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ADVENTURE THE OCEAN RIDER - SAILING SOLO AROUND THE WORLD ACTION SURFING ALL-ROUNDER K AI LENNY & BIG WAVE HOTSPOT NAZARÉ OCEAN LIFE T WO ROWING BRITS TAKE ON THE INDIAN OCEAN & THE CRADLE OF CORAL VAMIZI INTERNATIONAL OCEAN FILM TOUR VOLUME 5
A PRODUCTION BY
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EDITORIAL
HOPE MEANS TAKING ACTION For information, tour dates and tickets, please visit www.oceanfilmtour.com
Cover: Kai Lenny by Marco Arguello, photo page 3: Morgan Maassen
Fantastic colors and shapes, iridescent fish of every kind swimming about, bizarre plants swaying to and fro beneath the waves... In this kaleidoscope of biodiversity, every creature has its place. A healthy coral reef epitomizes the oceanic ecosystem, providing shelter for countless organisms and serving as a nursery for young sharks and sea turtles. Corals are an important indicator of oceanic health—and they are sounding the alarm. By creating oceanic protection zones known as Hope Spots, marine researchers, with Dr. Sylvia Earle who launched the initiative, aim to give the oceanic ecosystem a chance to regenerate. In the words of the pioneer of marine research, “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Saving the ocean and improving the state of the world, is a team sport.” That is how hope turns into action. This year, the International OCEAN FILM TOUR marks its fifth anniversary, a milestone that we will be celebrating with a program full of pioneers. We will follow two rowing-newbies on their adventure across the Indian Ocean, discover new forms of board sports with multi-surfing talent Kai Lenny, and join sailing rebel Yvan Bourgnon as he ventures out on a circumnavigation of the world that many considered impossible or at least crazy. We will meet people who have made their home in and on the ocean, and who have been changed by the ocean. Yet we, in turn, are changing the ocean as well. We invite you to join us on a new voyage of discovery in the ocean, the place where all life began and will now determine our future. Come along, ocean lovers!
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PROGRAM
HIGH FIVE!
The International OCEAN FILM TOUR turns five. With this year’s program we celebrate our anniversary and the pioneering spirit, the ocean brings forth in us all: Six films – six stories inspired by the big blue, that moves us and changes us forever.
PARADIGM LOST Surfing all-rounder Kai Lenny hits the waves
Hawaiian Kai Lenny is like a surfing jack-of-all-trades. Surfing, windsurfing, stand-up paddling, hydro foiling – the versatility of his talent knows no bounds. In PARADIGM LOST, the 25-year-old multi-sportsman upends the international surfing scene and its paradigms. Total surf action that compels you to get on and ride.
AND THEN WE SWAM Men overboard
When rowers go swimming, something must’ve gone horribly wrong. AND THEN WE SWAM is the story of two total beginners. With no rowing experience or navigation skills, two Brits, James Adair and Ben Stenning, set off to cross the Indian Ocean from Australia to Mauritius. 3,500 miles across the water, it is an open sea adventure on which both of them quite literally jump in at the deep end.
BIG WAVE PROJECT A Band of Brothers
The name „Nazaré“ makes all surfers’ hearts beat faster. The small fishing village on the Atlantic coast of Portugal has become synonymous with gargantuan mountains of water, massive waves that push the world’s big wave elite to its limits. When the tide is high in Nazaré and sets of Atlantic storms roll onto shore, only the best surfers dare to get in the water. We come aboard for a wild ride with Sebastian Steudtner, Garrett McNamara and Andrew Cotton.
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Photos: AJ Messier, James Adair, shutterstock
Big wave surfing in Portugal
PROGRAM
THE OCEAN RIDER
En équilibre sur l'océan One man - one boat one wild trip around the world
Around the world in 220 days. In a small catamaran without a cockpit and without protection from the elements, the Swiss sailor Yvan Bourgnon sets out to sail 55,000 kilometers around the world. Storms, shipwrecks, and real pirates await him.
