Billabong's Still Filthy Honolulu Premiere
By Jeff Mull
Friday night. Downtown Honolulu. The boys in blue are out in force, patrolling the city’s Chinatown district, trying to keep the peace amid the hundreds of meandering hipsters crawling through the streets. The first Friday of every month always draws a hefty crowd to the historic streets of the city. Bars and shops keep their doors open late, people mingle, wear tight jeans and plaid shirts, and don asymmetrical haircuts.
A few blocks north of the art crawl and a crowd of surfers are standing affront a dimly lit pair of goliath bouncers, having their hands stamped and birthdates checked before they enter the club. Once in, they’ll join their aquatic brethren for the premiere of one of the most anticipated and progressive surf films to make it to the islands in years. It’s the debut of Billabong’s Still Filthy and from the looks of the crowd inside the club, it’s gonna be a hell of a night.
With $3 dollar Primos and a steady drip of thirsty customers crowding the bar, the vibe inside the building was flowing well before the flick even started. Once the lights dimmed and the unforgettable Billabong logo tattooed itself on the projector, the club erupted in a fit of whistles and pidgen-tinted “chheee-hoooos.”
From the opening wave to Parko’s closing segment, Still Filthy did not disappoint. With a soundtrack that will survive the ages, the movie will prove to be as watchable in 2019 as it was in 2009. But more than just good edits and a head-bobbing set of beats, the film’s most solid aspect was the surfing itself, earning yells of approval from the Hawaii crowd whenever a standout punt was stomped or someone weaved their way through a heaver.
That being said, no one seemed to make more of an impression on the audience than Torrey Meister, who had one of the more memorable segments of the movie, showcasing his lightning-fast repertoire.
“That was amazing; the bar is officially raised,” said Billabong frontman and team guru Rainos Hayes at the conclusion of the movie.
Rainos said it right. Taking nothing away from the effervescent club and crowd, but the surfing in Still Filthy goes above and beyond and proved itself the highlight of the evening. With the entire cast of the film having full, head-whipping rotations seemingly on lockdown, it’s unimaginable to see what’s next.
Here’s to a crazy night in Chinatown, and the bar, both literally and figuratively, being raised.