Taking Off Doco Launch Night – Q&A

It’s interesting that when women hit their 50s, we run the risk of feeling invisible, of disconnecting from society, or sometimes, even losing jobs because we’re told we’re too old. We begin to wonder where we fit in the world. For many of us, our kids leave home, and without the immediate responsibilities of parenting, we can feel lost. Others of us find ourselves sandwiched between caring for our kids and our ageing parents. The impacts on our self-esteem and self-confidence, is very real.

This season of our lives can also give us an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. For those of us with a bit more time on our hands, we remember the dreams we still want to fulfill. We might also choose to improve our health and fitness as we age.

In the last two decades, women have been taking up surfing in droves. Many are returning to the water in their 50s and older, after time away to raise families, and pursue careers

We can now say that a strong women’s surfing movement is emerging in Australia and around the world, where we can find an active community and unconditional support no matter your age or skill level. For older women with all the changes going on in our lives, this is a great blessing.

Taking Off: Tales of Older Women Who Surf, presents the stories of six women who surf on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia. This is also known as the Yugambeh Language Region and the ocean has been integral to the First Nations People of this place for some 60,000 years.

The women in this film are aged between 59 and 72 years old. They have each come to surfing for wildly different reasons and they surf at a variety of levels.

What they do have in common is their love of the water, a deep connection with nature and their active engagement with their local community.

We know that there are many older women surfing all around the world. We respect and honour their experiences, and we offer these six stories to showcase what’s possible, and the impact that surfing can have on our lives.