Lives Of The Artists

While browsing the Relentless Energy website (these guys sponsor Fergal Smith and his crew) I came across one of their latest films.

Lives Of The Artists is a documentary style film over an hour long which combines two totally different genres focusing on the sports of surfing and snowboarding and the music of a punk rock band.

Lives of The Artists features freeride snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue in the incredible, untamed wilderness of Greenland before moving on to the World’s ‘most perfect’ wave, a simply awesome force of nature; Teahupoo in Tahiti with big wave surfers Tom Lowe and Fergal Smith, along with photographer Mickey Smith. Finally it gets under the skin of an abrasive and dramatic tour across the US with British hardcore punk band Gallows.

The blend between the different stories is brilliantly executed. The film moves from one story to the next and back again... but I have to admit I was itching everytime for it to return to the surfing with Fergal, Tom and Mickey.

While the snowboarding was pretty interesting with some amazing footage of Xavier de Le Rue cruising down crazy slopes and was worth the watch I just couldn't get to grips with the elements about 'Gallows', these guys are pretty extreme. It was interesting to learn about them but I was hanging for the film to get back to the sports. 

If you're not into punk rock music or snowboarding the movie is still worth the watch for the footage of the guys at Teahupoo ripping it up and you kind of get an insight into the lads views on surfing and their love of surfing the west coast of Ireland. They basically hit Teahupoo during the Summer months to practice for Ireland in the Winter!