MP premiere sold out!

Written by Noosa Festival of Surfing

The world premiere of “Searching for Michael Peterson” in Noosa has sold out, but a second show has been announced.

Some big names are expected at the premiere to the documentary by Jolyon Hoff at Noosa Cinemas on Monday, March 16, not least of all the host - former world pro surfing champ Peter Townend. There also will be live music by “Morning of the Earth” musos Peter Howe and Tim Gaze.

For those of you who were snoozing, the tickets to this are all sold, but a second show has been announced for March 17.

According to the Noosa Festival of Surfing website, Searching for Michael Peterson is the moving story of one of Australia’s greatest surfers whose career was cut short by mental illness.

"For five glorious years “MP” led the Coolangatta Kids and won virtually every event he contested, including three Bells Beach Pros back to back.

"His brilliant, aggressive surfing provided the centrepiece for Albert Falzon’s Morning of the Earth in 1972, and MP never looked back. His final tour victory, at the inaugural Stubbies Pro at Burleigh Heads in 1977, is regarded as the high point of the early professional era. Sadly, a year later triumph turned to tragedy and Michael’s demons claimed him.

"Thirty years on, MP is still vitally interested in the sport and culture of surfing and is a fixture at most Queensland events, enjoying the action with his mother, Joan. He is rightly regarded as an iconic figure in Australian surfing, and Hoff’s film, while it pulls no punches, is an intensely moving tribute to the man.

As an added extra on ther night, there will be an exclusive encore screening of “Puerto Rico World Titles 1968”, and American Wide World of Sports special which has been unseen for almost 40 years.

The film was unearthed by producer Larry Lindberg just prior to a 40th anniversary reunion of the event in California last year. This will be the first public showing of a remarkable document of an extraordinary time in surfing, as the shortboard replaced the longboard.

A limited number of tickets for this special night will be available at $30. Tickets on-sale from Mon 23 Feb 09. For information visit noosafestivalofsurfing.com