



Award-wining documentary filmmaker Thomas Brookins brings to the big screen the compelling tale of how a band of New York firefighters not only helped shape the east coast surfing community, but also played a role in pioneering the North Shore of Oahu.

In the late 1950s Don Eichin and a small crew of NY surfers set out to make a life in Hawaii, testing their limits in the infamous waves of Banzai Pipeline and Waimea alongside some of the legends of the day.

Combining incredible never-before-seen archive footage with candid tales, interviews and stunning surf action from New York’s finest, and featuring the likes of Rusty Miller, Will and Cliff Skudin, Rob Machado, Ricky Grigg, Mikey DeTemple, Kassia Meador, Balaram Stack, Greg Noll, et al, this eye-opening exposition delves into the bond between the firefighting and waveriding communities and confirms New York’s place in the surfing world.

Don Eichan circa 1957(ish) who helped scult NY's surfing community. © 2020 - Fire and Water

We caught up with Thomas to find out more about Fire and Water and his struggle to bring this amazing story to the big screen. London Surf Film Festival hosts the UK Premiere of Fire and Water Friday September 30. For tickets and info, go HERE

Where did the idea for the film come from?

TB: Mostly sitting in the water with my friends. Almost all of them are FDNY (Fire Department New York) and I originally intended to do a short film about them. They’re great people and surf like Banshees. he unleashed the treasure trove of footage that had been buried in a NY basement for 50-years Later, my good friend told me about his Dad. I met with him and he unleashed the treasure trove of footage that had been buried in a NY basement for 50-years. We watched it on an old projector and I was floored. The project took on a new light. The rest is history.

How did it feel unravelling the role of NY surfers during this iconic period of North Shore history?

That was shocking to me since there’s a special connection culturally with NY and Hawaii. I think New Yorkers come from such a rich eclectic society that when Don and his friends first travelled to Hawaii, they weren’t looking for fame.

They were just working and adapting to the Hawaiian lifestyle, much like the people who come to NY to live. You get used to different cultures in NYC, so when you go elsewhere you bring with you all the respect and understanding of that diversity.

You could have $600 in your pocket and live for 10-months on the North Shore. © 2020 - Fire and Water

The Hawaiians really took a liking to them. To this day, Hawaii and NY have a special hand shake and as you can see in the film, both cultures meet in both places for the same mutual love and respect. It’s like an extended family and many believe that Don extended that olive branch in his travels.

Why do you think NY surfers were drawn to the NY Fire Dept?

It’s a natural progression. If you grow up on a coast, you probably become a swimmer, surfer or something related to an environment like that. Many parents taught their kids to swim, then to surf, then as teens they became lifeguards and from there the next advancement is to take a civil service exam.

Surfers and firefighters seem to fall into the same category from NYC to the far reaches of the globe. Many have the same story. Two peas in a pod surfing and firemen. Always looking out for others while adhering to a strict code of honor.

How long did the film take to make and what were the challenges faced along the way?

It took almost five-years to make this film. I started out with an idea and started to piece it together with very little money. I had a Kickstarter campaign that helped but about a year in I was diagnosed with a horrible cancer. It was awful.

My son was a one-year-old and I was scraping by to keep the movie going while going through some really tough times. I had surgery and treatments and finally when things started to look up, I had survived but then Hurricane Sandy crushed my home town of Rockaway Beach in Queens NYC.

It was devastating. I was still doing radiation treatments while trying to rebuild our home. A complete nightmare. It was almost too much to bare.

Finally, when it all started to calm down and my home looked like a home, I went back to work shooting and editing. When I had a rough cut of the film, I invited a close friend over to watch it and his face said it all. He told me that he couldn’t believe that this is what I was doing this whole time and how it looked despite the lack of funds and circumstances.

He applauded some of the songs I created for parts of the film with an iPhone app. I was accepted to the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival and I have to be honest, I was overwhelmed. Then I was told I had won the award for “Outstanding excellence in film making” and I almost collapsed with happiness.

Then again at the very lavish Long Beach International Film Festival where I won the "Audience Choice award" and "Best NY film." From there the film is showing globally and picking up fests on its own based on apparently word of mouth. That is more than I could’ve ever imagined and now you are showing it first in England. Our producer James Baker is from England. He must be very excited as I know I am. Thank you so much for this!

What’s next for Thomas Brookins?

Well, from here some strange twists have occurred. I have had a few phone calls from some agencies interested in hearing more about me and a potential script based on some of my life stories. I’ve had an unusual life. I left home as a young boy, worked, became a singer in some great punk bands, travelled around and met some very interesting people along the way. Many of these stories you can’t make up on your own.

You have to have been there and experienced them. If all goes well, I will officially be writing a script for a major cable network series. As for now I take it day by day and happily surf in Santa Cruz where my wife Jessica, my son Takoda Ray and I moved about eight-months-ago. A new chapter.

London Surf / Film Festival X Reef 22 September – 1 October brings to the UK the best surf films from around the globe. Accompanied by talks with waveriding’s most inspiring heroes and icons, a live audio visual performance, a very special 35mm screening, a gallery show, music, art and more this saline hit of inspiration is an essential cultural happening. For full schedule details and info on a couple of very special LS/FF pop-up screenings head to: www.londonsurffilmfestival.com