The Endless Summer, Robert August & Surfboards
"It’s like the mafia. Once you’re in – you’re in. There’s no getting out."
— Kelly Slater
The Endless Summer
The Endless Summer (1966) is one of the most iconic and influential surf films of all time—part travelogue, part cultural time capsule, and entirely a love letter to the art of chasing waves.
Directed and narrated by Bruce Brown, the film follows two young Californian surfers, Robert August and Mike Hynson, as they travel the globe in search of the "perfect wave." From the sunlit beaches of South Africa to the coastlines of Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Ghana, and Hawaii, the film captures not only surfing’s raw beauty but the spirit of discovery, freedom, and connection that defines the sport.
Shot on a shoestring budget and edited with minimalist style, The Endless Summer is buoyed by Brown’s warm, often humorous narration and a jazzy soundtrack by The Sandals. What sets it apart is its tone: friendly, curious, and wide-eyed—showing surfing not as a competitive sport, but as a way of life that crosses cultural and geographic boundaries.
When it was first released in 1964 on the West Coast, Brown took the unconventional step of renting theaters himself to screen it. It wasn’t until a national release in 1966 that the film became a surprise hit, eventually earning over $20 million at the box office. Newsweek called it one of the ten best films of the year, and it helped bring surfing into the American mainstream.
Beyond its entertainment value, The Endless Summer captured a pivotal moment in time: a pre-commercial, pre-professional surfing world where the stoke was pure and the horizon was still uncharted. It inspired generations to pick up a board, buy a plane ticket, or simply dream a little bigger.
The film’s influence is lasting. It spawned a sequel (The Endless Summer II, 1994), and countless documentaries and surf films have followed its footprints in the sand. But none have quite matched its simple magic.
In the end, The Endless Summer isn’t just about surfing. It’s about following the sun, chasing joy, and finding rhythm in the waves—wherever they might take you.
Robert August
Robert August, born in 1945 in Hermosa Beach and raised in Seal Beach, California, is a legendary figure in the world of surfing. Best known for his starring role in Bruce Brown’s iconic 1964 documentary The Endless Summer, August’s smooth, relaxed style and affable personality made him the perfect ambassador for a sport just beginning to catch the wider imagination of America.
He first learned to surf at age six under the guidance of his father, Orral “Blackie” August—a Redondo Beach lifeguard and one of the early Southern California surfers. A natural goofy-footer, Robert quickly emerged as a standout talent. He placed fourth in the 1963 West Coast Championships, third in the 1964 U.S. Invitational, and later earned a spot at the prestigious Duke Kahanamoku Invitational in 1965.
August was selected by filmmaker Bruce Brown to co-star in The Endless Summer, not for his competition titles, but for his approachable charm and ease on camera. Together with Mike Hynson, he traveled the globe chasing the perfect wave, introducing millions to the idea of surfing as both a sport and a lifestyle. The film premiered in 1964 and was later named one of Newsweek’s top ten films of 1966, establishing August as a cultural icon.
Following the film's success, Robert turned his attention to surfboard shaping. He began his shaping career in 1965 at Jacobs Surfboards before moving on as a freelance shaper for brands like Overlin and Harbour. In 1974, he opened his first surf shop and eventually relocated to Huntington Beach. Though the shop initially stocked shortboards during the rise of competitive surf culture, August remained a devoted advocate for longboarding. His influence helped fuel a longboard revival in the 1980s, and by the early 2000s, his factory was producing boards in record numbers.
Ellie Smith with Blake’s Robert August “What I Ride” Board.
