Riding a wave of tributes

Robert August, best known from the classic surf film ‘Endless Summer,’ is the subject of a new, locally- produced movie.Robert August chuckled at the mere mention of the word “legend.”

“I’m not real comfortable with that,” he said, uneasy laughter evident in his voice. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead for that to work?”

August is very much alive. But as for the word “legend,” well, it’s a perfect fit for the 60-year-old.

What other word would you use to describe a man who has made countless contributions to the sport of surfing; who was fortunate to ride a wave of fame following the 1964 release of the timeless surf film, “Endless Summer”; and who, to this day, shapes surfboards -- and the dreams of many young surfers who purchase them?

In fact, the word is used in a new film about the Huntington Beach businessman. “Robert August: A Tribute to a Legend,” is the latest movie released by Huntington Beach-based Endless Fun Productions. It premieres tonight at 7 p.m. at Mann’s Pierside Pavilion as part of Big Red Production’s Surf Theater.

Among those working on the film are August’s son, Sam, an executive producer, and Shea McIntee, the director and editor.

“It’s a project they’ve been working on for some time,” said Robert August, who, when he was a kid, wanted to be a dentist. “I haven’t seen most of the finished work. I’ll be seeing it, along with everybody else who attends, when it premieres. I’m looking forward to that night.”

McIntee and Sam August started Endless Sun Productions nearly a year ago. They launched the company, McIntee said, when they decided to start doing DVD movies with Robert August and Robert “Wingnut” Weaver focusing on the legends of the sport.

In the upcoming months, the company plans to travel to several locations around the globe to film, creating a series of DVDs featuring Robert August and Wingnut as its stars, along with a yet-to-be-announced special guest, McIntee said.

It is in that vain that the two have been working on their latest release, “Robert August.”

The film chronicles how August became the “legend he is today,” McIntee said. It traces his childhood in the 1950s, his high school days -- he graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1963 -- and his work with filmmaker Bruce Brown on “Endless Summer.”

“We go into detail on what happened next, when Robert returned home from filming in the late 60s to the early 70s, when he started his own business -- all of the ups and downs that came along with starting a business in the surfing industry -- until now, in 2005,” McIntee said.

“Robert has his 30th anniversary in the business and turned 60 years old, which is a major accomplishment for anyone to have survived that long in the industry.”

The film includes interviews with family and friends and follows August as he travels to Costa Rica and Australia to do promotions and attend surf festivals and charity events.

The DVD of the film, McIntee said, will be a special collector’s edition with a bonus DVD. 20051208ir3v4aknDON LEACH / INDEPENDENT(LA)Surf pioneer and board shaper Robert August is the subject of a new film, “Robert August: Tribute to a Legend,” which will have its premiere tonight at Mann’s Pierside.