POST January/February 2015

the stereotypes and immediately saw something
different about this surfing subculture.
With a drastically smaller number of surfers,
the dynamic is more supportive, more communal.
Slutzky decided to combine his talent with
his newfound passion to create a documentary
to help tear down the perceptions that paint
that portrait of the surfer dude.
“My goal is to show people the aspect
of surfing in this kind of rare culture, and
demonstrate how powerful it is,” Slutzky says.
“These guys are going out in 34-degree water,
negative windchills, and they’re so happy and
so stoked. They’re just out there to have fun.
… It’s really cool, especially when you’re freezing
your balls off.”
It’s been four years since Slutzky began
piecing together his film, “Preconceived
Noceans,” a clever play on words that tips a
cap to the lake surfers he’s come to know. He
makes trips back to Rochester now and then
to do more work and also to hit the waves
whenever possible. The plan is to finish with
a feature-length film (more than 40 minutes
long), enter it into film festivals, and hopefully
show it at area places like The Little. (There’s
a 4-minute trailer already on YouTube).
As Slutzky’s film portrays, these guys
aren’t pompous or cocky. Lake surfers don’t
claim to be “real surfers” as if the coastal guys
are somehow fake or inauthentic. If a blondehaired
California dude strolled up to the lake
wanting to give it a try, he’d be welcomed just
the same.
“There is no surfer guy; there’s just people
who like to surf, and they all do different
things,” Licata says. “In our group, there’s
everything: there’s a fireman, a cop, a doctor,
construction guys, bums, you name it. Every
different kind of personality, they’re all down
there.”
Issue 9 January / February 2015 | POST 31