Hit The Waves From Your Couch With These Summer Surfing Movies

In movies, summer usually means sandy beaches, sunny afternoons spent eating ice cream, and sipping Aperol Spritzes at the pool, wild bonfire parties, tiny shorts and colorful bathing suits.

Real-life summer is a little different. Either the humidity levels are out of control, making a trip outdoors as ambitious as a jaunt to the moon. Or, even more likely, you’re stuck in an office looking longingly out the window at the bright sky beckoning beyond. Luckily, movies are here for us to experience summer even when we’re stuck indoors. And what’s more summery than riding the waves?

Surf movies have been around as long as the medium itself. In 1906, Thomas Edison captured surfers off Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. But they really took off in the1950s and 60s, when the California surf scene, bolstered by the popularity of bands like The Beach Boys, became a sweeping pop culture phenomenon.

Embracing freedom, adventure, rebellion, and beautiful people — all in one glossy, sun-soaked package — surf movies are the embodiment of the summer spirit. Ahead, we take you through some of the best examples of the genre — and where to watch them.