Thomas Duncan’s documentary, Sound of the Surf, chronicles the origins of surf music in Southern California, beginning in the early 1960s and continuing to the present day. In the late 1950s, surfers were drawn to jazz music, captivated by its flowing, improvisational rhythms that mirrored the ocean’s movement. The emergence of surf music is primarily credited to Dick Dale, who performed at Balboa Island’s Rinky Dink before moving to the Rendezvous Ballroom. His energetic, reverb-heavy guitar style led to his first massive hit, the groundbreaking “Miserlou.” This beach anthem set the tone for a genre that celebrated fun, energy, and the pure exhilaration of surfing.
As the scene grew, other bands, such as The Bel-Airs, The Challengers, and Eddie and the Showmen, joined the musical phenomenon, each adding their unique twist to the sound. The documentary details how these musicians innovated by experimenting with new equipment, such as the Fender Reverb Bandmaster. It also highlights the early struggles to gain radio airplay, including grassroots tactics like students calling stations to request songs and fabricating high school top-ten lists. Despite these efforts, tensions arose between authentic coastal surfers and inland musicians like The Beach Boys, whose polished, more commercial version of surf music was met with eggs, rotten tomatoes, and even physical violence from the hardcore surf community.
The film also examines the role of Hollywood in popularizing surf culture globally through movies like Gidget and Beach Party, which commercialized and sanitized the surf lifestyle for mass audiences. Little-known guitarist Kathy Marshall, dubbed the “Queen of Surf Guitar” by Dick Dale, also features prominently. However, her contributions were often overshadowed as she appeared in only a very few recordings of that time. As the British Invasion and folk music took hold in the mid-1960s, surf music’s popularity began to wane. Through rare footage, personal stories, and candid interviews, Sound of the Surf captures the spirit of a brief but influential musical phenomenon that left a lasting imprint on American pop culture.
Surfers and friends gather at the Kookie Beach bonfire luau, capturing the laid-back spirit of Southern California surf culture.
“…chronicles the origins of surf music in Southern California…”
Though I was born on the tail end of the first wave of surf music, I’ve always been a fan, including of the Beach Boys — sorry. As the documentary makes clear, surf music was all about fun—never political, never controversial—it was always about how the music made you feel and made you dance.
What I didn’t know about surf music was its connection with punk music in the 80s (the second wave of surf) and its global popularity today. In this third and current wave, surf music is not going anywhere, and it can be found anywhere there is an ocean to surf.
Sound of the Surf accomplishes everything it needed to do. It makes you nostalgic for the great music of the past, tells incredible stories from our heroes trying to make a buck in the early days, and gives us an amazing soundtrack of surf music. Fourthly, it makes you want to dig up your turntable and spin tunes of the surf. And for selfish reasons, I grew up along the Southern California beaches. I’ve been to these locations, driven by these historic landmarks, and now it’s time to pack up the convertible, spread on some suntan lotion, and crank up those tunes.
Sound of the Surf takes a comprehensive look at how surf music started, evolved, and continues to thrive today. The music was always about having fun and capturing the carefree spirit of the beach. Whether you grew up with it or are just discovering it, the documentary has one simple goal: to make you smile, dance, and enjoy the ride.
"…makes you want to dig up your turntable and spin tunes of the surf."
