GRACIEGIRL LLC
P.O. Box 1530
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
805-708-4608 /
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WOMEN SURFERS MAKE WAVES IN NEW DOCUMENTARY
The Women and the Waves
Celebrates the Female Surfing Experience Through the Decades
(SANTA BARBARA, CA — January, 2009) “I never wanted to surf like a girl,” smiles 64-year-old Linda Benson, “But now it’s different…they’re really good!” For women who have paddled head-first into a once male dominated sport, surfing is not only a daily passion, but a way of life. Battling fierce tides and stereotypes, female surfers from every decade are connected by a common thread: they are “The Women in the Waves.”
On Tuesday, January 27th and Friday, January 30, The Women and the Waves premieres at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Through the collaborative efforts of Heather Hudson (Graciegirl LLC) and Peck Euwer (Swell Pictures Inc.), the film production documents the female surfing experience through the lives of ten women from age 17 to 64.
From the swells of Mexico to Hawaii’s temperate waters and the enticing California coastline, audiences will gain insight into what it’s like to “Surf like a girl!” Shot in High Definition, The Women and the Waves pays tribute to pioneers who paved the way and recognition to the everyday surfers that keep the dream alive.
Featuring 10 extraordinary women, the 48 minute film introduces five-time Women’s World Champion, Linda Benson, who began riding waves at age 11 in 1955, and 50-year-old Zeuf, a longboarding Santa Cruz local and self professed “oceanaholic”, who despite a valiant battle with cancer, still manages to ride the waves she loves.
Of the younger generations, viewers meet Rachel Harris, 17, as she shreds in-between high school classes and weighs the options of going to college or pursuing a pro career. Chat with 22-year-old Aussie waterwoman, Shakira Westdorp and watch in awe as she drops into bombs at Waimea Bay. Integrating interviews with old and new surfing footage, The Women and the Waves allows surfers and non-surfers alike to savor surfing from the feminine perspective while throwing in comments from the guys for good measure.
Through the decades, women have carved a place in today’s surfing world and found a place of their own. “I remember going for weeks without seeing another girl in the water,” remarks executive producer Heather Hudson, who started in 1978. “A few years ago while surfing my favorite break, I noticed that the women out numbered the men in the line-up. If someone told me 30 years ago that this would be true, I’d have said they were crazy!”
Since modern surfing stormed the West Coast in the 1950s, the waves have not changed, but the people who ride them have. Through striking visuals and inspiring interviews The Women and the Waves reveals what surfing truly is to female riders of all ages —a sport and a lifestyle. “The film was conceived out of my passion for surfing, first …and being a female, second.” explains Hudson, “Being a surfer has been quite a trip!”
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