Anthony Ruffo will be the star of a new feature-length documentary film.
"Ruffo" tells the story of the 47-year-old professional surfing icon struggling agains methamphetamine addiction and his efforts to lead Santa Cruz and the surfing world out of drug dependency.
Anthony is one of the “Godfathers” of the infamous Westsiders surf brotherhood, who put Santa Cruz on the surfing map.
He was the first champion of the Coldwater Classic, in 1985, and continues to surf at a professional level.
Nowadays, Anthony is facing a potential five-year prison term for alleged distribution of methamphetamine. He will face trial in May 2011 on charges of possession of drugs for sale.
Last year, Ruffo voluntarily checked himself into the Clear Mind Healthy Planet treatment center, in New York.
"I have filmed Anthony through this journey and can honestly say that I have some of the most compelling and amazing footage that I have ever captured. The end of this story is yet to be determined. I hope that this film will serve as one of the most effective anti-drug use documentaries ever made", says filmmaker Rocky Romano.
"Ruffo" will the impact of substance abuse on the professional surfing world, through interviews with an impressive roster of surfers including Shawn “Barney” Barron, Dino Andino, “Beaver,” Vince “The Godfather” Collier, Jason “Ratboy” Collins, Chris Gallagher, Shane Beschen, Anthony Tashnick, Tyler Smith, Nathan Fletcher, Christian Fletcher, Kolohe Andino, Sunny Garcia, Peter Mel, Ken “Skindog” Collins, Darryl “Flea” Virostko, Peter Townend, Shawn Dollar, Tyler Fox, Ashton Madeley, Nat Young, Jake Davi, Chris Ward, Tommy Reyes, Michael Ho, Troy Rettig, Koby Abberton, Willie Eagleton and Shane Desmond.
The recent passing of world-champion surfer Andy Irons has helped to create a dialogue about the secrecy surrounding drug use in the surfing world.
These conversations are captured in the film, which is dedicated to the memory of both Andy Irons and Peter Davi.
The official film trailer can be viewed online.