Robin Janiszeufski Hesson, also known as Zeuf. Photo: Elizabeth Pepin Silva
Help us find footage of Robin Janiszeufski Hesson – affectionately known to most in the surf community by her nickname, “Zeuf.” The wife of Frosty Hesson, who’s mentorship of Jay Moriarity was the subject of the Hollywood movie “Chasing Maverick’s,” Zeuf herself was a much loved figure in the Santa Cruz surf community, as well as a tireless volunteer and a talented and devoted intensive care nurse. She finally succumbed to a decades-long battle with cancer in December, 2013.
Documentary filmmaker Charlotte Lagarde first met Zeuf in 1996 while in the graduate film program at Stanford University. Zeuf became the subject of Charlotte’s first student short film project, and a life-long friend. It was Zeuf who introduced Charlotte to Hawaiian surfer Rell Sunn; an introduction that culminated in Charlotte’s first full-length documentary, the beautiful and moving film, “Heart of the Sea,” which launched Charlotte’s career as an award-winning filmmaker.
Fast forward to 2013. When treatments were no longer keeping her cancer at bay and Zeuf knew her time might be limited, she invited Charlotte, now living in New York, to come to Santa Cruz to film a series of conversations between the two friends that picked up where “Zeuf” the short documentary left off. Candid, reflective, sad, and sometimes even humorous, Charlotte captured Zeuf’s thoughts on tape up until the last few days of her life. It was Zeuf’s hope that Charlotte turn the 30 hours of footage into some sort of cinematic exploration that touches on life, death, cancer, friendship, and the power of the ocean to get you through anything.
Please help Zeuf’s project come to life by letting us know about any footage you may have or know about. We’re looking for any footage that might have Zeuf in it, even if she’s just in the crowd. Zeuf was actively involved in the surf community all over California, and could be in footage shot at Santa Cruz surf contests, the Women on Waves contest in Capitola, the Roxy contests at Cardiff Reef, surf days organized by the non-profit Ride a Wave, at radio station KPIG events where Zeuf did a daily surf report every morning under the moniker “Girl in the Curl,” and even at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, where she MC’d the Rooster Stage for several years.
If you can help, please contact me, Elizabeth Pepin Silva, at: otwfront@gmail.com. Any footage or leads to footage are greatly appreciated.
