Skimming on screen

Suzie Harrison

Since skim boarding’s origins date back to the late 1920s in Laguna

Beach with lifeguards using skimboards of wood to ride the waves --

it seems fitting that a film capturing its high tech evolution would

premiere in its birthplace.

Budding filmmaker Cyrus Polk, 23, seemed to think so with the

debut of “The Chosen Few” last night at Laguna’s South Coast Cinema.

The film stars some of the top names in skimboarding, including

Laguna Beach’s Bill Bryan, a nine-time world champion, Brandon Sears,

Hunter Poller, George Bryan and more.

Brothers Bill and George Bryan have made their mark both in front

of and behind the camera .

“Cyrus and I have been compiling some footage the last couple of

months,” Bill Bryan said. “I filmed some and edited my piece.”

The Bryan’s have made 16 skimboard videos with their production

company 10th St. Bros. Videos.

“George edited his part too, which is different and eclectic,”

Bryan said. “Each person comes up with their own songs and ideas and

choosing which way it went.”

Polk started making skate videos when he was in high school. An

avid skateboarder his whole life, he has only been skimboarding for

about six months.

In June, Polk along with fellow skaters Cory Sparkuhl and Derek

Dew, released the skateboarding film “FTW.” Immediately following the

showing he ran into Sears on the beach.

“Brandon introduced me to the skim community, Bill Bryan and Scott

Stinnett,” Polk said. “I really enjoyed the different aspects of film

with skimboarding and started shooting.”

Bryan remembers meeting the hard-core skateboarder.

“All of us in the sport took Cyrus under our wing,” Bryan said.

“We saw that he had a big heart. It’s good to help another human

become part of the crew.”

At first Polk didn’t think he was going to go through with the

film.

“And then I just started getting clips everyday and compiling

parts for other people,” Polk said. “All of a sudden I had so many

clips I thought it would be cool to make a video. A lot of my

inspiration came from Sparkuhl. With computers and editing, he showed

me how to put stuff together to make movies and I just did it.”

Three weeks ago while working on the final credits Polk’s computer

crashed and he lost everything. But that crisis ended up helping.

“I got a new Apple G5 and it drastically changed,” Polk said.

“Everything got a thousand times better.”

The film is strictly an action sports film using fast paced music

with fast paced movements.

“It all works together,” Polk said. “You hit a trick and it

matches perfect to the beat of the song. The music is performed by

local band Harry Palmdale. It looks like a music video.”

Polk already has other videos in the works with Victoria

Skimboards and Darkside Clothing.

“The Chosen Few” is being released on DVD. For information, e-mail

[email protected].