Jack McCoy (1948 - 2025) was a legendary surf filmmaker, director, producer, and cinematographer whose work helped define how the world sees surfing on film. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Hawai‘i after his family relocated there in the 1950s, McCoy grew up immersed in ocean culture — surfing, bodysurfing, paddling and diving — which laid the foundation for a lifetime behind the camera capturing wave riding and surf life with unparalleled intimacy.

In the 1970s, after moving to Australia, he began making waves in surf cinema. His debut feature Tubular Swells (1976), co-directed with photographer Dick Hoole, marked the beginning of a prolific career spanning more than four decades. McCoy went on to craft a unique visual language for surf films, blending water-level cinematography, keen storytelling, and deep respect for surfing’s culture, history, and spiritual side.

Over his remarkable career, McCoy created more than 25 surf films, including celebrated classics that remain touchstones of the genre — such as Storm Riders, The Green Iguana, The Occumentary, and Blue Horizon. His films not only showcased elite performances from the world’s best surfers, but also captured the soul of the sport from inside the barrel and behind the scenes of surf culture itself.

Regarded by peers and fans alike as one of the greatest surf filmmakers of all time, McCoy traveled globally to film epic swells, intimate surf moments, and the people who live for the ocean. In his later years he toured his seminal films around Australia, fostering community and celebrating surf culture on the big screen. McCoy passed away in May 2025 at age 76, leaving behind a vast visual legacy that continues to inspire surfers and filmmakers around the world.

- Marquee photo by Tim McKenna, inset photo by Dick Hoole