A Documentary Film
Hidden in an unassuming alley in San Clemente lies the Surf Ghetto, one of the most influential places in surfing history. This unlikely stretch became home to legendary shapers, iconic brands, and industry pioneers who helped define modern surfing. Now, it’s all at risk of disappearing.
Watch the Teaser“Everything I am comes from these alleys.”Matt Biolos
“I can’t tell you stories of what happened here; it was so gnarly.”Herbie Fletcher
For more than 70 years, a small industrial district in San Clemente known as the Surf Ghetto has quietly shaped surfing. At the center of the film are Timmy Patterson and Matt Biolos, two shapers who have worked across the alley from one another for more than three decades. Through their lives, and those of fellow shapers Rick Rock and Jerry O’Keefe, the film captures a culture built around craft, creativity, and a shared obsession with making surfboards. Their stories lead us into the Ghetto’s largely untold past, where rare archival footage reveals the overlooked people and places that helped build an industry. Today, the buildings are changing hands, the old guard is disappearing, and fewer shapers remain. The Surf Ghetto is a portrait of a place that changed surfing, told through the people still keeping it alive.
“It’s home, and I’m literally a part of history.”Rick Rock
