Storm Surfers premiered on Wednesday December 17th, 2008 at 8.30pm on Discovery Channel. Storm Surfers examines the phenomenon of big waves, the science behind them, the adventure of chasing them and the surfers who ride them in conditions that could kill. Filmed in stunning High Definition, Storm Surfers employs cutting edge production technology to put the viewer right on the board with surfing legends Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll as they test the limits of physical endurance and master their fear in pursuit of the ultimate ride.
Storm Surfers is a 2007 finalist for Discovery Ignite, Discovery Ignite is an exciting local co-production funding initiative where filmmakers are invited to submit original Australian and New Zealand documentary content for co-production funding.
The garage of Tom Carroll’s house in Sydney’s northern beaches is basically a museum of Surfing history. In this video, Tom takes us through his collection and in doing so demonstrates the evolution of board technology and also why he parks his car in the driveway.
While Ross and Tom are waiting for the ‘perfect storm’ in Bass strait, meteorologist Ben Matson spots a great swell at Cows Reef in Western Australia. The team decide it’s a perfect opportunity to test their new gear and have a bunch of great rides and the west certainly doesn’t disappoint.
The mission to surf Dangerous Banks is a potentially life threatening undertaking. Ross and Tom decide they need the best safety expertise available and when it comes to surf rescue and detailed planning, there is no-one better than Bondi Rescue’s own Rod Kerr. In this video the boys visit Rod at beautiful Bondi Beach and review safety plans for the mission.
While Ross and Tom are in Tasmania checking out the mysterious break of Dangerous Banks, local abalone fisherman Phil Chritchlow invites them to join him on a dive for this extremely expensive shellfish. Abalone is so valuable, people often say diving for them is like picking $50.00 notes up of the floor of the ocean.
