Billabong Odyssey

Customer Rating:
Summary: A Mix of Incredible Surfing Imagery and Intro to Surfing Basics
Comment: The opening sequence of surfer Mike Parsons dropping down the face of a gigantic wave is mesmerizing. That sequence alone is almost worth the price of purchase, but there is plenty of other amazing, jaw-dropping video to admire that makes this video attractive to anyone with affinity for wave and board sports. You do get a chance to let your attention drift from time to time as the story drags on the less interesting filler. The pontification about wave formation and rescue training for the Billabong team is a bit overdone, but these section allow the adrenaline to subside a bit before launching into more spectacular footage. The short pieces on kite boarding, wind-surfing aerobatics, and hydroplane boards are interesting filler, too. This is a good video both for those already deep into the sport and for those who only want to frolic in the water for a while.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting. Great footage.
Comment: Great footage. Not really a very in depth movie. I think I was hoping for surfing/tropical beaches - a "take me on vacation from the comfort of my couch" movie. It is not. But it is a really interesting documentary on big wave and tow-in surfing.

Customer Rating:
Summary: i'm no expert
Comment: i don't surf, but i enjoy this movie. there aren't a lot of girls in bikinis in billabong odyssey, which will bother some people, but i appreciate it (if you want to see girls in bikinis, watch blue crush).

Customer Rating:
Summary: One Viewing Was Enough
Comment: I've been surfing for 48 years. I started out at Malibu in 1960 at the ripe old age of thirteen years. So, I feel I have enough experience to make an objective opinion.

I found Billabong Odysesey to be a pretty good movie, but not great. Having seen Stepping into Liquid and Riding Giants. These are two of the greatest surfing movies to come out since Endless Summer in 1964. The movie was somewhat muddled and there was no real "hook" that messmerized me, to the point where I became stoked. It just sort of moved along showing the same kind of waves over and over.

Since the movie risked the reputation of Billabong, by using it's name in the title, I expected much more. Instead, it was an average movie at best and I've only watched it once. I've watched Stepping into Liquid, Riding Giants and Endless Summer countless times. In fact, on Christmas Day, I had my family over for dinner and I played Riding Giants after dinner. My grandmother, father, mother, younger siblings, nieces and nephews were all glued to the tube. It was unreal. Everyone of them loved it and the movie created a wonderful atmosphere, in which we all bonded and made Christmas a truly festive occasion.

I wish I could say the same for Billabong Odyssey. I think the average surfer would like the movie, but a non-surfer would have a hard time following it.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Wow
Comment: I definitely enjoyed this movie for the shear terror you feel every time you see these madmen screaming across the waves with thousands of pounds of liquid ready to crush them at a moments notice. I also loved it for the fact that it showed all of these big named surfers getting together and going to most of the big name waves and just doing some awesome surfing.