‘Snapt5: The Final Cut’ Is An Unapologetic Ode to High-Octane Surf Cinema

Over 10 years ago, Logan Dulien replaced chasing OxyContin with chasing waves and surf clips. It’s not a stretch to say that surfing and resurrecting his Snapt surf film franchise saved his life. Now, after 60 premieres in 30 countries in the past three months, the last installment of Logan’s unique endeavor has been released to the public. Snapt5: The Final Cut is a big, bold exclamation point of a surf film, one meant to get the adrenaline pumping and the body itching to jump on a surfboard, just like the first iteration did more than two decades ago. 

Before the internet was a tap away, surf films were made of sessions, moments and moves the general public was largely unaware of. Stored “on ice,” then released in one flamin’ ball of action. How times change. With more cameras rolling and social media playing a pivotal role in pro surfers’ careers, it’s never been harder to keep A+ clips quiet and convince surfers to save them for an independent art project. Yet Logan remained steadfast to that exact recipe. I’m happy to say that Snapt5 delivers in full, with fresh, intoxicating and (almost) exclusively unseen premium footage. Buckle up.

At 1 hour and 17 minutes of run time, this is a full course and then some. The talent pool could fill a pool. Some 50-plus surfers are featured. There are familiar faces like Ian Crane, Asher Pacey, Jack Robinson and Clay Marzo and newbies like Victor Bernardo, Harry Bryant, Noa Deane and the 2025 world champ, Yago Dora. And that's not to mention the tapped younger crew, including Luke Tema, Bronson Meydi, Cruz Dinofa and Jacob Turner.

It takes someone with a vision and an unapologetic obsession to make a surf movie with 19 sessions. Not just getting surfers onboard, but the legion of cameramen as well. "I know what it's like to sit on the beach all fucking day," Logan said. "So I have an immense amount of respect for the filmers because I've been on the other side of the fence, and even though I was the worst filmer ever, that makes me respect these guys even more.

“It becomes a collaborative project,” he continued. “If not for the surfing talent, if not for the filmers, there’s no movie. It’s well beyond just me, I’m just the one dumb or obsessed enough to want to put in 20-hour days to push this thing across the goal line.” 

Mason Ho calls Logan “coach” because he motivates, supports and organizes the roster. Fittingly, Logan calls Mason “the quarterback,” as it was Mason who, when Logan proposed to create Snapt3 after a 15-year hiatus, rallied the younger generation and made sure they knew the history of Logan’s films and why it was important to join their rebirth. 

“A lot of those kids, they didn't believe in me. I mean, I barely believed in myself, to be honest,” Logan said. "I don't know if I knew exactly what I was doing. It was kind of fake until you make it in the sense of I was definitely learning, trying to figure out the new ways of surf cinema with social media being part of the whole equation.” 

Since Logan came back into the fold, he's directed three films, fielded two Da Hui Backdoor teams (which beat the Florence brothers in 2023), and grown Snapt from a passion project into a recognizable brand. Yet it still has grassroots authenticity. One of the many who believed in Logan's vision was Yago Dora, who gladly agreed to film a part for Snapt5 and did his part solely on the side of his 2025 Championship Tour events. That's right, no bandwagon here: Logan got him before he became 'champ.

Related: From Free Surfer to World Champ: Yago Dora Does it All

But far from just going for elite competitive surfers, Logan has time and again gone to bat for guys when they need it and deserve it. He’s helped talents like Jack, Clay, Parker Coffin and Benji Brand turn in career-defining performances and raise their profile when careers were on the downslide or their sponsorship backing was slim to none. He even bankrolled part of Mateus Herdy’s 2025 Challenger Series expenses for a time. 

"It was a really weird time for me,” Parker said of the period just before Logan made Snapt3. “I was losing sponsors and wondering what I was going to do with my life. Logan called me and told me he wanted me to be in Snapt 3. And I was like, thanks, but why are you asking me to be in your surf movie? I’m not doing well right now. But he goes, no, I want you in it. We didn’t know each other that well. But he reached out, gave me an opportunity and believed in me. 

“He was just really good to me and helped me believe in myself when I was struggling," Parker continued. "And I took that to heart. It was the start of our friendship. He gave me a chance, so I wanted to work even harder for him.”  

The past two Snapt films have also been a boon for Benji, the soft-spoken North Shore-based goofyfoot who has earned his spot as one of the greatest Pipeline surfers of his generation. But after struggling to find deals, Logan made sure Benji had a jaw-dropping section to open Snapt4, set to a head-banging Metallica song, which deservedly elevated his profile. Benji's opener in Snapt5 is again a must-see moment.  

“It's hard to pick the perfect order for 19 sessions,” Logan said. “Not everybody's going to agree with the exact order, but one thing I know I got right in both movies was starting both movies off with Benji Brand.”

By the time he got into the editing bay, Logan knew this fifth full-length feature would be his last. He gives his all to these projects, books trips and compensates filmers whenever possible (often out of his own pocket) to uplift the film. Now, Logan's more than ready to turn off the computer, hang up on all the surfers and filmers blowing up his phone, and just be present with his kids. While he has hard drives full of more never-been-seen clips and behind-the-scenes laughs that may go online at some point, he's got a well-earned break. For now.

"It's good to approach every project like it's the last because you never know when your one is or when your last day is, for that matter," Logan said. "But after this, I can walk away from Snap. I can't tell anybody this is the best movie, but I know I've given this my best. And for me, that's enough to be able to walk away with my head held high."

Related: Mason Ho & Team Snapt Riff to Hendrix During the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout