“I guess my brother would still be alive if he hadn’t been goofyfoot.”
This is the opening line in a surfing film produced by Chula Vista residents Chris, 35, and Lisa Cashman, 34, whose 2009 short film “Goofyfoot” will be recognized Sept. 29 through Oct. 3 at the San Diego Film Festival.
The story is based on an idea from Ventura County-based writer and tutor Jeff McElroy, who was inspired by a brotherly bond between his students Lars and Hans Rathje, who live in Santa Rosa Valley.
In 2007, McElroy posted a short story about “Goofyfoot” on wetsand.com, which Chris found by accident. “Goofyfoot” was shot in the spring of 2009 and premiered in Ventura in the spring of this year.
“We were both really attracted to the story,” Lisa Cashman said.
Chris Cashman said being a goofyfoot surfer and having four older brothers himself, he was intrigued. “I was drawn in by the realism of the story,” he said. “After I read it, I knew I had to shoot it. I was put in contact with the writer Jeff McElroy and a year and half later we found four days to shoot this short.”
“The message of the film to me is about how brothers bond over something as simple as surfing,” Cashman said. “I know it’s hard to tell your brother you love him, but through the enjoyment and adventure of surfing it becomes your unspoken love for each other.”
The film, which is 15 minutes in length, is a fictional story about a young man’s drive to understand the meaning of his brother’s untimely death in a surfing accident – in which he asks himself the question, “Will I ever surf again?”
“Goofyfoot” was shot entirely in Ventura and Santa Barbara and reminds the audience that life is short so it’s important to always put your best foot forward. Cashman said he has been shooting videos since he was a young teen.
“We are so thrilled to wrap up in our hometown,” Cashman said. “It’s the perfect way to complete this project.”
The Cashmans have two daughters, Jordana, 2, and 4-month-old Audrey.
