Jack Johnson - September Sessions

I recently bought 10 surfing videos to get through my 8 months in Iowa before I can go back to Mazatlan. I think I did well on some of them in no small part to Surfer Magazine's list and Amazon reviews. My favorites are September Sessions and Thicker Than Water; a tossup, really. Buy them both and save the shipping. I've about decided that any film involving Jack Johnson and/or the Malloys is a no-brainer; get it. What you have is some of the best surfers in the world on a Menatwais boat trip, free from the pressures of contests, getting some of the best waves in the world and YOU, are invited along. These are guys who seem to get along well having a whole lot of fun. Brad Gerlach is a stitch - just non-stop funny and yeah, he surf for good brah. You can see a younger version of Kelly Slater and Shane Dorian with hair, Slater spitting some water out at the camera looking like a young Marlon Brandon and, of course, surfing insanely well; Dorian snapping his backside hacks with a robot-like precision; Rob Machado just so fluid and stylish, seemingly able to turn on the afterburner whenever he wants some more speed. But, hey, I'm not trying to critique the surfers it's just that you can't help but get into it. A massive plus for me is the extremely well-chosen music. I've become a fan of Jack Johnson's music as well as his cinematography. He's difficult to categorize but I think of what Michael Franks might have done if he'd been surfing in Hawai'i instead of chilling out in Rio back in the day. Another thing I like is the bonus commentary from Kelly, Jack, Brad, and Rob. I could watch this for days. As an added feel-good, the filmmakers are donating all proceeds from the sale of the film to SurfAid, a truly worthwhile organization helping the residents of Sumatra and the Mentawais with medical aid.

The combination of Jack Johnson and his friends music, together with some excellent surfing and locations, make an great addition to any surfers'Jack Johnson - September SessionsThicker Than Water library

This surf flick is nothing like "Hit & Run" or "Loose Change"! While the two previously mentioned are of the amp-you-up,@#**$-to-the-wall variety. September Sessions is more laid back and soulful in its presentation, in both audio and video. Kelly narrates the whole thing. Reminds me of my best sessions out with the boys catchin as many waves as you want til your arms turn to jello. This is surfing the way it's meant to be. Save the aggro for your crowded beach break when the girls are watching. We need a sequel!

Too good to be so short. When September Sessions reaches the end we feel that we are missing a lot of this film. High perfomance, relaxed pure surfing. The real spirit of surfing, no dollar paved waves. Refreshing body surfing footage. Even the bonus tracks deserve a look.