Ride The Wave

It’s a rare documentary which grabs the viewer first with its visuals, but director Martyn Robertson starts Ride The Wave as he means to go on, by plunging us down into the water, underneath thee swell, in an arresting shot whose echoes will be felt throughout. This is what it means to go under whilst surfing; this is how overwhelming the force of the waves can be, and immediately we understand what is at stake. It’s also beautiful, compelling, helping us to grasp how people become addicted to this. Even children.

Ben Larg is 12-years-old when we meet him. He’s a slender boy with a mop of floppy blond hair. As he clearly doesn’t have muscle of other surfers he has already come to outclass, it’s clear that he must have talent. His presentation and behaviour tell us that he’s following his own direction in life, He’s also good looking and intelligent. Between these factors, there’s plenty to make other kids hate him, especially in a small island community like that on Tiree, so it’s no surprise to hear that he’s being bullied. Cowards they are, two boys against one, dragging him to the ground and then kicking him, but knowing that doesn’t make it any easier. What does help to restore his confidence is getting out there on the waves. Then it’s his parents’ turn to be terrified.

There’s no easy way out for them. The bullying leaves his mother distraught, especially because of how it affects his mental health. She’s thrilled to see the change in him when he switches to an internet school and focuses on his surfing, but no mother is ever going to find it easy to watch her boy go up against a 30 foot wave, or to hear his trainer talk about another surfer who only realised his leg was broken when it started kicking him in the back of the head. Ben’s father is more sanguine, figuring that life inevitably involves risk. He travels with the boy to Miyazaki, to an international competition. Ben’s big focus, however, is on a wave off the coast of Ireland which he has made it his mission to conquer.

“Is Goliath the good one, or David?” Ben asks his father when they’re relaxing on the couch at home. “David’s the wee one, Goliath’s the big one,” comes the rely. There are no value judgements here. The two bond over Dire Straits songs on long car rides. Ben is cool enough to realise that he can like what he likes and not waste time trying to be cool in the eyes of his peers. We watch him growing up, getting taller but not much broader, acquiring a fuzzy moustache. All the time, the wave is waiting. We know, from a brief scene at the start, that there will be a moment when he disappears from sight. You can cheat and look it up online to see what happens to him, or you can surf the wave of this powerful little film and see where it takes you. Whatever you choose, you’ll have a new appreciation for Scottish and Irish waves, and all the more respect for the people who take them on.