The icons of surfing were all in attendance on the red carpet for the screening of Jack McCoy’s newest surf film “A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE” this past week in Honolulu. The who’s who of Hawaii’s wave world were awe inspired as tradition, beauty and aloha came together to light up the big screen on this exciting night at the Hilton Great Lawn on the shores of Waikiki Beach.
This is the twenty-fifth film for McCoy who was raised on Oahu, a homecoming to share with the people most important to him. Jack’s well researched and beautifully presented gift to Hawaii pays tribute to the deepest roots of surfing and the spirit of aloha that surfers everywhere have adopted from Hawaiian native culture.
“A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE” is the sum total of my life’s work. It was important to me to create a film that shared were surfing came from, what it means for a greater appreciation of the sport that is an art,” said McCoy.
Many special guests were on hand to walk the red carpet and celebrate this night of nights for Hawaiian surfing, including Buffalo and his son Brian Kealana, Joey Cabell, Ricky Grigg, Peter Cole, Greg “Da Bull” Noll, China Omura, Barry Kaniaupuni, Jimmy Lucas, Jock Sutherland, Ben Aipa, Dane Kealoha, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, and legendary surfboard craftsmen Joe Quigg and Dick Brewer.
Thousands of attendees were wowed by the lovely outdoor setting, decorated with a time line of ancient and modern surfboards created by master shapers that are featured in the film.
Hawaiian band Kaukahi played local tunes before the film started and returned after the film to play the song Constellations to the end credits. The vibe was electric when Kaukahi were joined on stage by Jack Johnson, who wrote the song for his father, one of the people McCoy dedicated the film to. “Jeff Johnson was a very special friend who among many things, inspired me with his story telling. It was super emotional for me to have Jack up there singing with his Hawaiian friends.”
After a Q & A with the films featured surfers Hawaii’s Jamie O Brien, and Terry Chung, California’s Chad and Trace Marshall, Tahiti’s Manoa Drollet, and Australian Derek Hynd, the evening ended with a tribute to John Kelly who was surfing’s grandfather of environmental activism, starting Hawaii’s SOS (Save Our Surf) that morphed into the Surfrider Foundation. Raising awareness for Surfrider was the purpose of the night’s bonus screening of Blue Sway, the award winning music video by McCoy with Beatle Paul McCartney, which concluded with the reading of a personal message from Paul to the cheering crowd.
Paul McCartney stated “I first saw Jack’s work when sent it by a friend of mine the Producer Chris Thomas and I was blown away with the stunning spectacle of Jack’s work. Now that I’ve got to know him I enjoy what he does even more and value greatly his contribution to the world of surfing. Together with Surfrider he persuades us all to be custodians of the ocean and to preserve its beauty for future generations that will inherit it. Good luck Jack with this beautiful film and to all of you aloha.”
“A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE” also features the music of the Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Iggy Pop, Paul McCartney & Youth and Kaukahi with Jack Johnson.
“It was a dream come true for me to finally present our 5 year effort to the people of Hawaii and the night was blessed with the Aloha Spirit from start to finish. Thank you everyone who came.” shared McCoy at the end of the historic evening.
The event will be featured during the one-night “A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE” cinema event on Thursday, March 28. Cary Floyd of New World Distribution is teaming with NCM Fathom Events to bring this special event to hundreds of select U.S. theaters that will honor and celebrate the worldwide spread of Hawaiian surfing and the spirit of Aloha that is Hawaii’s greatest gift to the world. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Fathom event, available March 1, visit www.FathomEvents.com. .
Thank you to event sponsors including Hawaiian Airlines, West Surfing Products, House Of Marley, Surfrider, Transworld Surf, Surfer Magazine, Sol Cabana, Sanuk, Kala Ukulele and Turtle Bay Resort.
The audience
Jack McCoy, Jack Johnson, and Kawika Keikiali`i
Legends
