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Steve Core’s Ocean Rhythms

Review by Murray Walding

from: Pacific Longboarder Magazine – 2009

Surf movie madness reached its peak in Australia in the mid seventies when it seemed that every second week, a new surf film reached our shores and did the circuit of clubs and halls. There was a lot to choose from two-everything from the latest offers from McGillivray-Freeman, to those from local film makers, one of whom was Steve Core.

Core was no newcomer to the industry and already released In Natural Flow in 1972 and within a year of releasing Ocean Rhythms went on to publish Surf, his south Sydney based surf magazine.

Released in 1975, Ocean Rhythms captures the cream of the first wave of pro surfers competing on the Aussie circuit at Bells, North Narra, and Newcastle and although the surfing here is first class, it’s what everyone’s seen before, as is the footage of a brief sojourn to Bali. The real strength of Steve Core’s film lies in the other footage he has captured.

Unlike most Australian film makers, Core was based at Cronulla and in what must be have been a first, managed to get some pretty exciting footage of local Cronulla breaks as well as some of the South Coasts most photogenic surfspots… some of them still secrets after all these years.

For those interested in all things retro-seventies, there’s also some unusual surf-craft in action – much of this film was shot while Peter Townend was ensconced at Cronulla, working with Gordon and Smith, so we get a chance to see just what PT was riding – an assortment of unusual craft including a very rare W.A.V.E. Hollow board and a Gordon and Smith fish, an ‘SS’ Model which stood for Summer Stubby. If you are in any way interested in how these boards should be surfed, then this film will make you sit up and take notice.

Other highlights include his footage of Gold Coast breaks introduced by short rundown of famous tourism and surf icons of the day… which will bring a tear to many an old Gold Coaster’s eyes. Other unexpected delights are the grabs of Woolongong hottie Terry Richardson. Richo is almost a forgotten figure now in surfing but this footage, which is unfortunate because it’s a reminder of just how hot he was.

Throw into the whole mix a short sequence of the late Peter Crawford’s futuristic kneeboarding, and you’ve got a very entertaining flick to look back on. The film has been cleanly remastered and like all good seventies surf films also includes shots of surfers leering into the camera, pervy bikini shots, a groovy old-skool soundtrack, but alas no sunset finale. Come on Steve- I was looking forward to that!

It’s available from good surf shops, and probably a couple of bad ones too.

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Below is the original review of ‘Ocean Rhythms’ taken from Tracks Magazine in late 1975. The reviewer; legendary Queensland surf photographer Martin Tullemans caught the movie on Sunday 5th October, 1975 at Bert Cockerill’s old Palm Beach Cinema – which was located on the Gold Coast Highway at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast. With School Holiday crowds packing the coast, the night was a complete sell-out and cinema owner, old Bert Cockerill, had the great and rare pleasure of putting out his ‘House Full’ sign in front of the box office.  Steve

Steve gets it all Flowing… 

Ocean Rhythms is not only a current up-to-date look at hot radical surfing – it is a refreshingly entertaining surf movie: something very different from the stereotyped overseas formula for a surf flick. Certainly it is not as slick; without the mandatory Pipeline water footage and other effects which we have been accustomed to from the Hollywood surf footage: Hawaii.

It largely owes its popularity to the fact that it is about Australian surfers surfing their own waves and ripping them to bits. You can’t help but get the feeling that was expounded years ago; that we’re tops now. For once a surf-film maker has given an audience what they have been wanting; an honest in-depth surfer’s movie featuring Australia’s best surfers on their favorite home breaks.

Definitely value this one, as there is a variety of surfers and great surf breaks, filmed from unreal positions, as well as photographically stimulating approaches to keep you hanging on the edge of your seat. There is some Bells footage in there, an unreal reef sequence with PT, Rabbit (the bunny in the burrow) and Ian Cairns where the film’s maker, Steve Core, was able to get a look straight down the length of the tube that is pretty full on.

Terry Richardson at his home break blowing people out with his cutbacks into the tube as well as some Bali material of a short trip. Rabbit rips up Duranbah, Burleigh and Kirra and carves great hunks at UluWatu, often sliding into deep caverns and attempting radical moves – which he pulls off frequently.

Michael Peterson comes on in the second half riding some outrageous tubes at Kirra and Burleigh which he carves up casually with a fierce radical aggressiveness that completely puts his true ability in clear perspective. Knee-boarder Peter Crawford’s individual surfing style and ability on his circus machine at Dee Why Point and the incredible backside moves of Col Smith complete a well balanced overall picture of Australian surfers.

The Coke Contest section is a great statement of the radical surfing of the times with everyone ripping, slicing, shredding, powering and generally going for it something fierce.

Martin Tullemans

MTVZ

Tracks Magazine 1975

 Are you a fan of Marty’s work? Then check out his blog at: tribalsurfer.com.au