The Lido Theatre in Newport Beach has played host to numerous movie premiers over the years, but there was something special in the air for the unveiling of Echo Beach' during the Newport Beach Film Festival. Nearly four years in the making, Echo Beach tells the tale of the Newport surf scene in the 80s, when the surf industry truly took off. It seemed as though nearly all of Newport arrived for the film premier: 1000+ people showed up for a mere 600 seats. The who s who of the surf industry was there, as representatives from Quiksilver, RVCA, Billabong, Hurley and more were mingling in anticipation.

Narrated by Mark McGrath (insert joke here), Echo Beach focuses on the 100-yard stretch from 52nd 56th street in Newport Beach. During the 1980s, surfing had already been well established in Australia but was still relatively premature in the U.S. Surfers named Bob McKnight and Jeff Hakman were bound to change this, in part using a doily. As the legend goes, Hakman obtained the rights to license Quiksilver in the U.S. by taking a bet and eating a doily at dinner.

Trying to capitalize on the growing surf scene, McKnight and Hakman started making Quik board shorts and selling them in Newport surf shops. There was overwhelming demand for the trunks and stores couldn t keep them in stock. Around this same time your favorite 80s brands were coming of age; companies like Op, Hang Ten, Gotcha and (my personal favorite) Maui and Sons all enjoyed success.

In the Echo Beach days, it was more important to nail the perfect photo than place well in competitions. Guys like Danny Kwock, Preston Murray and Jeff Parker ruled the Newport lineups and focused on being photo sluts. Bright colors, patterns and hairstyles were tools these guys utilized to stand out in the crow. Trying to be different was the theme Newport surfers played up in their daily lives (Alex Knost would ve fit-in during the Echo Beach days weeeeird).

Echo Beach tells a compelling story that needed to be told. The 80s surf scene in Newport helped spawn the current generation of surfers and surf companies. Spanning nearly an hour and set to a classic 80s mix of tunes, Echo Beach is a documentary any surfer or SoCal local can appreciate.


All the C-listers were there


As crowded as a Newport lineup


This thing sums up the Echo Beach era



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