Blue Crush is a 2002 film about a female surfer attempting to win a major surf competition. It was filmed exclusively on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, mostly on Oahu’s famous North Shore.
The area is considered the surfing Mecca, due to it’s big waves during the winter. The surf breaks close to shore, allowing for ideal spectator viewing. Major surf competitions throughout the winter are held here, so it was the ideal place to set the film.
Banzai Pipeline
The film opens with the character of Anne-Marie exiting her shack-like home to view the waves crashing right behind the house. The surf she looks to is the Banzai Pipeline, part of Ehukai Beach Park. This beach and surf break is one of the most renowned surf spots in the world, and most of the surf action in this film is captured at Pipeline. Also, the surrounding area, including beach and parking lot were used. The major climax of the film features a surf competition being held on the beach.
The Blue Crush Hotel
One geographical inaccuracy in Blue Crush is the luxury hotel where the girls work. The movie never mentions where the hotel is located, but it seems to be on the North Shore. Scenes at the hotel were actually filmed at the JW Marriott Hotel in Ko Olina. This hotel is on the southwest side of Oahu, and more than an hour from the North Shore. It seems unlikely that the girls would travel this far every day for work. The hotel has changed ownership and is now known as the Four Seasons Oahu Resort at Ko Olina. The hotel and beach have not changed much since the filming. However there is now a very large resort next door, the Disney Aulani Resort.
If you wish to visit the hotel’s beach where Anne-Marie confronted the football players on the beach for their lack of cleanliness, you are in luck. All beaches in Hawaii are public beaches. This means you can enjoy this beach without having to pay to stay at the resorts.
The School
The school that Penny attended in the movie is Kaa’awa Elementary School on the windward coast. Please respect the school and read my guidelines about visiting schools.
Unfortunately I didn’t get a great photo of the school. This is actually a screenshot from my dashcam.
If you have any questions or thoughts about Blue Crush or the filming locations, please share with me in the comment section below.
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