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86 BCBUSINESS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 FROM TOP: FROM SANCTITY OF SPACE, COURTESY OF VIFF; VANCOUVER CANUCKS IMAGE LIBRARY is really high," Bligh says with a laugh, noting that Jericho and Kitsilano beaches are her usual launching points. Lately, Bowen Island has also been a favourite locale: Bligh and her partner recently bought a place there, and her brother operates a café in the area. But it isn't the most exotic spot she's paddled in. That would be her na- tive New Zealand. Bligh and her family moved to Vancouver when she was 10, but she went down south just before COVID hit to see her since-departed grandfather. "My uncle got the boards out, and we were just out in the open ocean," she recalls. "It was introspective, being reconnected to where I was born, doing the thing I love to do." After doing the sport a "couple times a week, at minimum" for the past five years, the 43-year-old still has one specific thing on her paddleboarding bucket list. "I wish I could tell you I saw a killer whale; it's always been my dream," Bligh says. "My paddle- boards are black and white; I always think they look like killer whales." She did, however, have a close encounter with another marine animal a couple of months ago at Jericho. "A seal almost knocked me off," she admits. "I was surprised— this seal came right up to the nose of my board. I took a moment, bent my knees to get my balance. There are a lot of seals that are around, but not usu- ally that close. It turned into a bit of a game, like, Are you really going to tip me off this thing?" Bligh maintains she's "always been a solo sports kind of person," whether that meant Highland dancing or road biking. But at around 30, she was ending a marriage and made a rule for herself. "I wanted to get to a point where anyone could invite me to do any everyday sport, and I would be able do it," she says. "So I started trying lots of different activities, and increased fitness came with that. I just feel really able in my body in terms of being a jack of all trades when it comes to sports." Now that her children are older, she's got some more free time to do things that weren't possi- ble before: "There are less domestic dependencies on my time. And so I just love to do things I would have wanted to do in my 20s when I was raising my kids, like stand-up paddle- boarding." • A F T E R HO U R S SCREEN PLAY Netflix can wait. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Vancouver International Film Festival returns to movie theatres in style. VIFF will screen the entire 2021 festival lineup–some 110 feature films and 100 shorts–at seven local venues, with a selection also showing online via the VIFF Connect streaming platform. The program spans Canadian and East Asian work, narrative cinema and documentaries–including Sanctity of Space (above), about pioneering U.S. mountain photographer and cartographer Bradford Washburn. Among the accompanying events: VIFF Talks, featuring veteran industry pros and new talent; and Totally Indie Day, a gathering for emerging filmmakers and independent creators. October 1-11 Tickets and schedule at viff.org NATURAL RIVALS The Vancouver Canucks should be welcoming fans back to Rogers Arena in some capacity when the team starts its season in October. Among the most anticipated dates on the calendar is the first clash with their new southern rivals, the Seattle Kraken, on October 23. With the Kraken hungry to establish themselves, both teams will look to set the tone for years to come in their inaugural meeting. tickets.canucks.com • ARTHRITIS 100+ Diseases 1 in 5 Canadians arthri� sresearch.ca/about ARTHRITIS RESEARCH saves lives. Learn More: