Quiksilver's YOUNG GUNS 3 Surfing DVD Film Reviewed by Sak and Chris

 
Chris Says:

Young Guns 3 is the third installment of Quicksilver's super grom talent movies. It showcases Quick's younger riders going mental and attempting to push the barriers of surfing as far as possible. This film varied from the past two as the surfers weren't together at all times (a fact which I think hurt this film, can't really compare the surfers when they are riding completely different waves). Regardless, Young Guns 3 is an action packed film that has the ability to leave jaws on the floor.

Jeremy Flores has been touted as the next Slater (then again, who hasn't these days?) and the similarities are definitely present. Smooth transitions, stylish barrel riding, creativity; the base is definitely laid for a WTC powerhouse. The one thing he may be missing is more power in some of his turns though once he graduates from the Young Guns ranks and puts on some weight, I doubt he will have issues throwing bathtubs of water.

Ry Craike and Clay Marzo might as well be the same kids. The two look similar and surf even more alike. They share the balls to the walls approach of boosting as high as possible and rotating as quick as possible without any thought of how rough the landing is gonna be. Lucky for these guys, they are able to get through unscathed. Both segments get repetitive after a while. Same move, again and again. It's impressive and most of us will never get anywhere near this level but eventually it hits overkill status.

Julian Wilson seems to be a great combination of Flores, Craike, and Marzo. He's explosive but controlled. He has a lot of style and seems to be driven. He was just in the Quicksilver Pro at Snapper and made it through a few heats before coming up against the world champ. Classy too, as he's auctioning off his board to raise money for breast cancer awareness (his mother is a survivor). I plan on keeping my eye on him, seems like there's a lot more to come.
Dane Reynolds outshines his counterparts in this film. Of course his segment doesn't compare with First Chapter, but for those of you who weren't lucky enough to have witnessed Dane's otherworldly talent already, you're eyes will be opened. A combination of smooth aerials and controlled power in highly critical sections along with Dane's creativity adds up to the most enjoyable segment of the film.

And of course, there's Slater. What can you say about the king? His surfing never gets old for me, even when surrounded by the futuristic surfing of the top groms in the world. There's still a lot of space between Slater and these kids, but who knows? I doubt there will ever be another Kelly, but it never hurts to keep looking.

I'd say the best part of YG3 is the extra features. The unedited material gives you a better idea of how these kids surf when they aren't 3 feet above the lip (refreshing after the Marzo/Craike segments). You also get to see some of Carissa Moore's surfing although after seeing her surf at the Roxy Pro this past week, her segment is already outdated. Amazing talent there. All in all, Young Guns 3 is a fast paced film, designed to blow your mind. I think the first two were better but it's impossible not to be impressed.

Sak says:


Chris has already provided the bulk of this review, so I’m going to break it down the notable chapters with comments regarding my general impressions:

Julian Wilson- extremely creative rotations pushed past 180 and 360. I was particularly impressed with his use of the whitewater part of the waves as ramps for his airs.

Dane Reynolds- I’ve sung this guy’s praises before (see my review of First Chapter); his surfing is extremely creative, with the most power (as compared to the other Young Guns) incorporated.

Ry Craike- king of the disaster air- the viewer gets the impression that his priority list is a one-two: 1. launch as high as possible, and 2. figure out the landing only after gravity re-establishes its grip on the situation.

Jeremy Flores: very Slater-esque (as compared to Slater when he was a comparable age). I think he is more powerful than his style suggests, and there is no doubt he will mirror Slater’s development from teen phenom to adult legend: perfect technique early, then add power later.

Competitive Format- a handful of groms surf-off against each other, and the Young Guns (see above) pick a winner, to be crowned as an honorary YG. Making dreams come true, one grom at a time.

Bali Trip: empty lineup, reeling lefts. Not to inject negativity, but the viewer might wind up resenting the YG’s when witnessing their fortunate situation.
Slater- After watching the YG’s go off, the viewer likely gets the feeling that he/she is witnessing the future of surfing. When watching this section of Slater, one realizes that not only is the future already here, but that the YG, as impressive as they are, have a long way to go to even catch up with him. Slater’s ability to pair creativity and power is an art form that I personally feel no other surfer has matched. Unbelievable.

Extras: Chock full of behind-the-scenes info and footage of each surfer and location, it feels like a reality-show based on the filming of YG3, if you are into that sort of thing. Carissa Moore’s section proves that not only did she deserve her own chapter in the movie itself (not sure why she was pushed to the extras section), but she can hold her own with the male phenoms. There is also a really cool Mark Richards section, featuring him as the designer/shaper of the “retro” boards that once made him famous, now modernized and given to the YG’s to demonstrate what can be done with updated versions of previous generations of boards. A really cool section of this movie.

Overall, this is a really solid production that will likely be most appreciated by the under-25 (or even 20) crowd. At over-30 years of age, I really dug it, but I am also satisfied after one viewing (good thing too because I borrowed it from Chris and held it hostage for weeks before finally finding time to view it and get it back to him). I do have some reservations regarding the over-use and misapplication of tow-ins/tow-ats (see my comments in the review of Trilogy), but the anti-gravity stuff these, and other, kids are performing under their own power is eye-opening and a glimpse into the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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