Best Sections of All-Time: Secret Machine [End section]

I know there’s a saying, something like, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” I also know they say “nostalgia is the death of creativity.” Well, let’s just say this: Surf films and surf mags used to move surf culture at a pretty radical pace.

The filmmakers and magazines were always locked in arms races against each other, and so were the brands — everyone pushing each other to put out more creative and memorable content and events. The Globe team — what started as a simple Australian shoe brand and would go on a tear as one of the better brands of the oughts — actually staged a fake picket against this film and handed out propaganda and “red pills” inside the event. It was all so well done and creative. Full immersion. That premiere was my first introduction to Joe G and the Globe films.

This is the final section in Secret Machine — probably the first surf film premiere and surf film I saw that changed the way I had seen things entirely — prior to this it was all about sections. And parts. And individuals.

This ushered in a new era of filmmaking that blended conceptual with authenticity perfectly and Joe Guglielmino would go on to do this over and over again with some of our favorite surfers of all time.

For this week’s “Best Section of All-Time”, let’s enjoy the slow build into one of the most feel good crescendos and maybe under appreciated surf film enders there ever was.—Travis Ferré