Photos: Jeannette Prince and Robin Hoyland
Heather Hudson vividly recalls the summer day in 1978 when she sat on the beach and watched as her high school boyfriend glided across the waves at Surfrider Beach in Malibu, California. At that moment, she asked herself one question that would change her life forever: “What the heck am I doing sitting on the beach? I can do that!”
Currently, Heather is a film producer living in Santa Barbara, California. The one constant in Heather’s life is her absolute love for surfing and the ocean. She begins most of her days with a surf session at a world-class surf break in south Santa Barbara County, where she is known for her graceful longboard style.
After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from UCLA in 1984, Heather worked in advertising until she became a full-time mother in 1991. In 2007, she started her film production company, Graciegirl LLC, and created the groundbreaking 2009 documentary surf film, THE WOMEN AND THE WAVES, with the follow-up THE WOMEN AND THE WAVES 2 in 2016.
For years, Heather has worked with “Heal the Ocean,” a successful Santa Barbara based non-profit citizen’s action group committed to ending ocean pollution. In 2012, she was named to the Heal the Ocean Board of Directors where she heads up fundraising and events. No matter how busy her life becomes, Heather manages to find time to get in the ocean. It is her love of the ocean and passion for surfing that motivates her to make films that show a slice of life that is relevant to the female experience in our society.
Maurice and his beloved dog, Valentine.
Photo: Jessie Kojima
A native to Los Angeles, Maurice Salmin a Producer/Editor at Statement Advertising.
In 2015, one lucky delayed flight at LAX on the way to Mexico, Maurice met filmmaker Heather Hudson who was in need of an editor to help her complete her new surf film project, THE WOMEN AND THE WAVES 2. Four years later,
Maurice was up to the task of editing 93 – Letters From Marge, and the rest is history!