Everyone loves a first, and especially one that’s done damn well. And that’s exactly what Nike 6.0 have achieved with Leave a Message, the first ever all female surf film.
Words by Posy Dixon
Slowly nudging into women’s surfing over the last few years, Nike 6.0 have snapped up one hell of a team. Offering athletes a meaty package of technical products, bespoke management and a warm hug from their badass global sporting network, they’ve won over a selection of surfing’s most progressive and personable young surf girls. Never one to hang about, Nike took their new flock of shredders and started to film immediately, and two years, several boat trips and a lot of dance moves later, Leave A Message was ready to premier to the world. To celebrate Nike flew a bunch of surf-minded people from all over the shop to LA, to meet the stars and see the action as the film was screened for the first time.
The premier was laid on at the Los Angeles Science Centre’s IMAX to ensure maximum max-ness for the 500 or so people who were lucky enough to be invited. All six of the stars were there, dolled up to the nines and the room was buzzing with the excitement of an end of school ball. Incredibly none of the surfers staring in the film had seen the final edit and they were bouncing off the walls with anticipation.
As the lights dim we’re treated to a banger of an opener from Hawaii’s Malia Manuel. Having burst into the surf world three years ago, winning the US Open at just 14, Malia, now 17, is an incredible force in the ocean, powerful and beautiful, her section boasts tube after tube as she charges heavy waves across the world. Next up drops Coco Ho with another run of heavy hitters, aerials and tubes followed by a super fun section from Monyca Byrne-Wickey. Her surfing is perhaps a step behind the rest of the crew but what she’s missing on the waves she makes up for with a healthy dose of butt shots and some gravity defying wrestling. Lakey Peterson follows with a solid section, before golden girl Laura Enever takes to the screen, her impossibly tiny frame charging a succession of meaty faces, emerging from each wave with in infectious cat-that-got-the-cream smile on her face. Her section reeks of genuine passion for surf and leaves the audience grinning from ear to ear. The whoops die down only to start again as Carissa Moore’s section opens with a tow in session that draws a round of applause from the room. The current leader in the race for the ASP Title shows the world why she’s up there at the top, slaying behemoth waves with solid as a rock style right up to the end credits.
I leave the cinema stoked. I’m stoked because Leave A Message could easily have been a montage of stunning girls in bikini’s frolicking their way around the world. Instead Nike 6.0 have cut the shit, and gone straight for the performance, showcasing their girls as six mind blowingly good surfers, leading women’s surfing to bigger and better places across the board. And having a shit load of fun whilst they’re at it.
The full film will be available as a free download on May 24th and if you can’t wait, we have a little gallery with more amazing shots that will shorten the wait.
