20 Years Later, Blue Crush’s Surfer Style Still Totally Rips
In 2002’s Blue Crush, Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) spends all of her days surfing with her little sister Penny (Mika Boorem) and friends Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake) in Hana—a small town in Maui, Hawaii. The group shares a big dream: to eventually surf on Hawaii’s famous North Shore. Eventually, Anne Marie is invited to join a surfing competition there, on the Banzai Pipeline; If she wins, it would help bring the foursome out of poverty. The film follows their journey—and along the way, it graces us with plenty of cinematic wave shots and even better surfer style. In fact, even twenty years later, the film’s beachy fashion still—to borrow a phrase from the surfers—totally rips.
Costume designed by Susan Matheson, Blue Crush’s fashion vibe is unsurprisingly all about the practical swimwear. The foursome surf in two-piece bikinis that reflect their personalities (these days, most professional surfers ride waves in wetsuit tops, though bikinis are still a popular option). Anne Marie, the film’s ambitious girl next door, often plays it classic in shades of blue and black. In one scene, she wears a Billabong surf top; the exact one—dubbed “rare”—is on eBay for $50. Eden, the feisty friend, has more of an edge: She’ll pair her American flag-print bra top with long board shorts. On their own, each bikini in the film is sleek and simple—but Matheson clearly had fun contrasting each of the swimsuits, the group shots making for an impactful clash of colors, stripes, and tie-dye prints.
Given Blue Crush is one of the most famous surfer movies in Hollywood, it’s unsurprising that its effortless beach style continues to have an impact in fashion today. Look at the recent spring 2022 collections, and you’ll find plenty of looks that the Blue Crush girls would wear if the film was shot today. At Coperni, the wetsuit-style tops were paired with sequined mini skirts; at Anna Sui, bikinis were layered over cropped tees and finished with a printed cover-up; Jacquemus paired its strappy pink bikini tops with baggy pants to match. Sure, these are more glam than the standard swimsuits worn in the 2002 flick—but remember that the movie was also shot pre-Instagram and TikTok. Now, those girls would all be wearing fashionable fits to surf in—because you gotta capture that content.
Although the Blue Crush look has been given many designer treatments over the years—remember Chanel’s Surf collection, also released in 2002?—I would argue that the film’s more simplistic approach to beach wear is what makes it so great. The character’s unfussy swimsuits puts the focus back on their original mission: to up their surfing game. You certainly couldn’t tackle a barreling wave in a complicated strappy monokini. But looking back on all the film’s streamlined suits, it definitely makes us want to up our beach fashion game. The good news is, summer isn’t over yet—so scroll through below for some major Blue Crush style inspiration.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection1/4
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection2/4
