Film Mission + Paddles Mag Photo-Shoot

A few weeks ago we managed to get a big crew together for a few days of filming and photos down the river. The plan was Sam Ward's idea to make a short film about what is going to be lost with the building of the Bujagali Hydro Power site. We started off on the furthest 'back channel' Blade Runner.

-Woop Woop-

-The boys looking at the lines from the top-

With heaps of lines to choose from it was a sick start to the day, and with everyone being handed at least one big beat down in the bottom hole it was hugely entertaining for everyone watching.

-Karl Moser behind the lens-

-Max Bilbow dropping in from the top-

-Sick montage of Ibrah firing up the middle line-

-Wise words from Jared Taylor-

-Sam recovering from yet another blast in the bottom hole-

Then when we thought the day was getting off to a good start Karl and the girls were about to go for a blast only to find their paddles were gone. We figured the thieving little kids who took them couldn't have been far and for the next hour we went looking for them, until we eventually found one.

-Interogating our prisoner-

It was a pain in the arse, and it was only two weeks later after guys going to jail, witchdoctors, and a lot of African nonsense the guys eventually got their paddles back. It spoilt the day and dragged out what would have been two hours of paddling into the whole day.

-Anton after getting bashed up on the middle line-

We still managed a little more that day - filming the boof line on the left of the hump and some different angles on Bujagali falls. We were also putting together a 'playspots guide' for the next issue of Paddles magazine and wanted some different shots, so we played around on the Bujagali waves and also down at 50-50.

-Jared Taylor, sweet spot, left of the Hump-

-Ibrah-

-50-50 fourth wave-

-Sam and Anton both rockin' the 8kg Gui-Gui Prod-

-Top Wave 50-50-


-Wrestling Hole Bujagali-

-Bujagali lead in wave-

-See you later bru, Sam about to get violently wet on the right of Bujagali-

All in all it still turned out to be a great mission, it was great to get on the water with such a big crew and enjoy the magnificent rapids of the upper Nile. No one really knows how long it will be until these rapids are lost forever. Some say by August we wont be allowed through Silverback. We certainly still have time for everything around Bujagali, and my guess is that it will still be two - three years until we really see some big changes at the very top. All we can do is enjoy it while it lasts, and hopefully we'll share some of this enjoyment with you. I can't wait for the new mini video from Sam. I'll post it as soon as it's done.

Peace.