THE MOVIE
In 2015 I met Steven Esparza who is a film producer who lives in Phoenix Arizona. He was here on a trip to Maui doing a video for my former boss; I was a part time programmer at that time. When he saw what I was doing on the side from my work he thought it was very cool. He had never heard about windsurfing before. His dream was to make a documentary; he has done a lot of commercial work and other projects but never a full-length film. He kept telling me that he wanted to make a film about me one day! Two months later I was competing in Oregon and he called me telling me that he was serious to go ahead. He really wanted to make the film happen. He asked me how committed I was and if I was sure I wanted to do it. I said yes of course and two months later he showed up on Maui with all of his cameras and pelican cases. It was a two man show pretty much just him and myself. I put a lot of time and energy into it. It was a unique chance for me! It is truly amazing that I met this person and we are now great friends. We both like to create and I have always been passionate about cinematography and the fact that we were creating the movie was great for windsurfing but also an amazing opportunity for me!
We just shot everything we could for ten days and then a month later he came back for another ten days and that pattern continued for about 8-10 months. Every time he was on the island we would be filming nonstop everything we could – windsurfing, surfing, stand up and lots of lifestyle footage. I was also travelling to Phoenix to record the voiceovers and help work on the editing. It was super cool to be involved in all aspects of the film. Our goal was to make a film that would tell a story so that people who are not necessarily in the windsurfing community could still watch the film and feel inspired and learn what windsurfing is at the same time. ‘Girl on Wave’ was Steven’s idea. He kind of thought of it right away and I remember thinking maybe we should brainstorm a little more and draw up a list or something. But no, we stuck with ‘Girl on Wave’; it was simple and easy to remember. People call me ‘Girl on Wave’ now, it’s funny! It’s my new name. I also have a necklace with those words on it. I just like it. It can apply to everybody, you have the real waves in the water but a wave can be any path or goal you are pursuing in life and the more ‘Girl on Wave’ we have in this world the better! I hope this movie will create some positive exposure for me and help me find some out of the industry sponsors! That will help me continue my career and live my dream.