AN UNFORGETTABLE TRIP
“We checked the news on the daily and it was completely surreal how we were roaming freely around paradise while the world seemed to be falling apart. We felt distant from it all, but could no longer ignore that very soon we would be directly affected as well. We were six people from six different nationalities, who all needed to find their way home.”
Being on a boat in the Caribbean seemed a long way from the worldwide pandemic that was quickly materializing around the globe. The move from paradise to reality was quick, but Annabel van Westerop enjoyed the fun times to their fullest while it lasted…
HOME FROM HOME
“The plan was to travel to Gnaraloo next, a famous surf and wave-riding spot a few hours south. However, after following Google Maps (rookie error) on the wrong road for an hour and then realizing we couldn’t make the trip with even the spare fuel tank we had, we decided to change our plans and head straight to Shark Bay…”
Olly Bridge and Meg Barnett load up the ‘Frothed Mobile' and hit the wide open spaces of Western Australia. There was wind, waves, obscenely pink lakes and, of course, plenty of local wildlife. Meg tells the tale…
THE CREATORS: CLINTON FILEN
“I’m also a minimalist at heart and feel that the whole rationale really inspired me to do something different, and not just build a bunch of random crap that nobody needs in six months. That sounds a bit harsh, considering that I also love having fun with design and doing something novel that surprises and gives a real sense of wonder; but that should never be at the expense of the customer with products that are gimmicky or disposable.”
We dig deep into the thinking and insights of Clinton Filen, the man behind Airush Kiteboarding and AK Durable Supply Co, and one of the first to embrace digital product design as it entered the watersport industry.
THE MISSION: THE LAST LINE
“Once we arrived we could already smell the acid and hotness that was coming off the lake, and for the next few days we immersed ourselves as much as possible with the local resources and tribes. Afterwards we renamed our project The Last Line to capture and showcase the most beautiful parts of the world, but also the fragility of nature from above with a kite and a line…”
Some phenomenal photography from Rein Rijke compliments this tale of environment and adventure in The Netherlands care of Roderick Pijls…
BLOOD ON THE BOAT
“Everyone was getting ready for a light wind foiling session. I was coming up from the back of the boat to the deck, unfortunately I didn’t duck my head enough and banged it hard on the top of the roof of the boat, directly on a point where there was a bolt sticking out. I didn’t know that I was bleeding, then our captain Richard kept shouting me and I realized I was leaving a trail of blood. I’ve never seen so much blood before…“
No trip goes without the odd hitch, but this one was a particularly frustrating one for Hannah Whiteley as she kicked off a two-week boat trip in the Caribbean. It was fortuitous then that she'd gone and ‘borrowed' a shower cap from her hotel in transit…
LEY'S FLY AWAY
“I remember first seeing it on Instagram. I was smiling and thinking: what is going on there? That thing must be a joke. Holding on to a Batman wing and sailing around just looked too stupid for it to be real. Someone out there must be really bored. But I was wrong…”
Kari Schibevaag had her doubts when she first came across the relatively new pursuit of wingsurfing. But when she got her hands on a Wind Wing for the first time, that all changed…
ON THE ROAD
“Once we are ready to go, Gianma and I are arguing who deserves to drive. He would always come up with something he did for me already, like a year ago, so he gets to drive! As soon as we are all set, ready to leave, you will always hear Val at the very last moment saying we need to turn around because he forgot something. Turn on the gangster music, let’s hit the session.”
Teammates, yes, but most importantly Pippa van Iersel, Gianmaria Coccoluto, and Valentin Rodriguez are close friends, and Pippa explains why it's so important to have that kind of companionship on a pretty unforgiving tour schedule…
THE MISSION: LAKE URI
“The spot at Lake Uri is in the middle of breathtaking scenery, but getting on the water is tricky. The lake is surrounded by cliff walls that don’t offer many options to enter, but, even worse than that, there are almost no exits…”
Lukas Pitsch and Julian Meister fill some photographic fantasies and get out onto the cold waters of Lake Uri in Switzerland. But did they manage to get back out? Read on to find out…
