Wāhine Waveriders Surf Documentary

Wāhine Waveriders is a documentary celebrating three generations of female surfers and the trailblazing legacy their family has built, and continue to maintain, in the lineup at the bottom of Te Wai Pounamu. Our documentary follows Yvonne (65), Marama (42) and Keita (16), each with their own captivating story of how surfing has shaped their lives. Although this documentary is not just about surfing, we’ll look at how it is inextricably intertwined into every aspect of their lives, from motherhood and community to conservation and recovery, both physical and mental. It will be a testament to the human spirit and how the relentless force of the ocean mirrors the resilience of these women. Empowering rather than elitist, honest and unpretentious with room for a healthy dose of Southland humour! 

Every team member on this production mirrors the values of the film. All crew are local to the area and part of the close-knit surf community. The film is co-directed by Kirsty Marshall and Zyanya Jackson. Kirsty has directed a collection of short documentary films focusing on underrepresented groups in sporting spaces. With extensive experience in producing travel television and an ability to connect with people on a deeper level with ease, Kirsty is excited to combine her skill sets and passion for championing females in sport to create a compelling story with a strong social message. A storyteller at heart, Zyanya has directed and shot a wide range of content across documentary, brand films and TVCs. Zyanya is a mentor for The North Face Ladies Behind the Lens initiative, which aims to get more women into adventure filmmaking. The documentary for which won the Special Jury Award at the 2024 NZMFF and has been accepted into the Sony Catchlight Film Festival, Women’s Adventure Film Tour and selected for a Q+A screening in Annecy, France as part of the Festival Femmes en Montagne.

Production for this film has been completed with all crew volunteering their time. We are now seeking a small amount to cover hard costs for post production to ensure we can get this film over the line and reach as many people as possible. If we exceed our target we will be use additional funding to pay our talent and volunteer crew back for their tireless mahi on this project.

As competitive surfing becomes more mainstream and grows in size, it sometimes feels like it’s taking itself too seriously, not to mention how image focused the industry continues to become. Not only do you have to be good, you have to look good. It sometimes feels as though we’ve forgotten the reason we all picked up a surfboard in the first place; to play, have fun and connect with ourselves, the ocean and each other.

In the remote, coastal town of Riverton three generations of wāhine surfers are reshaping the culture and creating an inclusive atmosphere unlike anywhere else. The icy cold water hosts a line up prioritising fun and kindness above all else and the joy of that is infectious.

Beyond celebrating our heroines contribution to this incredible surf community, Wāhine Waveriders will explore their personal connection to the ocean and celebrate it’s profound impact on physical and emotional recovery. 

We are making this film because we believe these wāhine will inspire women around the world to get outdoors into a sport they often feel excluded from and made to feel unwelcome in the line up. We want to celebrate the world of surfing we know and love and create a film that reflects the majority of the surf community, where a lot of surf media only reflects a few.