Text Box: What currently drives Lucas is the preservation of the area's surfing heritage and acknowledging people who started it all in Ocean City. That's why the former business executive of a Washington, D.C. company decided retirement was not for him and started a second career as a documentary filmmaker. His first subject: Surfing. His first project: "Waves of Reflection," an inspiring film that traces surfing in Ocean City and Delaware from the back of school bus in the 60's the rusted VW vans in the '70s to the peppy Honda Elements of the 2000s. The DVD, which will be available in local surf shops this weekend, will premier at 7 p.m. Friday night at the Castle in the Sand Hotel 3701 Atlantic Ave. Lucas has teamed up with the local Surfrider Foundation chapter to debut his 47-minute film, which took him five years to make. "I knew going in that I could not try to make the 'History of Surfing' because surfing is many things to many people," Lucas said. "I included a broad mix of known and unknown surfers to feature." "My marketing slogan is simple: 'Although local in content, it is universal in spirit. Family, friends and attitude are at the soul of the sport.'" The film's first half focuses on Bill Wise, one of the surf pioneers from Ocean City. Wise, who started with the converted school bus surfboard rental shop in the 60's, joined with fellow surfer George Pittman and opened surf shops in Maryland and Delaware, including the Eastern Surfer, the first surf shop in downtown Ocean City. But in 1965, Wise was paralyzed in a surfing accident. Although unable to surf, Wise has remained very involved in the local surf scene. "He is the most inspirational person I know," Lucas said. "He has stayed very positive." About two-thirds into the film Wise describes his accident and says, "Well, that was the end of my surfing career." But then goes on to describe how he got to surf one more time in Hawaii (actually it was Trestles in CA) when surfers tied him onto a onto a Hobie (Cat) for one more ride. "They strapped me down like how Captain Ahab was strapped to Moby Dick," Wise says as he smiles. The film also features other pioneers in the local scene with interviews of George and Dana Smith. George was one of the first board manufacturers in Ocean City and Dana was one of the first female surfers in the area. Dave "Doc" Dalkiewicz, owner of the Ocean Atlantic Surf Shop in Ocean City, and surfing legend Skip Savage, who opened a surf shop in Rehoboth Beach in 1967, tell some stories of the early days. The film intertwines old photos (many from Bill Wise's collection), 8mm movies and voice-overs for dramatic effect. Lucas added video of the current surfing scene to round out the film. "It's a touching film," Lucas says. "Bill Wise's closing remarks are powerful. People tear up and most cry at the end." To make sure Wise's contribution to surfing would never be forgotten Lucas worked with the Surfrider Foundation and established a fund in Bill Wise's name. Also a portion of the DVD's sales will go toward it. "We want to continue to keep his name out there," Lucas said. "We want to make sure he's remembered forever."

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Ocean City Today / Thomas Melville, Editor  - June 11th, 2004

 

Recalling old days of resort surfing, new film debuts Fri.

Forty years ago, Will Lucas stopped at a run-down school bus parked near the beach, rented a surfboard and ignited a lifelong passion of finding good surf.

 Now 58, still fit and surfing every day down in Melbourne, Fla., Lucas has returned to that yellow bus and the men and women who  started the surfing scene in Ocean City.

 "What drives surfers is hard to explain," said Lucas who sports a thick white mustache and a deep tan.  "It's kind of like a disease.  It takes priority over everything."