It’s safe to say that North Jersey filmmakers Sal Librizzi and Corey Frank enjoy a lot of support from their hometown. On Thursday, August 22nd, the co-producers of HOMETOWN HYPE: North Jersey spent most of the evening receiving hugs, high fives and props from the local surfers and friends who made up the sold-out Broadway Bar and Grille in Point Pleasant. They had come out in large numbers to see the world premiere of the new HYPE IN THE HOMETOWN Short film featuring artists such as Sam Hammer, Charles Mencel, Cole Deveney and Brendan Tighe, to name a few.
The filmmakers both grew up in the area, and their love for it was as evident in simple conversations about the North Jersey surf scene as it was in their latest film. In fact, the entire night was a love fest for the local community and its stretch of coast. As someone who has a sixth sense for missing the Atlantic waves and storms for years — often just because flights back to the West Coast were delayed by a single day — it was refreshing to sit back for an evening and listen to them explain the perfect recipe for the conditions that make the place shine. People weren’t shy about telling me what I’d need to come back for a winter.
“When are you flying back to California?” Sam Hammer asked me at some point after telling me some highlights from a few days ago.
“Saturday morning,” I told him.
“Yeah, you won’t get any waves. Again.”
The moral of the story, of course, parallels a point made in Sal and Corey’s own film: North Jersey is either painfully slow when it comes to waves, or there are world-class tubes to jump on when the going gets tough. And the beauty of the local crew here is that they all seem to work together when those waves come, sometimes just for a few hours.
So in the end, it wasn’t too surprising when a few hundred people gathered behind a local bar, opened a few White Claws, and celebrated their hometown.
“It’s just a very special place. You’d have to be crazy not to notice,” Sal told us. “Every single beach town here has its own charm, but they all come together to create the perfect cocktail that is the Jersey Shore. The only constant is change, but given the impact that surfing in this area has had on so many people, it’s a world apart and one that we all love very much.”
Editor’s note: Entry to the upcoming events is free, but space is limited! Register to attend using the links below and learn more about The Inertias HOMETOWN HYPE presented by White Claw here.
August 30: Outer Banks, North Carolina at Outer Banks Brewing Station | RSVP HERE
5.9.: St. Petersburg, Florida at The Floridian Social | REGISTER HERE
