Sarah Hauser holds the Guinness world record for the largest wave ever windsurfed by a woman. Courtesy photo

In January 2023, windsurfer Sarah Hauser landed in the Guinness World Records for riding a 40-foot wave at Jaws. She previously held the record for the largest wave ever windsurfed by a woman — 36 feet — at the same location in 2019.

“It was always a dream of mine to be in big waves,” said Hauser, who stars in the new documentary “Life on Waves,” directed by Steven B. Esparza. The film will have its world premiere March 26 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.

“The ocean feels so powerful,” Hauser said of riding big waves. “You’re in the moment. You’re in nature. It’s beautiful. You feel alive. You have all these sensations, and you get challenged. Everything gets heightened. When the wave gets bigger, everything increases.”

Hauser was previously the focus of Esparza’s film “Girl on Wave,” documenting her journey as a New Caledonian-athlete competing on the American windsurfing stage.

“The feedback that we got from the first film was that people were inspired to overcome their fears of the ocean,” she noted. “There was also the bigger analogy because it’s not just about overcoming a fear of the ocean, but also of taking the leap of faith to follow your dreams.”

A filmmaker who’s based in Arizona, Esparza reported that the first film did very well.

“It got worldwide distribution, and DirectTV picked it up,” said Esparza. “Our distributor said, ‘What’s next?’ And I said, ‘Girl on Wave 2,’ and he said, ‘We want that film.’ So I mentioned to Sarah there’s some interest in a follow-up.”

Courtesy photo

Living on Maui for 15 years, Hauser grew up in the South Pacific French territory of New Caledonia. Besides pursuing a love for windsurfing, she has a master’s degree in computer science and spent 12 years studying classical piano.

“I quit my career as an engineer and made this crazy decision to try to pursue a career in windsurfing, and so I came to Maui to do that,” she said.

Hauser learned to windsurf in New Caledonia. “There was no entry level where you could gradually start small waves,” she recalled. “You were thrown out in big surf, and my first experience was riding a wave that was bigger than my sail. I was like, ‘I love it.’ I would always seek the bigger waves.”

The legendary North Shore break at Pe’ahi, also known as “Jaws,” is renowned for its massive waves. Having triumphed with a Guinness world record in 2019, Hauser later eclipsed her achievement on a day when Pe’ahi was the most treacherous she has ever seen.

“There are big waves, but when you go out to Jaws, everything is out of proportion, like even the chop and the current and the wind gusts,” she said. “It’s like you’ve been shrinked into another world where you’re just tiny and feeling so vulnerable. At the same time, if you do everything right, you feel like you’re just in the right place.

“I didn’t expect this wave to beat the previous record. I heard stories of women who did it before me, but it wasn’t well documented. So I figure I’ll start the process. An element to it was wanting to have the story be written for women.”

Following the release of “Girl on Wave,” Esparza continued filming Hauser on Maui.

“I would go out and just film stuff,” he said. “We basically took our time, and then the film took a turn in the middle of it with her husband. When you watch this film, it’s about community, and it’s really a love story.”

Her husband, windsurfer Casey Hauser, was diagnosed with leukemia. “There is an element to the (new) film that is much deeper, and that’s me being open with supporting my husband through his cancer journey while navigating my athlete career,” Hauser explained. “That’s a perspective that we don’t necessarily hear from the caregiver. I had to navigate a lot of contradictory emotions trying to figure out how to best show up for what was the priority, which is to heal, but at the same time, you want to show up as your best self, and it’s a long journey and you need to find a way to keep your soul alive.”

Besides showing the journey of an athlete reaching for high goals and trying to accomplish what seems impossible, Hauser hopes the new film provides inspiration.

“Cancer unfortunately touches almost everyone these days, whether it’s personally or someone that you know,” she said. “Hopefully, me sharing this journey, I can be vulnerable and make people feel like they’re not alone if they have these complicated emotions too. We all have to find what it is that’s true to us for navigating that, and that’s not easy, but that’s what helps.”

“Life on Waves” will screen at 7 p.m. March 26 at the MACC’s McCoy Studio Theater. The event will include a Q&A. Tickets are $32 at mauiarts.org.