Jack McCoy, a pioneering figure in surf filmmaking whose influence shaped the genre for decades, has died at the age of 76.
The Los Angeles-born filmmaker passed away after battling an unspecified illness in recent years. Until just days before his death, McCoy was actively touring his acclaimed documentary Blue Horizon across Australia alongside professional surfer Dave Rastovich.
McCoy’s career spanned multiple decades and he was widely recognized for his ability to capture the raw power and artistry of surfing, elevating the sport through his distinctive cinematic vision.
Surf historian Matt Warshaw paid tribute, stating, “Jack McCoy’s work existed on a different artistic plane altogether.”
McCoy was also instrumental behind the scenes in the surfing world. In 1995, he famously helped transform the career of Kelly Slater’s rival, Occy (Occy’s full name is Michael O’Connell), encouraging the then 300-pound surfer off the couch and back into competitive form. This effort culminated in Occy winning a world title four years later.
Together with Billabong’s Gordon Merchant, McCoy co-created the Billabong Challenge series, a competition designed to test Occy against seven of the world’s best surfers. The format—a single-day event with two one-hour heats and a one-hour final—was considered revolutionary and, according to McCoy, could have served as a better model than the traditional formats used by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), now the World Surf League (WSL).
Reflecting on the judging system used in the Billabong Challenge, McCoy said, “The judges didn’t even have a pen and paper. They came to a consensus on the winner. When good surfers watch a heat, even if it’s close, they can tell you who the best surfers were.”
He criticized conventional scoring methods, explaining, “The general public doesn’t understand the numbers and what surfers need to do to win. The Billabong Challenge took care of that confusion. It was as good a template for a contest as there ever was.”
In 2001, McCoy and fellow filmmaker Derek Hynd organized a rebel surfing tour featuring stars like Kelly Slater and Andy Irons. However, the tour was disrupted by the global impact of the September 11 attacks, which severely affected the sporting world and related economies.
“We wanted to set a different course for surfing — focusing on the art of surfing, not just the sport,” McCoy explained. “We weren’t trying to take over the ASP; we wanted something different from the typical event format.”
Just two weeks ago, McCoy and Rastovich appeared at Sydney’s Randwick Ritz cinema for a screening of Blue Horizon. The event was a testament to McCoy’s unmatched skill in capturing breathtaking wide-angle shots of iconic surf breaks such as Teahupoo and his ability to craft compelling surf narratives.
During the Q&A session, McCoy reminded the audience, many of whom were over fifty, that he was the originator of the now-famous phrase “Eddie Would Go,” referring to legendary surfer Eddie Aikau. He closed the session with a heartfelt plea to surfers: “Go easy in the lineup, share waves, and love your brothers and sisters.”
From early works like Tubular Swells and Storm Riders to Bunyip Dreaming, Sons of Fun, the Challenges, Blue Horizon, and The Occumentary, Jack McCoy’s legacy as the king of surf filmmaking is undisputed.
He leaves behind a profound impact on surf culture and the wider film community.