Surfabout: Down Under (2004)

In this innovative narrative documentary, a fifth-generation California surfer girl sets out on a journey into the soul of surfing, seeking answers to life's mysteries in Australia and New Zealand. After a series of mishaps, Australian pro surfer Pauline Menczer takes her under her wing for an inside look at the life and the making of a champion. What she discovers has little to do with the elusive perfect wave or pipe dreams. Events unfold rapidly as unexpected comedic twists and heart-pumping turns take her down the less-traveled path. As Pauline and the pro tour depart for Fiji, the surfer girl house-sits at the bottom of New Zealand, where she encounters snowy sheep, gale force winds, men who shape boards out of felled trees and the love of her life. Just as she holds tight to her newfound happiness, the seams unravel. She takes solace in the source of the ocean, and in doing so, discovers answers within.