After visiting the Florida Surf Film Festival, Chad Davis was inspired to bring something of the like to the Carolinas. Thus was born the Carolina Surf Film Festival.
This weekend will be his second year hosting the festival in Wilmington, and next weekend will be his fourth year hosting the festival in his home base of Charleston.
“The best way I’ve been describing it lately is if you had a surfer’s farmers market, meets film festival, and then a little bit of a carnival feel to it too.”
Festival Co-founder, Chuck Gainey, and Festival Partner, John Lightheart, both helped Davis bring this event into fruition.
What’s Davis’s role in coordinating the event? He’s a co-founder, but a select few know him as the “Minister of Stoke.”
Davis explained, “It’s just when you’re super excited and happy. Usually, you’re stoked out on the waves, but there are things that stoke you to go surfing.”
As a generally cheerful person, Davis was given the nickname as a joke by friends, and it stuck long enough for him to use the title on his business cards. Now, Davis hopes everyone else is just as stoked as he is about surfing and helping local charities.
Indo Jax Surf Charities, both UNCW and Cape Fear Surfrider Chapters, and Cape Fear River Watch are just a few of the several organizations that will be a part of the festival. Davis even brought a few charities from Charleston to support the cause.
Many of the organizations involved in the festival encompass helping others through surfing and protecting the quality of our oceans. There will also be local surf photographers, local board shapers, and local artists.
With all the vendors and charities already participating, one might be left wondering why the element of film is needed. It doesn’t hurt that Davis has 20 years in the industry as a music supervisor for film. But aside from that, he utilizes film to draw the local surf community to the event.
“I don’t know anybody who surfs and doesn’t enjoy watching it,” he said.
Davis believes surf contests create community among some surfers, but they can alienate those who don’t surf competitively.
“Surfing is one of those sports where you don’t really have to compete,” according to Davis. “There’s a lot of people who just wanna do it for surfing.”
He’s hoping that Wilmington’s festival becomes just as rooted as the Charleston festival by making sure to offer something for everyone, whether it be shopping, a big screen showcasing great surfing, or just a positive atmosphere.
Hosting a festival here in Wilmington was important to Davis, who used to vacation in Oak Island. It wasn’t until he spent time here after leaving California that he fell in love with the people and the surf culture in our city.
“I always loved Wilmington, but living here, it’s just a really cool town,” he said.
The festival will last Friday night and all day Saturday at Waterman’s Brewing. Tickets are available at the Carolina Surf Film Festival website.
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