Binnsie

Some Tahitian flavour on Sydney Harbour. Pic Will H-S

We’ve seen him in on our screens in Black & White and in Kolour so it was only a matter of time before we got to see Kelly Slater in 3D. Last night at Sydney’s Darling Harbour IMAX Theatre, home to the world’s biggest movie screen, Slater and his Tahitian mate Raimana Van Bastolaer’s incredible new movie touched down in Oz.


ASL's new Ed Binnsie, shaper Hayden Cox, Dale Richards and new world junior champ Maxime Huscenot. Pic Will H-S

With an eclectic cast in attendance at the premiere, including Anthony Mundine, Larry Emdur and half the cast of Home & Away, Ultimate Wave Tahiti delivered on the hype. For 45 “way better than Avatar” minutes Slater and friends surf, snorkel and story tell at the end of the road, tackling solid Teahupo’o and educating about the ocean along the way. While the surfing itself is nothing we haven’t seen before, the angles it’s captured from most definitely are. Every searing turn sends faceshots of spray at a recoiling audience, every floater sends the seated ducking as fins fly past.


Ashley Cheadle was a knockout alongside Anthony "The Man" Mundine. Pic Will H-S

This is not a movie to amp up to before a slay, which is fortunate as home IMAXs are not common, and it is not a hardcore surf movie. Aussies may find some of the American narration over the top and sneer at some of the more educational aspects of the movie, but as a viewing experience its top notch, and it would easily be the best school excursion of a grom’s life. Ultimate Wave is gonna be showing at IMAX for about the next twenty years, so if you’re in the hood grab your 3D specs and get along, it might be the closest you’ll ever get to the guts of Chopes drainer and the subsequent sashimi-ing on the reef.


Home and Away hottie Rebecca Breeds and her man Luke Mitchell. Pic Will H-S


Jarrad Howse & Sam Elsom laugh it up on the red carpet.


Hula in the Harbour. Pic Will H-S