If John Florence’s 2015 opus, View from a Blue Moon , is the current king of surf cinema, then 1987’s North Shore is the lovable, yet laughably artless, court jester.

On a recent balmy evening, actor Gregory Harrison sat with surf legend Peter ‘PT’ Townend to discuss the 30-year anniversary of North Shore . In the film, Harrison played Chandler – a wise ‘soul-surfer’ who takes young Rick Kane under his wing. And with a salt-n-pepper goatee/hair combo, Harrison projected the same sagacious air of his famed role.

The film embodies all the cringe-worthy, Spicoli -esque stereotypes that Hollywood embraces, while actual surfers – for the most part – tend to avoid. Blend that with the 1980’s acting style of overtly showing that you’re acting (instead of seamlessly imitating real-life), a few everlasting one-liners, cameos from top pros of the time – and North Shore has become a cult classic.

“It really was,” said Harrison. “When I started surfing, I was drawn to the solidarity of it, almost like a religiosity. It was a time before Surfline and you really had to build your life around it, you know, figuring out swells and winds, and getting in the car to go out and find waves. It’s my drug. If they had a 12-step program for surfing, we’d all be in it. [Laughs.] But there shouldn’t be; although sometimes my wife thinks otherwise.”

Ultimately, that surfing background helped Harrison land a leading spot in 1987’s North Shore. “I thought, ‘this is great,’” Harrison said. “Go over to Hawaii, have Da Hui clear the lineups for us, and surf. But who knew that 30 years later, people would be coming up to me and quoting my lines that I’ve since forgotten.”

After three decades, Harrison is still in touch with his costars, including Gerry Lopez, Matt Adler (Rick Kane), and the endearing numbskull, Turtle, played by John Philbin. “What a great performance that was,” Harrison said of Philbin. “Turtle was based on a real guy, and John went out three weeks early to spend time with him, studying him, learning the pidgin dialect.” And in between acting gigs, Harrison still goes on surf trips – one recently with Alder to the Mentawais – where he was asked to recite “Chandler” lines in exchange for priority on set waves.

“It wasn’t a hit at the time,” Harrison disclosed about the film. “Universal was really unhappy with the response because it didn’t tap into the middle of America. But today we still get packed audiences for screenings with people dressed as the characters. We didn’t expect that. It was one of those that really snuck up on us.”

In other words, a timeless piece of surf and cinema nostalgia.