Clevland surfer makes documentary on Lake Erie surf
Film News
Out of Place: A Local Filmmaker's Look at Surfing the Great Lakes
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 18 November, 2009 : - - Scott Ditzenberger, 38, a local Lakewoodite who has a passion for surfing and film, recently premiered his debut film 'Out of Place: A Portrait of Surfing in Cleveland, Ohio.' Born in San Diego and raised on the shores of New Jersey, Scott moved to Ohio with his family just after graduating high school in 1991.
“When I saw the expanse of [Lake Erie], I was overwhelmed by it,” says Ditzenberger. “And filed away in the back of my mind was this memory that you could surf the Great Lakes. It was an urban legend just sort of in the back of my mind. And sure enough a friend drove up from Akron, where we were living, at the first storm. And not only were there waves on the lake, there were surfers.”
Scott learned how to surf on the shores of Lake Eerie, becoming a member of Cleveland’s own diverse surf culture. He found surfers from all corners of the globe who had wound up living in the Cleveland area and still surfing. He realized that this was something worth documenting and in 2001 began shooting “Out Of Place.” About the documentary, Scott says, “It’s an insider’s perspective on the surfing culture here.
How the surfers themselves relate to Cleveland.” The film was shot locally, relying on local filmmakers and surfers coming together in order to make Scott’s vision into a reality. Even the soundtrack is 100% donated from Great Lakes area musicians and three bands (The Dreadful Yawns, The All Golden, and The Celebrity Pilots) from Lakewood
The goal of the film was to capture the surfers and to highlight this vibrant and unique facet of the city. “The thing about surfing is that you’re trying to become closely connected to the water. And that’s the same here, in Australia, anywhere. You’re trying to live that life out in nature at the water’s edge and the pursuit of that here is just a little bit different than anywhere else. We really wanted to tell that story.”
The film premiered last month at New York’s Surf Film Festival and took home this year’s Viewer’s Choice Best Feature award. Since then things have started to take off for the people involved in the project, but it’s been a long and tough journey to get here.
If you see a good surfing wave, just shoot a free panorama or a 360 to share it with other surfers. It is easy and fun with pixeet and its fisheye lens.
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