Crafted through a unique collective filmmaking process, WHOMP is the result of a transdisciplinary collaboration between bodysurfers, filmmakers, a scriptwriter, composer, and animator. Voices from the line-up helped us shape not just the stories told, but how we told them—resulting in a film that pulses with authenticity and ocean-slick wit. Merging lived experience with playful, mixed-media storytelling, the film is as unconventional as the subculture we discovered.

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Beneath the surface, WHOMP rides a deeper current: a raw, unspoken truth about men's mental health, and the healing power of the sea. In a culture where vulnerability is often submerged, these men find solace, connection, and a kind of spiritual home in the waves. The film offers fleeting yet profound moments of reflection—where the chaos of modern life quiets, replaced by the rhythmic crash of the ocean and the deep inhale of a saltwater breath.

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WHOMP also foregrounds voices that are too often left out of the surf film canon. Women speak with power, humour and insight, challenging the blokey stereotype and showing that whomping is as much theirs as anyone’s. And in a moving thread woven through the swell, Indigenous bodysurfer Jarrod Bridges shares his deep connection with the ocean. For Jarrod, the ocean is not just a space of recreation—it’s healing and Country.  WHOMP doesn’t preach, but it floats gently into emotional territory, letting the tide carry us to unexpected places—proving that sometimes, the best way to stay afloat is to surrender to the wave.

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Amid the salt spray and soulful reflections, WHOMP is also downright hilarious. From the glorious absurdity of the “finsprint” to deadpan tales of boardrider beefs and beachside blunders, the film delivers belly laughs and larrikin energy in spades. It’s a reminder that in this subculture, joy isn’t just found in the waves—it’s in the storytelling, the self-deprecation, and the sheer ridiculous beauty of choosing to whomp.