Surfing
The Chilean big wave surfer just made a movie with Patagonia. And this is why you need to watch it.
Ramon Navarro is truly a product of his environment. He was born the child of a fisherman in a humble home on Chile’s rugged coastline. Growing up, the ocean was both his neighbor and his best bud, and it eventually became his boss — Ramon had no choice but to find a career in those cold grey waters. That career? A professional surfer. Or, more specifically, a professional surfer who is widely recognized as one of the world’s best in big waves.
Ramon’s had Billabong XXL Nominations, parts in major movies and plenty of ink in the world’s finest surf publications. His story is a trailblazing effort for Chileans in all walks of life.
And it turns out it’s a story worth sharing.
Ramon’s film, The Fisherman’s Son is set to premier tonight in Santa Monica. We called him up to get his thoughts on the project. His voice contained no pre-premier jitters. Instead, it was almost eerily calm — kind of like the aesthetic of that cold, grey Chilean sea.
RedBull.com: Tell us about The Fisherman’s Son. Ramon Navarro: It’s a book and movie that I’ve been working on with Patagonia. It loosely tells the story of my life, but a large part of it is based around my hometown in Chile. We’ve been working on it for just about three years and it feels good to finally be able to share it with the world.
Is there a lot of surfing in the film? Or is it more lifestyle?
It’s a really good mix of both. Plus, a lot of the film is based on conservation. One goal of the movie is to help protect the waves and the environment in Chile, especially Punta de Lobos. That’s both my hometown and my home wave. Needless to say, it’s a place that’s really important to me.
What was one of your favorite experiences you had while filming for the movie?
Wow, there were a ton of good times. One thing that stands out is the trip to Hawaii. We got really good waves and had a great crew. Plus, we got to surf Waimea.
Did you have a pretty heavy hand in producing the film?
I was involved, but the Malloy brothers were huge in pushing the project along. I’ve known them for a long time and I really trust everything that they do, especially when it comes to making surf movies. It was cool being able to work with such a talented team and watch this thing come together. We’re all really proud of it.
And it all premieres tonight. Find out where The Fisherman’s Son is going here.