Film shines spotlight on surf rivalry

SYDNEY'S notorious surf gang the Bra Boys grab most of the headlines, but a new film also shines the spotlight on the rivalry between Byron Bay and Gold Coast boardies.

Under The Sun has been made by US surfer-turned-filmmaker Cyrus Sutton, featuring interviews with renowned surfers of the past and present.

Sutton noticed the differences in surfing culture in the two neighbouring areas during his first visit to Australia as an 18-year-old.

"I flew into Brisbane, drove down through the Gold Coast and ended up in Byron Bay and I was immediately struck by the dichotomy of the two places - one being very rural and the other being very metropolitan," 26-year-old Sutton told AAP.

"Seeing these two places right next door to each other that were so different culturally, as far as surfing goes, it made me think there's a story right there."

Sutton grew up in California and fell in love with surfing at a young age.

He realised there were two types of surfers everywhere - the soul surfer and the contest surfer.

It was only later that he learnt that these diverse species inhabit the two Australian surfing Mecas.

"The contest surfer theme had been started by a group of guys (in the Gold Coast) such as Rabbit Bartholemew and Michael Peterson back in the 1970s and they wanted to make surfing a sport," he said.

"Down in Byron, Nat Young and a crew of surfers around the Byron Shire Area ... publicised a way of surfing that was just about getting back to nature and experiencing surfing for the soul of it, the artistic or spiritual expression."

Sutton, who won an Emmy for his documentary The Next Wave, about tsunami relief, spent two years on the east coast of Australia making the movie, which is screening as part of the Souled Out film festival touring the country.

He said these days the two surfing sub-cultures were facing bigger issues - the commercialisation of the industry and the threats to the environment.

"They're all a part of this industry that's growing our sport of surfing, and it's about selling products and selling a lifestyle," Sutton said.

"The waves themselves are so incredibly beautiful and the people who surf them are fit, they've got nice tans - it sells itself really.

"Create a marketing machine behind it and its really driven surfing to new heights - it's more about selling board shorts than what surfing is really all about."

The Souled Out film festival premieres in Byron Bay on Wednesday night.