One Winter Story

Streaming video - 2006

An unprecedented glimpse into the male-dominated world of big-wave surfing from a seldom seen perspective - a woman’s. This hour-long film explores the life of big-wave surf pioneer and Ph.D scientist, Sarah Gerhardt, a relative unknown who made surfing history in 1999 as the first woman to surf Maverick’s, the giant wave in Northern California. Experimentally shot using a montage of film and voice, "One Winter Story"traces Sarah’s dramatic journey from poverty and despair as she learns to surf along California’s Central Coast, to the outer reefs of Hawaii’s North Shore and ultimately to the ominous surfing conditions at Maverick’s in Northern California, where she discovers faith and forgiveness; finding her place bot...h in the line up, and in the world. ..Awards.• 2007 International Surf Film Festival du St. Jean de Luz – Winner: le Prix de l'Aileron du Meilleur Film de Surf 2007 (Grand Prize: Best Surf Film of 2007) .• Ocean Film Festival 2007, San Francisco, CA – Winner: Audience Choice Award .• 2008 Surfer Magazine Video Awards – Nominated for Best Female Performance in a Video...Girls Inc., a national non-profit with the mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, kicked off our first annual Girls Take Charge Summit by screening the film One Winter Story. Sarah Gerhardt’s story is important because she is a pioneer who went where women have often been told they could not go, and she did it with a gentle voice and an abiding faith. She exemplifies what it means to be strong, smart, and bold and we applaud her. inspirational and deeply human personal story of perseverance, courage, and faith..-Kristin Butler, Development Director of Girls Incorporated of the Island City..This is a story that transcends the world of surfing; its an inspiration to anyone, anywhere, who sets out to accomplish what they dream of. .-Eastern Surf Magazine more