features

FUEL TV: Thirty Surf Shows To Premiere On Fuel TV This Summer


Sonny Miller, Bobby Estil, Corky Carroll, Ira Opper – La Jolla, CA

For immediate release:
Surfer Magazine and Opper Sports Productions launch
Surfer Classics TV on FUEL.
SOLANA BEACH, CA (June 7) –Opper Sports Productions and SURFER Magazine
announce the premiere of “Surfer Classics TV” on Saturday, June 11 at 10:30pm ET/PT
on FUEL TV, Fox’s action sports television network. The thirteen-week classic series
originally aired on international cable networks in 1989. The magazine-format program is
hosted by acclaimed cinematographer, Sonny Miller, with commentary from humorist
Corky Caroll, scientist Dr. Scott Jenkins, editor Paul Holmes, and writer Derek Hynd.

Each episode features profiles of then-contemporary surfers, Corky’s Corner, Surf
Science, Video Reviews and Surf Reports. The Surfer TV crew traveled to the Caribbean
Islands, Hawaii, California, Mexico, and Indonesia. Surfers profiled included: Cheyne
Horan, Brad Gerlach, Kelly Slater, Shawn “Barney” Barron, Marty Thomas, Laird
Hamilton, Mark Foo, Shaun Tomson, Glen Winton, Tom Carroll, Christian Fletcher and
John Shimooka.

SURFER and the Opper Sports crew found themselves tangled up in many geopolitical
issues while filming such as race and surfing, the emerging women’s surf movement and
the exploitation of a secluded surf destination. Also there were many landmark segments
including the late Mark Foo’s underground tour of the famed North Shore, the profile of
young amateur Floridian competitor Kelly Slater, and the ship wreck adventure during
the search for the rumored perfect tubes off the coast of East Java.

According to SURFER publisher Rick Irons Jr., “Surfer Classics TV is a true time capsule
into one of the most important, innovative, creative times in our surf history. The surfers
from that time are still many of the faces we look up to today, just with bad haircuts. It is
fun to see where a lot of our roots today are from.”

This pioneering surfing series received a sports EMMY award in 1987. The series
producer and director Ira Opper said, “Our focus back then was to create a credible
surfing television series that would stand the test of time for innovation and authenticity.
The confirmation of our efforts is that fifteen years later Surfer TV is going to air in
primetime on FUEL.”

Opper Films is the curator of the largest surfing film archive in the world, recently
providing footage for “Riding Giants” and Columbia’s feature release, “Lords of Dogtown.”
Opper Sports Productions has produced surf films and television programs for the past
twenty years. Series include: Surfer TV, Hot Water Tour, Frontline Sports Series, The
Surfers Journal and currently, Long Board TV.

To see if you get FUEL, visit www.fuel.tv.
Press Contact: Dustin Hood, phone: 858.481.7283 xt 12 • email: hood@oppersports.com

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Add a Comment

By submitting a comment you grant SURFER Magazine a perpetual license to reproduce your words, name and web site in attribution.
Comments may be removed at an administrators discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only and will never be shared.

Week in Review

Random happenings in surf for the Week of May 21. ...

Occy’s Third Wind

Can Mark Occhilupo re-qualify for the World Tour at 45? ...

Behind the Cover

Pat Gudauskas gets surprised with his July cover during band practice. ...

1 Ft. Budget

Nick Rozsa makes the most of one day near Ventura. ...

Bachelors: Part II

Are you one of Gilley's unidentified rippers? ...

The Emerald Isle

Irish surf adventure with Noah Cohen and Nico Manos. ...

Dingo Inside Waves

Dean Morrison goes in and out (usually) of waves on the North Shore. ...

California Cooper

Sydney's Cooper Chapman indulging in the benefits of life in Southern California. ...

Finals Day at the Billabong Rio Pro

John John Florence Wins Billabong Rio Pro, Parkinson Takes Ratings' Lead ... More

Day Three of the Men’s Billabong Rio Pro

Quarterfinalists Decided in Pumping Barrels at Billabong Rio Pro ... More

Billabong Rio Pro Completes Round 2

Medina falls victim to local wildcard, while Florence and Melling shine in poor conditions ... More

Fitzgibbons Wins Billabong Rio Pro

Sally Closes ASP World Title Gap with Two Events Remaining ... More

Day Three of the Billabong Women’s Rio Pro

Semifinalists Decided at Barra da Tijuca ... More

Lay Day Called for Billabong Rio Pro

With small one-to-two foot waves on offer, event organizers have called off competition for the day ... More

Day Two of the Women’s Billabong Pro Rio

ASP Top 17 Battle in Challenging Conditions for Round 2 Billabong Rio Pro ... More

Day One of the Billabong Pro Rio

Top Seeds Lead Opening Round at Billabong Rio Pro ... More

Swell

... More

The Boardroom to Honor Mark Richards

The Boardroom International Surfboard Show to Honor 4x World Champion Mark Richards ... More

Surfilm Festibal 10

Surfilmfestibal 10: program sneak preview. Thursday 31.05 screening of Skatistan.org Friday 1.06 screenings at the Aquarium, Huge Surf: paddle vs tow, ... More

A Paradigm Shift Movie Premiere

Surf Film Opening Night at La Paloma Theater in Encinitas. ... More

Operation Amped Surf Clinic at San Onofre

Vets and instructors in action on a fun morning at Old Man's. ... More

Sea Shepherd Founder Arrested in Germany

Kelly Slater Calls For Immediate Release of Captain Paul Watson ... More

Zak Noyle and Billy Kemper Win Sion Milosky Steep and Deep Photo Challenge

Zak Noyle and Billy Kemper embodied the spirit of the late-great Sion Milosky with a single image from the Banzai Pipeline, winning the inaugural Ste ... More