Summary

In the early 1970s, Australian chargers Mark Richards, Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, and Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew landed in Oahu with something to prove. Hawaii was seen as the center of the surfing universe and the brash Aussies sought to shake things up. Along with South Africans Shaun and Michael Tomson, the crew ripped apart legendary breaks like Pipeline and Waimea with radical innovations and bravery that bordered on insanity. Combining classic footage and revealing modern-day interviews, Bustin' Down the Door exposes the soul of this revolutionary period in a way few surf films can. The ground-breaking talents of MR and Co. are rightfully lauded for helping to build the concept of professional surfing, yet no excuses are offered for the reckless arrogance that helped ignite a powder keg of cultural pride on the North Shore. The self-promoting Australians were not shy about their talents, but by the time Cairns declared that "Aloha is dead" during the summer of '75, competitive banter had dangerously escalated beyond the waves. But what the group lacked in diplomacy, they made up for in determination, as their shared desire to be the best gave rise to a new era of surfing.