Big Wednesday 1978

In the sweltering summer of 1962, three carefree souls - Matt Johnson (a rebellious free spirit), Jack Barlow (the voice of reason), and Leroy “The Masochist” Smith (whose nickname speaks volumes about his tortured psyche) - rode the waves of their youth, fueled by an insatiable passion for surfing. As they navigated the ups and downs of adolescence, their lives became intertwined with the turbulent tides of the 1960s.

From the sun-kissed shores of summer to the desperate attempts to dodge the Vietnam War draft in 1965 - a period marked by creative measures such as feigned insanity, homosexuality, and an array of medical maladies - these three friends found themselves grappling with the harsh realities of growing up. As they struggled to come to terms with the dawning of adulthood, their lives became a complex tapestry of parties, surf trips, marriage, and war.

Tragedy struck in 1968 when one of their own fell victim to the brutal machinations of war. The friends were forced to confront the cruel reality that their carefree days were behind them, and that the innocence of their youth had been irreparably lost.

Years later, the trio reunited for the “Great Swell of ‘74”, a momentous occasion that marked the culmination of their journey from youthful exuberance to hard-won maturity. As they gazed out at the receding waves, they were struck by the realization that the 1960s - an era of unbridled optimism and rebellion - had given way to a new reality, one in which the innocence of their youth was but a distant memory.