This wave closes out early

The latest big surf odyssey from veteran filmmaker Jack McCoy has all the elements of a classic Warren Miller ski flick, with its disregard for danger and guffaw-inducing wipeouts. McCoy’s legendary talent with cameras is in full flower here.

Past the eye candy, Blue Horizon is fairly ordinary. The howls of the crowd in the beginning of the film, during the best footage, disappeared after the intermission, never to return.

The trouble is using all the best footage early, and also the fractured story line, which is either about pro surfer Andy Irons and his struggle to repeat as professional surfing’s world champion or about how Irons’ competitive surfing differed from “soul” surfer Dave “Rasta” Rastovich, who still gets to ride waves for a big sponsor but doesn’t have to compete and thus can eke out a lower-wattage existence in New Zealand. What is it, a buddy flick or a coming-of-age paean?

“Blue Horizon” is touring California beach towns and will be released on DVD in the fall. For more information: www.billabong.com/bluehorizon/.

-- Emmett Berg