“Waveriders”, a newly-released surf documentary, is winning awards and the attention of audiences worldwide with the help of Dr. Arthur Verge, EC history professor.

Directed by Jack McCoy, the film is based in part on a biography written by Verge about George Freeth, an Irish-Hawaiian surfer who popularized surfing in California and is credited with being the father of modern lifeguarding.

“At first I was a little bit worried about the idea of my biography being used in the film,” Verge said. “I spent 4 years of my life writing a story and I wondered if they would portray it accurately.”

Despite his early concerns, Verge quickly became confident in the filmmakers and their direction for the film.

“The film focuses on three Irish surfers traveling and surfing, and how Freeth, being Irish himself, has influenced them.”

“Waveriders” has won multiple awards including the Best Feature Documentary Award at the Annual Irish Film & Television Awards. It has also won the Best Film award at the Dublin International film festival.

“They really understood George Freeth and his importance to surfing. They brought real sensitivity to who George Freeth was.” Verge said.

“He was an amazing guy and that’s exactly how they portrayed him.”

Verge describes himself as a “terrible surfer at best,” but this is his 36th year as a lifeguard. His love for the sand and the water is what sparked his interest in Freeth to begin with.

“After spending so much time in the ocean on the same beach as Freeth, I feel really connected to him,” Verge said.

“Waveriders” is scheduled for release in Ireland and the U.K. on April 3, and is expected to be released in the U.S at a future date.

“Being a part of this film was an amazing experience for me and it has led to the possibility of working with McCoy on a full scale bio and screenplay of George Freeth himself,” Verge said.

“Freeth has played such a huge role in surfing and lifeguarding history and I think it’s great that we were able to accurately express that through this film.”

Verge’s biography of Freeth is available online at legendarysurfers.com.