Showing the shaky side of surfing

Huntington Beach has found a place for itself in the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival, and not surprisingly, it has done so in the form of a surf documentary.

But “Chasing the Dream” is not the traditional collage of exotic surf spots or world champion surfers. Following eight Huntington Beach High School teens as they pursue their dream of becoming world championship surfers, the film aims to show the behind-the-scenes reality of professional surfing.

“In a lot of the surf films out there, you see this elite, hard-bodied, tan group of people, not vulnerable human beings,” said director Angelo Mei. “This film shows you what it really takes to become a professional surfer.”

Over a two-year period, Mei tracked the surf team at school, at home and in the water as they dealt with all the pressures adolescence has to offer, such as impending decisions about college, demanding parents and the lure of drugs. Together, the team and crew ventured all the way to Australia, where they interacted with and competed against their Aussie counterparts, realizing firsthand what they are up against as they vie for a spot on the Assn. of Surfing Professional’s World Championship Tour.

“The level of competition there is so high, and it gave these kids a big reality check,” said Andy Verdone, who left football to coach the Huntington Beach team 25 years ago.

Idolizing eight-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater, each of the boys — who are at the beach by 6 a.m. every day to practice before school and often return afterward — dreams of making a living traveling around the world riding waves. But Verdone and Mei hope to ensure they won’t lose sight of education along the way.

“The reason Kelly Slater is so successful is because he knows how to market himself,” Mei said. “People are going to have to offer up a lot more than athleticism to survive in this world.”

Like his fellow teammates, cast member Logan Strook — known as “the golden child” — finds the balance between school and surf, recently electing to pursue a degree in marketing at Cal State Long Beach.

“For a professional athlete, one injury means you could be done with your career, so you need something to fall back on,” Strook, 18, said. “Like the title says, the movie is about following your dreams as much as you can, but you still have to take your education seriously.”

It wasn’t long ago that Mei, too, looked to surfing as a career. As an adolescent immersed in Southern California’s beach culture, he surfed about every spot between Santa Cruz and Tijuana, but deep down he knew his passion was for film.

Since graduating from the Art Institute of Los Angeles with an emphasis on film directing, Mei has directed four films, three of which center on surfing.

“Having been involved in the surfing world for 20 years as a surfer, I have seen so many stories in there that need to be told,” he said. “It’s so fun for me to be able to tell one.”

After premiering the film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and showing subsequently at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Mei is excited to bring his documentary — which is narrated by actor Gary Busey and features interviews with Kelly Slater, Tom Carroll and Mark Richards — closer to home. And the Newport Beach Film Festival is glad to have it.

“We’re very supportive of the endeavors of our local filmmakers and are proud to showcase their works,” said senior film programmer Leslie Feibleman. “We’re really excited to have ‘Chasing the Dream’ because it was shot here in Huntington Beach, and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to these kids who are so passionate and driven.”