David Hansen and Keith Lant of Scene One Productions released their first wakeskate specific film tiltled Esoteric in the summer of 2007. Hansen and Lant conceptualized the film around exposing the progression among wakeskating’s underground talent. Now it’s 2009 and Hansen and Lant are preparing to release their second release titled Fun Boots!. Hansen and Lant created a lasting impression among wakeskaters through their initial release, because it seems like ever since Fun Boots! was announced, it quickly became a must have film among Scene One’s loyal following.
Over the past year, anxious viewers have caught a glimpse at what Hansen, Lant and their list of riders have been working on so hard through a number of Scene One outlets. First, the boys have had their Fun Boots! blog running, which updated riders on film shoots and other random happenings. The culmination of their hard work went on display with the launch of their film’s trailer at September’s Surf Expo. Scene One's teasers and media outlets only served to build anticipation for their upcoming film release.
Fun Boots!: What to Expect
It’s safe to say that Hansen and Lant are using Fun Boots! to present a different approach to wakeskating. This time around, Scene One has adjusted their focus. Their upcoming film is not necessarily about filming new talent in wakeskating’s ever expanding ranks, but working with forward thinking riders who push wakeskating on multiple fronts. Hansen explains, “I would definitely have to say that the premise has changed from Eso [Esoteric], because look at the Toe Jam finals: it’s Andrew, Nick, Stu, Ben, etc. and those are the guys in our film! So it’s not like 'new up-and-comers' anymore...these are the guys that are not only winning contests, but they are creating a whole new breed of tricks in a lot of ways. I feel like we have lots of stuff on film that hasn’t even been thought of before, like that thing Ben does in our teaser, that switch boardslide to 5-0.”
With Hansen and Lant documenting these riders and their way of exploring what’s possible on a wakeskate, new life is breathed into the realm of wakeskating videos, while inspiring receptive riders in the process. To see a wakeskater land a new move that is seemingly impossible helps encourage others to think outside of the box. Using Horan’s trick progression as an example, Hansen says, “Stuff like that changes the way you look at stuff and can really make what has been done now look like we are just scratching the surface...it’s [the Fun Boots! footage] more like new stuff that will get people thinking, and stuff that maybe isn’t as hard as something that’s already been seen, but it was something that had to be accomplished in your imagination first.”
Fun Boots!: Fun and Professionalism
Since the Fun Boots! riders pushed their wakeskating, Hansen and Lant were inspired to do the same thing with their video production. The experience the two gained while working on Esoteric served to progress the new film’s aesthetic and professionalism. Lant says, “Now I feel like when I am filming something I have a list in my head of what I want certain tricks to look like, how they are shot, where the light needs to be, am I getting a tight shot or am I gonna open it up, etc. Each trick is different. I’m still huge on B roll [footage]. I feel that kind of footage really gets sets things apart and helps tell the Fun Boots! story a little better.” Hansen adds, “We have a better grip on things and we want the video to be happy and kind of funny and whatnot, but also have a hint of professionalism, a little more than what Esoteric was. Plus, the wakeskaters are pushing it, so we figured we may as well, too.”
Hansen and Lant on the Fun Boots! Cast
Finally, the riders in Fun Boots! cannot be forgotten, since they all play a key role in making the film what it is. “The good thing about our riders is they have really let the Fun Boots! vibe set into them whenever we film. Nick still won't stop doing body varials. Stu loves 80s music blaring from his boat when he's riding. Ben does two handed shuv-rewinds all day long. Andy keeps the fist pumps going wherever he's at. All these guys are just out having a good ole' time, and I just so happen to have my camera rolling when ever it goes down,” says Lant.
Hansen is also quick to recognize how special this group of riders is, and how lucky he feels to have worked with them. Every rider--from the established, to the names that are unknown to wakeskating's mainstream--has brought something to the table “We have Matt Hooker, who brings a great style and fluidity to his tricks, and Travis Doran is a virtual no-name who is absolutely going to blow minds. Plus Nick [Taylor] is just crazy fluid and doesn't have a switch or regular. But it's also really great to have some good footage and hopefully a full part from Clint Tompkins, a straight up veteran that is one of the only riders his age still getting better and still hungry for progression with the skills to make it happen,” says Hansen.
In the end, if you only take away two things from Scene One and Fun Boots!, remember Keith Lant's advice: “Keep some variety with your riders and film the wakeskaters that like to party!”
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