the soundtrack like?
Haines: We have some epic stuff. We got hooked-up with Pepper, The Hives, Busdriver, Kairoots and …And You Will Know Us By the Trial of Dead, to name just a few. It’s a mix of hip-hop, chill-axing music and punk. Like, I said before, it’s a special blend.

Russo: Will there be any bonus stuff along with the regular movie?
Haines: There will be tons of bonus action, including a couple un-sponsored rippers. I wanted to expose some of the insane talent you see at you local break everyday that you won’t see in the mags or other videos. I want to expose some new faces; dedicate some time to the Underground with every movie we do. Then there are contest highlights, the Vans Triple Crown, Pipe Masters Trials, Tahiti, more on Snappers, team 3rd Stone Hawaii. There is so much on the DVD! People are going to get their money’s worth, and then some with this DVD.

Russo: What were the best and worst things about making this movie?
Haines: Traveling to new places for sure. “Adventuring” and meeting some really awesome people along the way. But a lot of the time you get somewhere and the waves are flat or, this is my favorite, your computer crashes with the entire movie on it, on Friday the 13th! (Shaking his head in disbelief.) I’m still crying about that one!

Russo: So when can people expect to see the movie?
Haines: Soon! Very soon! This summer, actually. We’ll be premiering NU on Oahu, then Kauai, possibly Maui and hopefully throw a bash in California too. And then you’ll see it in a surf shop near you. We’ll post all the details on naluunderground.com and aframesproductions.com. So log on and get the heads up.