film festival
I spent as much time as possible last week, at the Santa Cruz Film Festival. I saw many interesting films in various forms. I got to meet some of the actors and directors involved with some of the featured projects. It was very illuminating. One of my favs was a documentary about Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf Mavericks in Half Moon Bay. The film is called One Winter Story. I have met and surfed with Sarah before. I remember being out at Steamer Lane and being amazed at her strength and ability in the water. She is a better surfer than most men. At the end of the film, Sarah is on the beach (not surfing and pregnant with her first child) at Mavericks and a young girl named Jenny Useldinger is about to paddle out for the first time and catch her first wave at Mavs. It is funny, because I remember Jenny from my days surfing Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz. She was this skinny, tan little surfer girl. Once, she was in a contest on the point and her mom (an accomplished surfer) was standing there exclaiming that she was so nervous for Jenny because that day was the biggest surf she had ever been out in. It was nothing compared to Mavericks.