Godfather of RI Surfing Sid Abbruzzi

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Sid abruzzi. Am I saying itright? A bruci is one way of
saying how you doing? I mean, I'm assuming you're Italian, half Italian,
half Irish. Oh what a whata combo platter? Half Irish,
Irish, half Italian, all surfer, all skater. Two great worlds colliding

(00:26):
there too, known as the godscollisions. You are known as the godfather
of Rhode Island surfing. You're bornand raised in Rhode Island. Yeah,
I was born in Newport, RhodeIsland, and uh, pretty much is
my home I've done a lot oftraveling, surfing and skating, but Newport
is Rhode Island is my home base. Yeah. You know, it's interesting.

(00:48):
My dad born and raised Federal Hill, Rhode Island. Guy. And
yeah, yeah, so I spenta lot of time there growing up.
And I remember sometime around the eightiesrunning with a I moved to California.
There was, you know, alot of surfing conversations, a lot of
surfing action, and Rhode Island doesnot get the attention it deserves her,

(01:14):
at least it didn't then. Asfar as some serious waves, there's some
serious waves to catch in Rhode Island. Yeah, you know, I agree
with you, but it started pickingup the seventies sort of forget about it.
But the eighties and nineties and thenespecially with social media and the awareness

(01:34):
of the size of the hurricanes,well as we get yeah, it really
Rhode Island became a focal porn onthe surfing map. Yeah, wicked undertow.
Wicked undertow in Rhode Island. WhenI was a kid, and still
obviously to this day. You know, I got my little nooks and cranies,
even off Watch Hill. If youcreep down by Watch Hill in Westerly,

(01:56):
you know that undertow can be wicked. But tell me about Water brother
The Sate of Brusi story. Uh. Water Brothers is a documentary film done
by the Caneen brothers who lived fromLittle Compton, Rhode Island. And I
started surfing with their dad and Isold Chuck the director, his first surfboard.

(02:21):
And as the kids got older,there's like ten of them in the
family, eight of them involved inthe film. As they got older,
and never mind the surfing interest,Chuck started picking up cameras and you know
he expressed interest of doing the documentaryin the meantime over in our end.

(02:45):
We've always had like Super eight camerasand high eight cameras, so we had
a bunch of vintage footage that collaboratedwith the film. I always wondered how
they get the shots inside the tube? You know some of my favorite you
know, surfing movies, even moviesmaybe a guy like you would think,

(03:05):
like Blue Cross that's a joke,But I mean, how do they get
those shots in the tube? Well, they's the cameras have improved twenty four.
It really picked up. I meanwhether they got the goat pros and
all that. Yeah, that makessense. Yeah, straps of the surfboard,
there's straps of the helmet, soa lot of tube actions can be

(03:29):
seen. Yeah, Newport actually surprisesme. And I know that you are
the owner of the famous water BrothersSurf and skate shop in Rhode Island,
But Newport always seemed those waters alwaysseemed calm to me. But maybe that's
a silly thing to say when itcomes to the ocean state. Maybe the
actions everywhere, well, yeah,you're right on that. I mean it's

(03:51):
not waves every day, and it'sstarting. It takes either what type of
year it is, northeasters in thespring, in the fall, hurricanes in
the summer, and then winter winterSOMs through the winter, and then in
the summertime we rely on strong southwestwinds to give us a win. Swell.

(04:15):
I'm intrigued by water Brother documentaries.It might be the biggest time in
movie going history. You know,documentaries are having their moment thanks to a
lot of streaming services too. Howcame people watch this? Is it getting
a theatrical release? Yeah? Thanks. What we're doing right now, we're
traveling with the film through theaters.We're going to be in New Jersey at

(04:36):
the House of Independence August eighth.We're going to be at the Angelica Theater
in New York City for a fullweek. I score Disney July twenty sixth
to August first, and we'll beattending all the showings. I want to
get you in Connecticut. I've gotcan I do a movie segment for ABC

(04:58):
here in connect cauld I cannot honestlyconnect you with the theater that I think
would show the movie you want toYou want to know why? Uh to
be honest with you, Sid andI'm telling you the truth. The owners
of this theater, they're Rhode Islandguys. They own a theater in Kingston.
They'd want it. Yeah, we'regonna be uh actually gonna be playing
in narrag Ancer, Rhode Island.Yeah, I gotta connect you with this

(05:23):
guy. I'm gonna hit our ourliaison up when we disconnect here and if
he's comfortable, we'd love to goto Connecticut. Oh, these guys will
snap it up. They also owna theater in Mystic, Connecticut. They'll
either show it in Mystic or inMadison, Connecticut. They're Kingston, Rhode
Island. Yeah, they're Kingston,Rhode Island guys. And it's the godfather

(05:43):
of Rhode Island. You can't youcome to me for a favor they got
we gotta do it. It's waterBrothers. And maybe you can go back
up to Federal Hill and have acouple of meat balls, meet bolls and
French fries. That's all I rememberfrom Federal Hill when I was a kid,
was we would get meat balls withthe side order of French fries.
Losing Angelo's I think it was Angelo's. Angelos is really good Roma. There's

(06:10):
a bunch of really good place,a great great time in my life.
And Sid a BRUSI a life.Hell of a life you've lived. I
see it here in front of meon this great press release, and I'm
looking forward to the movie. I'mgonna shoot art. Have Art. Give
you my email address, and I'llconnect you with these guys. I want
a Connecticut screening. I really lookforward to that. I'd love to come

(06:30):
to Connecticut. Like I said,we're trying to attend all the screenings to
meet everybody and answer any questions.They Yeah, I think it'd be be
a great time. Sid BRUSI,I appreciate you taking the time. I'll
be in touch my man, allright, brother, thank you,