VAMIZI
The fascinating world of coral reefs Off the coast of Mozambique, a pristine and dazzling treasure chest awaits – one of the oldest coral reefs of the planet. But this paradise of biodiversity is under threat. Coral bleaching is a warning sign of global warming. VAMIZI takes us into the fascinating world of coral reefs and shows what we can protect by establishing HOPE SPOTS.
WATER II
Photos: Yvan Bourgnon, Mattias Klum, Morgan Maassen
An ode to the ocean An ode to waves: Morgan Maassen plunges under the water with his high-contrast, slow-motion camera to show us the world, the waves, and the sea from a new perspective. WATER II is Maassen‘s visual declaration of love for his muse, the sea.
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ONE-MAN SHOW The Swiss Yvan Bourgnon was born in a landlocked country but he lives to sail. In THE OCEAN RIDER he embarks on a solo sailing adventure around the world in his sports catamaran – a feat many deemed impossible, or at least crazy 6
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Photos: Nathalie Colloud, Pauce, Illustration: Guillaume De Bats
H I E RT HBEL IO NCDEEARNT ERXI T D EBRL I N D
H I E RT HBEL IO NCDEEARNT ERXI T D EBRL I N D
“This is war!” Yvan yells, as he struggles to fight against the howling wind. At wind speeds of 50 knots, he is navigating his catamaran directly into an Atlantic storm. He hasn’t slept in over 24 hours. But if you’re venturing out to solo-circumnavigate the globe in a six-meterlong sports catamaran without a cockpit, you’ve signed up for a battle against the elements and a harrowing war with the weather. What for mere mortals might sound like a lonely nightmare is in fact a grand dream for someone like Yvan Bourgnon, a sailing professional with a mind of his own. His goal? To sail around the world without a GPS, crew, cabin, or bunk. The Swiss talent was virtually born into the sport. His parents were avid sailors, and when Yvan was eight years old, they took him and his brother Laurent on a sailing trip around the world. The ocean became a central element of the boys’ lives, even after the family voyage ended. In 1995, Yvan participated in his first yachting race—the Transat Jacques Vabre. In 1997, he won the race with his brother. He went on to break records in the Channel Strait Challenge, France’s Formula 18, and numerous 24hour sailing races. In 2013, however, Bourgnon took on a challenge that the international sailing community deems impossible—sailing around the world in a sports cat, a feat that no
one before him ever dared undertake. “A sports cat is very lightweight and really cuts through the water,” explains Phil Sharp, one of Britain’s best high-sea sailing professionals. “But sailing a boat like that, far from shore, is very risky because it is so unstable.” A lesson that Yvan learns early on, while still on the Atlantic, in fact. During his 220-day voyage, his cat capsizes over 300 times. And even when the 43-year-old can cover long distances in good weather, he is still at the mercy of the elements. The trampoline of his sports cat does not give him any hold, and the “bed” he set up on the outriggers is makeshift at best. Not that he ever has much of a chance to sleep. He navigates with a sextant, uses the stars to guide him at night, and eats, weather permitting, liquid astronaut food. Every now and again, Bourgnon is rewarded with sunny days on which his lightweight boat is virtually surfing on the waves. But off the coast of Sri Lanka, his vessel reaches its figurative and literal breaking point. While Yvan is asleep, his boat ran aground on a reef. He survives, but his boat is a total loss. It seems his dream has come to an end. This is the moment for Yvan Bourgnon to show what he is made of. Even before he can reconstruct another catamaran, he makes one thing clear, “Quitting is not an option.”
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PARADIGM LOST
JACK OF ALL BOARDS When he was four years old, the Hawaiian Kai Lenny caught his first wave. Ever since he’s been chasing the incredible feeling of being carried by the ocean. Today he is the most versatile surfer out there, pushing the sport further with every season.
