North Shore

North Shore is a 1987 American action drama with romantic elements. It follows Rick Kane, a young man from Arizona who has been shaping surfboards and wins a cash prize in a wave tank contest. He uses the money to travel to Hawaii before starting art school, hoping to prove himself on the North Shore. Out of his depth among experienced local surfers and unfamiliar customs, he finds a place to stay and meets Chandler, a veteran surfer who becomes his teacher. Chandler shows him the difference between surfing for its own sake and chasing money and fame. Rick also becomes involved with Kiani, a local woman, and clashes with Vince, a rival surfer.

The film was directed by William Phelps, who wrote the screenplay with Tim McCanlies and Randal Kleiser. Matt Adler plays Rick, with Gregory Harrison as Chandler, Nia Peeples as Kiani, John Philbin, Gerry Lopez and Laird Hamilton rounding out the cast. Phelps had directed a number of features before this one, and North Shore sits among them as a studio release from Universal Pictures.

Made for a modest budget, the film took in about 4 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a 6.6 rating from roughly 3,200 votes, while on TMDB it has a 5.9 from a much smaller group of 51 voters.