act 1 the shaper from okinawa

8 December 2009 21:51:00 AEDT
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KYLE has decided he must face his brother, former world champ REECE in the mythical human gladiator pit that is The Zipper; the rarest of all waves in the Pacific. There is only one shaper in the world that can create a board capable of riding within The Zipper, Hideo Kurosawa from Okinawa, Japan.

INT -PLANE -DAYKYLE fidgets nervously in his seat, the plane heading for Okinawa, Japan. KYLE takes a swig from his aluminium can of Michelob Ultra Light Low Carb, the acrid fusion of alcohol and metal sending his biceps into an involuntary twitch. The tangy hops and starches eventually have their way and KYLE slumps asleep.

FLASHBACK

EXT -IRAQ - NIGHTKYLE and a US Delta Forces soldier code named WAX BAG sit in a machine gun nest on a beach. A full moon illuminates the desert and the sea.

WAX BAGThat winds been blowing for 10 days solid man, theres swell comin, I feel it!

KYLEThe HartamanWAX BAGWhaaa?

KYLEThe Hartaman, thats what the locals call that wind, it almost never blows from that direction, right along the gulf like that.WAX BAGWhatever dude, all I know is that when we get relieved, in the AM, Im on that 6 footer I hear peelin on the point.

KYLE looks through the night and catches a glimpse of a perfect right hand break, a blend of moonlight and pre dawn racing along the crest.

KYLE (softly)It's been twenty years since that point brokeWAX BAGHey Kyle man, I heard this joke today. Two jews walk into a bar in Basra and...

Suddenly the frame that was WAX MAN disintegrates into streaming flesh and gore as a mortar round obliterates the machine gun pit.

KYLEWax Man! Nooooooooo!

KYLE mans the radioKYLETango Six, Tango Six this is Whisky Five Actual. We got rags in the perimeter, repeat rags in the perimeter, dump all remaining on my pos repeat all remaining on my pos overTANGO SIX (Radio)Roger that Whisky Five, this is Tango Six Angels 1 bingo on fuel bent pumpkin weapons loose sweet visual comin in low snake and nape, tell your people to get down its gonna be a big one.

Insurgents rush KYLE's position. KYLE reaches out and wrestles with one of them, during the fight the insurgents mask is pulled off and KYLE sees the face of a 13 year old boy.

KYLENooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The entire scene explodes in a shower of napalm and knee high bursts of depleted uranium razor pellets.

SilenceFrom the smoke, seriously wounded, KYLE stretches a hand out towards the point, blood pours from his hand. Already the morning onshore wind is ripping it to pieces, the 20 year wave disintegrates before his eyes.

INT - PLANE - DAYKYLE wakes in his seat in shock. He looks down to his hand and sees that his hand has crushed the beer can to the point that it has cut deeply into his hand.

The flight stewardess on the PA announces the plane is landing in Okinawa.

INT. OKINAWA SHAPES SURF SHOP. DAYA crusty Japanese shop owner mans the front desk of the surf desk, he flicks through a surf magazine looking at the surf board advertisements and shaking his head. Incredibly, this is HIDEO KUROSAWA, the shaper from Okinawa. A bumbling assistant sweeps the floor. KYLE enters the shop.

KYLEMorning.KUROSAWAAh, morning my friend. Welcome to Okinawa, best North Pacific waves outside of Hawaii as say them.

KUROSAWA puts down his magazine, vaguely interested.

What need?

KYLEIm after a board.KUROSAWA waves him over to the rack of pop outs on offer and goes back to his magazine.

KUROSAWAAh, ok, take pick, all same. Don’t know much about them, all work fine.

KYLE feels the rails of some of the cheap boards, detecting the tell tale mark of Chinese Xui powertools at work.

KYLEI see, not quite what I was looking for. Got anything out the back maybe?

KUROSAWA narrows is eyes.

KUROSAWAOut back? You think this jiggy jiggy happy end place?

KYLE (smiling)No, I was looking for a special type of board, made by a special shaper (pause) to surf a very special wave.

KUROSAWAI see, what shaper you look for?

KYLEKurosawa

In the background the assistant drops a glass that breaks on the ground.

KUROSAWAAh, I save you some time, he no work here, I buy this shop from him 10 years ago.KYLEThat’s a real shame. I had something to give to him as well.

KUROSAWAwhat be?

KYLEA message.

KYLE opens up a torn out page from a 1988 edition of Tracks that shows REECE manning a flamethrower and mowing down a village in the Marshall Islands making way for a surfing resort. Damian Hartman and Simon Law dressed in fluro pink wetsuits try their best to hold him back but REECE's sponsors overwhelm them.

KUROSAWA falls back clutching his chest in pain. KYLE rushes to comfort him.

KYLE(shouting)You made him the board that won him the title, you have to accept responsibility for this too.

KUROSAWA(weakly)If I make you this board..what will you do with it...

KYLEI'll take him down

The soundtrack swells as the Iron Chef theme music plays. KUROSAWA rises to his feet.

KUROSAWAI will make you this board..it will take ten days. I train REECE myself, he is the best; you should prepare yourself.

KYLE nods, takes out a packet of Malboro 2mg Ultralight cigarettes and lights one up, he bows to Kurosawa and then points towards the shithouse before exiting screen.

KUROSAWA (to his silent assistant)Come, we have work to do, bring me my tools.

END ACT 1

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