- Breakaway Pop Hit: Believe it or not, Pee-Wee Herman's cover of "Surfin' Bird" was released as a single. Even more improbably, it actually charted in Canada (peaking at #85 in September 1987).
- Career Resurrection; Provided one for both Avalon and Funicello, who found themselves in demand through the 1990s thanks to this film and later Baywatch reinvigorating public interest in surfing and the "beach bum" lifestyle.
- Direct to Video: Met this fate in a number of territories. It's not like the premise travels well..
- Recycled Soundtrack: Of all possible music to reuse, the punk rock song "I Hate You" from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was reused in this movie, being listened to by a gang of punks (Kirk Thatcher later stated they actually paid him more for the song's usage in this movie!
). - What Could Have Been:
- Frankie Avalon had been pitching the movie for years before it got off the ground, and Paramount only agreed to develop the project when writer-director James Komack became attached to it. Komack pitched a more serious story about Frankie going through a mid-life crisis and left the project after Paramount insisted on increasing the campy and self-parody elements beyond a level he felt he could deliver.
- Although the film didn't make a whole lot of money (barely making back its budget), it did do well enough to warrant discussion of a sequel where they safari in Africa, but Funicello developing multiple sclerosis prevented it from getting off the ground.
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