Make or Break

I've seen many good surfing documentaries and I love them. I don't get the same from this one. It doesn't speak about the very human heart of the sport.

This is content made for a different group of people. It apparently wants to virtue signal and make social commentary and is very clumsy and superficial in doing so. In my eyes this is actually demeaning to multiple groups of people, even the ones it wants to prop up.

In the first episode you will be told surfing is sexist and shown a surfboard with black lives matter plastered on it. So rebel. Much punk. The women compete on a smaller wave, but now they're moving to the big wave surfed in the men's competition, due to a shark attack. The women's final on the big wave is low scoring.

I wonder what women weren't shown who didn't agree with the idea of changing the location.

It offers some insight into the personal lives of the athletes but it paints surfing as a low key amateur sport rather than the elite level that these athletes actually are. The colour grade makes it look like a cheap child's tv show. The shots chosen are unimpressive and uncritical. Generally just a bad view into surfing. Very disappointing.

An excellent behind the scenes experience showing the World Surfing League. The worlds best surfers travelling the world competing to be the best.

Pros - Excellent interviews with the surfers. A great insight into the life of a pro surfer. Amazing surf footage.

Cons - 80% of the show focuses on the men. Really disappointing not seeing more of the womens competition.

At the beginning of the documentary, they talk of the inequality in the sport. So it was a shock that the documentary under represented the women surfers. Very poor on their behalf.

Overall, I highly recommend this show for anyone who enjoy real life or sport docos. You don't need to be a fan of surfing to appreciate this show.

I binged watched this in one day. Completely hooked. Got a better insight into the surfers professional and personal lives. You want everyone to win. I'd love another series of this.

As a 'new comer' to the sport I found it to be at a level I could understand have empathy for and really want to succeed, Im cheering the surfers on. The people on the tour are at the same time hugely professional but also very real and human. This series really shows what it takes to be an elite athlete in a way I don't think I have ever seen.

Amazing!! Frothin for series2 oh my god.