Bunker spreckels biography template
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"Bunker77": The new documentary traces the steep arc of an enigmatic '70s surf punk
Bunker Spreckels was a wild, colorful man. The scion of the Spreckels Sugar Co. and the stepson of Clark Gable, he was a surfer, a hunter and a jet-setting playboy, who inherited millions at age 21. He traveled to South Africa to surf; met his girlfriend, Ellie, in Biarritz; and often dressed like a pimp. He did copious quantities of drugs, traveled the world and died, in 1977, at age 27.
Takuji Masuda’s captivating documentary, “Bunker77,” uses archival footage and photographs, along with interviews with Bunker as well as his friends, including surfer Laird Hamilton and skateboarder Tony Alva, to recount the life of Spreckels, who has been dubbed “the most decadent person in surfing.”
Masuda spoke about his film and the under-known surfing legend with Salon.
Are you a surfer?
Yes, I am a national champion from Japan and I used to be on the world tour as a professional surfer.
How did you first hear about Bunker and what made you turn his story into a documentary?
Back in 1994, when I was surfing professionally, I met my co-producer, Art Brewer, who is one of the most famous surf photographers. I was one of his subjects. In the surf world, it’s very normal to tell stories about
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‘Bunker77’ Exclusive Clip: The Story of the Boundary-Pushing, Controversial Surf Star Bunker Spreckels, Stepson to Clark Gable
For the past six days, DOC NYC has screened numerous documentaries that shine a light on untold stories, marginalized figures and crucial history. Tomorrow, the festival comes to an end, but before it closes, the festival will screen Takuji Masuda’s new film “Bunker77,” the true story of Bunker Spreckels, Clark Gable’s stepson and heir to a sugar fortune, who lived fast and died young. A classic American rebel in the vein of James Dean and Andy Warhol, Bunker turned his back on his fortune to live a simple life out of the public eye. He pushed surfing’s boundaries by riding very short boards in Hawaii and the Jeffrey Bay in South Africa. He also mentored skateboard legend Tony Alva and collaborated with filmmaker Kenneth Anger, leaving behind a complicated, nuanced legacy. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below.
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This is Masuda’s first feature-length documentary. It’s narrated by Mike Judge, creator of “Silicon Valley” and “King of th