| A treatment for a documentary
about a young surfer who takes his surfing
to the next dimension by spending a winter
on the North Shore learning how to tow surf
from the best in big-wave surfing.
Blesst follows
an elite crew of professional big-wave tow-in
surfers through a winter on the North Shore
of Oahu. World-famous, Ken Bradshaw and soul-surfer,
Robby Frangipane team up to take a 24 year
old California surfer on the ride of his life.teaching
him all the secrets of tow-in surfing and what
it takes to be the best.
The story first focuses on the surfers, their
lives, their desires, their histories, their
fears, (the personal details that make them human)
and then, the big swell arrives, the action begins,
and these men become impossible heroes who risk
their lives surfing 50-foot waves for reasons
only they can provide. Blesst will be the first
reality documentary to successfully capture the
intensity of big-wave tow-in surfing action and,
what the previous attempts have failed to do,
reveal honest portraits and insights of those
courageous men who gamble their mortality for
a true taste of what it means to be alive.
North Shore, Oahu ---The
story begins with the arrival of winter, when
surfers from around the world begin their journey
to the "promised
land" (aka: 7-mile Heaven) of the North Shore.
Its exterior is lush and warm. Its townspeople
are sun-bleached and laid-back. The shores are
riddled with more professional surfers than an
opening night in Hollywood. The local Hawaiians
make sure the "howlies" don't ever forget who
was there first, and the hierarchy of who gets
the best waves is evident and absolutely essential
to know when surfing the North Shore breaks.
No other big-wave venue in the world has as much
colorful character, as much raw talent, as much
drama stacked on top of drama, and gets pounded
with as much raw swell as does the North Shore
of Oahu. It's the complete package. That's why
this tight knit community is not only the setting
for this documentary, it's a major character
in the story of big-wave tow surfing.
In the days leading up to the big swells, Blesst
will explore the meaning behind big-wave tow
surfing, using fresh material and archival footage
to paint a complete picture that tells of Ken
Bradshaw's legendary life and Robby Frangipane's
wild ride to the top. When the story is woven
together, it will explain each surfer's personal
reasons of why they do it, by uncovering their
histories, their sacrifices, and that burning
place in their hearts from which their obsession
emanates.
The
swell could come at any time and they are expected
to be ready. Ken and Robby take a non-professional "weekend
warrior" surfer from Malibu (with 9 years surfing
experience), Zach Quittman, into their training
program as they go about their lives, checking
the conditions at different spots, surfing the
smaller days, practicing aerial tricks and unusual
training habits, pushing the limits of modern
performance, and doing the things they do when
they aren't riding 50-foot monsters (such as
shaping boards, foil boarding, martial arts training,
swimming in lava tubes, motocross riding.even
climbing coconut trees!) .
Blesst will dig deep, riding shotgun with Zach,
as these riders take him into their world, revealing
their unwritten laws, the hierarchy of the surfing
order, and what it takes to become one of the
big-wave elite.
The
life of each rider will represent its own distinct
generational subplot and set of conflicts.
They have bills to pay, wives and kids to please,
parties to attend, confrontations and temptations,
all the standard problems and issues that everyone
else deals with. But, the thing is that these
guys aren't like anyone else-and that will be
glaringly apparent.
Robby, will take you down a fun and fast road
while Ken, will calm you with his stoic composure.
They will train Zach from A to Z on what they
feel are the most essential things for people
to know when towing in to Hawaii's big waves.
Ken and Robby are radically different but will
astound audiences with their results and touch
the viewers hearts instead of merely satisfying
their cravings for spills and thrills.
.
The web of subplots will meet at the climax,
when the big swell arrives. That's when the complete
picture of big-wave tow-in surfing comes into
focus. Everything stops. The look in their eyes
changes. They internalize, transcend all talk,
and forget anything except that which is necessary
for survival. Equipment is tuned. The weather
reports are critical, updated every hour. They
make phone calls to members of the crew, kiss
the girlfriends and kids a couple of extra times
to assure them that it's just another day of
surfing. But they all know what's at stake. Despite
the relaxed act, the seriousness of the moment
hangs in the air.
The
next morning, after a tense few hours of sleep,
they find their break at the crack of dawn.
There's the usual joking and heckling between
riders while last minute tweaks are made to,
their equipment. When everyone is ready, they
pray quietly, game faces go on, the skis are
launched, each craft carrying a two-man team,
and the same guys we got to know in earlier scenes,
now venture into the ocean to face their own
mortality. At this point, no words will be necessary.
The action sells itself. That's when these heroes
demonstrate that it's about having the choice
to LIVE and saying "Yes." At that point, Zach
will choose whether to go with them or not. Either
way, he will have discovered more of himself
than he ever imagined possible.
Ken
is one of the main instructors in Hawaii authorized
to teach and license wave runner drivers. His knowledge
and insight is phenomenal. Ken has said that Robby
is one of the most aggressive wave runner drivers
he has ever witnessed. Together, they make an outstanding
team.one that surfers
from around the world will now, for the first time
through this documentary, be able to greatly benefit
from. These surfers are not daredevils with a deathwish,
but rather incredible athletes challenging themselves
for the sake of truly living. They are Blesst as
their spirits soar and they surf for themselves,
sharing with audiences priceless tow surfing secrets
that took them a lifetime to acquire. Blesst Sponsorship/Product Placement
Blesst
is a documentary currently in pre-production
that follows an elite crew of professional big-wave
tow-in surfers through a winter on the North
Shore of Oahu. World-famous, Ken Bradshaw, who
surfed the largest wave in history, and his tow
partner, soul-surfer, Robby Frangipane, team
up to take a 24 year-old California surfer, Zach
Quittman, on the ride of his life. teaching him
all the secrets of tow-in surfing and what it
takes to be the best.
Set to a stunning backdrop, Blesst will dig
deep to reveal the incredible wisdom that Ken
and Robby live by each day. With an incredible
soundtrack, colorful imagery, and potent messages,
Blesst will quench those thirsting to live their
true potential and, like no other documentary
has done before, teach tow-in surfing to those
hungry to learn! .
DevOcean
Productions, in association with Oglevision,
are producing this Xtreme surfing documentary.
Ken and Robby are absolutely one of the hottest
Xtreme surfing tow teams on the planet today.and
with one very different angle: they do not have
sponsors. There is a very deliberate reason for
this.they haven't wanted any (too busy surfing!)
For the first time, Ken and Robby have agreed
that they would give the companies (that they
truly have faith in) the opportunity to be a
part of the Blesst team.
Blesst will touch the hearts of both the average
and the extreme sports person, as well as audiences
outside of the surf community. Filming will take
place in the middle of the big-wave season, December-February,
on the North Shore of Oahu. The documentary will
be sold as a DVD in surround sound and as a documentary
to MTV and several other companies such as Showtime,
HBO, sports networks, and international avenues
as well.
Shows
on Hawaii, reality, and fear "factors" are
what are hot at the present moment. Blesst is
packed with all of it. Ken Bradshaw is a household
name and has a feature film on his life in the
making. The opportunity to be involved with a
documentary of this caliber and timing is a wonderful
opportunity for the visibility of any company.
Ken will not be available individually later
for any type of sponsoring, with the exception
of the association to Blesst .
We hope that you will share with us in the making
and promoting of Blesst and
are looking forward to a wonderfully blessed
winter on the North Shore!
Robby just let go of the rope here.
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