SA surfer makes waves in US
By Barbara Hollands
SOUTH Africa’s top professional woman surfer, Rosy Hodge, has branched out into the world of movies.
With Blue Crush 2 – parts of which were filmed in Port St Johns and Jeffreys Bay – already under her belt, the East London-born beauty recently finished filming US movie The Perfect Wave in the Eastern and Southern Cape and Cape Town.
The 25-year-old joined the competitive world of international surfing after matriculating from Hudson Park High School in 2007. Now she stars alongside Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott Eastwood, and Charlie’s Angels star Cheryl Ladd in the movie to be released next year.
The Perfect Wave is based on the true story of 24-year-old New Zealand surfer Ian McCormack (Scott Eastwood). He embarks on a worldwide search of the perfect wave, but stares death in the face after being stung by deadly box jellyfish in Mauritius. The life-changing encounter brings him closer to God – and the perfect wave.
Hodge, who was recently named one of Transworld Surf magazine’s 20 hottest surfer girls in the world and is currently in California, plays Roxy, one of McCormack’s love interests.
"It was the first time I have had lines in a movie. Even though I was in Blue Crush 2 I didn’t really have scripted lines,” she told Weekend Post this week.
She said the most magical parts of the shoot involved a 1am night surf in Cape Town and a bungy-jumping scene in Bloukraans.
"I think I mainly liked surfing with all the boys and watching the creative process of the movie being made.”
And far from being just a handsome actor, Hodge gave Invictus actor Eastwood kudos for his surfing skills.
"Scott was so much fun to hang out with and he surfed really well too,” she said.
"We mainly filmed in Cape Town. We surfed Long Beach, Dunes, Witsands and a few places in the reserve. In the Eastern Cape, we surfed Vic Bay, Herold’s Bay and J-Bay.”
Hodge, whose life as a pro surfer takes her all over the world, is also a surf competition commentator and, as the face of surfwear brand Roxy’s fitness range, has many modelling assignments.
She also lent her glamorous looks, surf expertise and microphone skills to conduct red carpet interviews with some of the hottest talent in the surfing world at the SurferPoll awards in Hawaii last week.
"I was a bit nervous because it was live but I got the hang of it. I got to interview Jordy Smith, Steph Gilmore and a bunch of other pros.”
Produced and directed by Bruce Macdonald, The Perfect Wave also stars Cape Town actor Patrick Lyster and young Cape Town surfer Matt Bromley, 21. It also features Eastern Cape talent such as high-performing St Francis Bay surfer Shaun Payne, 27, and Jeffreys Bay-based American surf coach Jack Halloran.
This is a version of an article that appeared in the print edition of the Weekend Post on Saturday, December 15, 2012.
