Best Sections of All-Time: Dion Agius in Electric Blue Heaven
I just arrived up in Lemoore, CA for the WSL Surf Ranch Pro at Kelly’s pool. How crazy is that sentence? Ha! Anyway, the drive from Orange County isn’t all that terrible if you have a decent podcast or book to listen to in between 12 Songs playlists. It’s just one big, sad, straight brown line through the guts of California otherwise. I chose to finish off Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan. Travis reviewed it back in February. His review checks out, add me to the list of those who highly recommend it.
As I got closer to Lemoore, passing casinos, dust bowls and slaughterhouses, I started to daydream about Dion Agius and Joe G’s epic wave pool collaboration Electric Blue Heaven. We all unanimously decided it’s the best wave pool section of all-time (and stay tuned for our full countdown on Saturday when the comp starts. It can be your wave pool lull entertainment).
In running back through these vids, it's clear we’ve come a long way with wave pools this decade. From highly conceptualized science fiction art project to World Tour stop. Isn’t that wild? Let’s take a look back.
In 2012, Dion Agius and Joe G of Globe film fame came up with Electric Blue Heaven. It became a magazine cover, full length article and the video captivated millions (literally millions) with its dream state blue lagoon in the desert. Dion lived out out ever surf boys fantasy: Pulling airs in crystal clear water in a desert oasis in front of dozens of beautiful girls.
And Joe G was there to capture it in beautiful 16mm of course.
Over the years Joe and Dion collaborated on numerous films and projects for Globe and their highly elaborate dreamscapes became instantly iconic. Films like Secret Machine, Year Zero, Dark Hollow and Strange Rumblings in Shangri La are forever cemented into the pantheon of surf film iconography. The Globe squad kinda owned the noughties. And Dion Agius was the muse.
By relentlessly hucking himself off bigger sections than anyone and stomping an earth-shattering punt in Secret Machine, Dion launched his name onto the world stage starring simultaneously in Joe Gs Globe vids and Kai Neville’s biggest films.
Dion was the face of brand campaigns, getting covers, spreads, and making parts in the best surf films. He was the free surf pioneer of the noughties and always ahead of his time in the way he presented himself. He launched Dion.Tv which jumpstarted the blog era, and he’s always been highly involved in working hard to make rad projects that stand the test of time.
Electric Blue Heaven was one of many highly stylized shoots took place on location but this one really popped and garnered the Globe squad millions of eye balls. They shot in United Arab Emirates and featured Dion dropping hammer after absolute hammer with dozens of models dancing and splashing around in the foreground. We still think it’s the best pool vid we’ve got.
Imagine the stage fright one might have! But not Dion, he put together a flawless performance in the dreamy emerald waters of Dubai. The waves looked unbelievably fun, but I’ve always wondered what the after party’s looked like. Maybe one day he’ll tell us.—Brandon Guilmette
