And Two If by Sea

And Two If By Sea looks like it was an absolute blast to make. If only it were an absolute blast to watch. That’s not to say that Justin Purser’s zippy, spring break-style aqua-mentary is bad; it’s well made and includes some breathtaking surfing footage. It’s just that, given the exhilarating milieu of the world of professional surfing, the movie doesn’t give itself very many opportunities to achieve the same kind of air that its subjects chase in the water. 

“…traces the personal, but mostly professional lives of identical twin brother surfing superstars, CJ and Damien Hobgood.”

Narrated by the comedian Daniel Tosh (of Tosh.0 fame), the movie traces the personal, but mostly professional lives of identical twin brother surfing superstars, CJ and Damien Hobgood. Surfing since childhood, the two young men decide early on to make a go of it on the professional surfing circuit. However, they face an uphill battle hailing from the east coast (Satellite Beach, Florida), where the waves just aren’t as imposing and generally respected as those on the west coast. Nevertheless, the boys take their skills and pluck and quickly rocket to fame, in time achieving legendary surfer status.

The brothers are fraternal on land, but fiercely competitive in the water. As fate would have it, CJ is the initial standout of the two, winning a coveted spot on the elite World Championship Tour. As CJ’s profile rises and he accumulates more and more accolades, Damien, a star surfer in his own right, frustratingly remains one step behind his (older) brother. Damien, it seems, is ordained to live a life of second-best, relegated to existence in his brother’s shadow. It’s not until much later in their careers when Damien is given the opportunity to shine. And shine he does, securing a long-awaited world championship and finally seeing his name etched alongside his brother’s in the pantheon of champion surfers.