Gualala Arts and Anchor Bay Kahunas will host the tenth anniversary screening of the award winning documentary "Surfing for Life" on Saturday evening June 20th. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for a pre-screening reception that will feature live jazz from a local jazz quartet and some tasty puupuus (appetizers). The film will screen at 8:00 p.m.

"Surfing for Life," a vibrant and award-winning one-hour documentary about inspiring well-spent lives, offers a totally fresh look at successful aging. The documentary features surfing legends Rabbit Kekai, Fred Van Dyke, Woody Brown, Peter Cole, Shay Bintliff, John Kelly, Leroy Grannis, Doc Ball, Eve Fletcher and Anona Napoleon. Narrated by Beau Bridges, it profiles ten legendary surfers who model healthy aging by staying active and engaged into their 7th, 8th and 9th decades. Through interviews, contemporary day-in-the-life footage, and a wealth of rare archival material, the film provides an eloquent and powerful antidote to the negative images of aging presented in America's youth-obsessed culture.

SURFING FOR LIFE not only challenges ageism, it also weaves a tapestry of unforgettable stories that embody many universal aspects of the human experience. The surfers' tales reveal, among many lessons, courage in the face of adversity, the power of the human spirit and a celebration of values and relationships that contribute to rich, meaningful, well-spent lives. Some examples:

• after living through the attack on Pearl Harbor, John Kelly (age 81) is transformed into a life-long peace activist;
  
  
• Anona Napoleon (age 60) survived a paralyzing diving accident then used faith, will and visualization to achieve a miraculous full recovery;
  
  
• Woody Brown (age 88) feeling reborn after "working with love" as a volunteer at an adult day health center; and
  
  
• Fred Van Dyke (age 70) speaking for everyone who is dealing with the challenges of aging as he copes with the painful decision to quit surfing 25 foot waves at age 60.

With life-embracing warmth and humor, the older surfers in SURFING FOR LIFE overturn the common perception of surfing as an activity only for young people and, in the process, make an important and eloquent statement about the human potential of later life. Audiences and critics alike confirm that this is one of the most memorable and uplifting films on growing older ever produced.

Additional information available at www.surfingforlife.com.

Tickets are $10, youth under 12 free. Tasty appetizers / puupuus, beer and wine will be available for a nominal fee. Hawaiian attire is encouraged. Presented by Anchor Bay Kahunas and Gualala Arts.

For advance purchase, buy tickets online or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006. To purchase in person, visit the Gualala Arts Center or Dolphin Gallery in Gualala.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.