Women Who Surf
A few years back, filmmaker Peck Euwer profiled Heather Hudson, a Santa Barbara surfer and mom, in his surf documentary, The Craving. The 2005 film featured five surfers of different ages and backgrounds talking about their common addiction — the craving for waves.
Later, while surfing on a rare uncrowded day, Hudson paddled over to Peck in the lineup. “I have your next surf film,” she said, pointing to her head. “It’s right here.”
“Okay, let’s talk”, Peck replied.
That was the genesis of The Women and the Waves, a surf doc that premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in January 2009. This documentary follows a similar format to The Craving, except that all of the surfers are female. What makes it notable is the broad sample of women surfers interviewed.
The subjects include: Linda Benson, 1959 World Champion; Kim Mearig 1984 World Champ; Jenny Useldinger, big wave charger; and other less famous women who surf every day.
The film is now out on DVD. You can order a copy ($25 USD) from the The Women and the Waves site.