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PARADIGM LOST
"WHEN I GO TO THE BEACH, I TAKE A LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS AND D E C I D E W H A T B O A R D T O P I C K U P ." Kai Lenny
Born into a surfer’s paradise, what is your having to look what’s in front of you and the answer is first memory of the ocean? always there. I am so fortunate to have been born and raised on Maui. Surfing has been a highly commercial and Without a doubt it’s a paradise and my earliest memories internationally competitive sport for some time. were going down to the beach every afternoon with my parHow do you walk the line between a professional ents and playing in the water on body boards and surfathlete career and simply enjoying the ocean? boards. When I got older I began surfing, kitesurfing and The best part about being a professional surfer is this: When doing other sports. But my earliest memory of surfing was the event ends, the first thing you want to do is go back out when I was four years old on the South Shore during a on the water. I think surfing is one of the few sports, that beautiful picturesque day. My parents were on the outer allows you to keep at it as much as you can, even when your reef. I grabbed a long board from the beach, paddled down competitive career is over. During the off-season you do the a hundred yards and caught the first wave on my own. It same as during the season. As long as you keep it in perwas so awesome! I’m still chasing that feeling of catching spective and fun you can’t go wrong. I love competing and it my first wave. only helps to elevate my level, when I go freesurf. Robby Naish is an important figure in your life. For PARADIGM LOST you joined forces with What is your connection with him and what is the John DeCesare to make a film about your journey. most important lesson you learned from him? How did this project come about, what was Robby is without a doubt one of the biggest influences in my your role in the making of this film and what is life. I wanted to mold myself to be the next generation of the biggest reward for you personally? what he accomplished in windsurfing and kiteboarding. I’m so fortunate to work with such talented people, who are What I really learned from him is to never have a big head, so passionate about what they do: Capturing the highest stay humble, stay dedicated to your goals and try to figure quality footage of action sports. We have been filming for a out, how to do it as long as you can, because it is the best couple of years and eventually we had enough great footage lifestyle in the world in my opinion. and a story behind it, so we could make something unique Kai, you’re the ultimate waterman when it comes and exceptional. My biggest take away from the film was to versatility. Windsurfing, SUP, learning more about myself since I Foiling, surfing and big wave. spent so much time reviewing footage How do you decide which board and seeing myself from a third person to pick up each morning? perspective. It has really helped in the My favorite thing in the world is to just development of myself and where I ride waves. I really enjoy the feeling of want to go. gliding on this physical energy. The way What is next for you? How does The Hawaiian is the I decide what sports I’m going to do is your ocean year 2018 look like? face of this year's International OCEAN FILM TOUR. purely based on the conditions. When I Every year the goal is the same, which is Born on Maui in 1992, he go to the beach, I take a look at the conto become a multi sport world champion. caused a stir when he ditions and decide what board to pick Innovate and create new ways to ride hit the waves off Ho'okipa when up. For example, if it’s really windy, I go waves. And most of all to have fun living he was just a little kid. By now the 25-year-old ups his kitesurfing or windsurfing. If the waves every day to my absolute fullest. For sure game in the international are really big or really small, I have I have goals to to help me reach those surfing scene and challenges equipment covered for that too. At the ultimate dreams but those come up at its paradigms with his versatile talent. end of the day it’s pretty darn easy - just random and I have to stay adaptable. Photo: Marco Arguello
KAI LENNY
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H I E R BSLYILNVDI A E RETAERXLTE B L I N D
LOOK IN THE MIRROR Dr. Sylvia Earle is the grande dame of the oceans. Her engagement for ocean conservation and so called HOPE SPOTS, oceanic protection zones, is unrivalled. The 82-year-old TED-Prize winner is the guest of honor at our premiere in Hamburg.
on making peace with nature. The good news is that since 2009 the amount of ocean under full protection has grown to more than three percent. Half of the coral reefs are still in good condition and there are still about ten percent of blue fin tunas, sharks, cod and other species that are being fished on an industrial scale. They are not all gone. By creating Hope Spots, your organization MISSION BLUE focuses on protecting what is left of biodiversity. What happens after an area is declared a hope spot?
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Photo: Kip Evans / MISSION BLUE
In 2009 you made a wish upon winning the TED prize. What changes do you see in ocean conservation 9 years onwards? In 2009 I said that the next ten years will shape the nature of the next ten thousand years: Decisions made then would have a magnified impact on everything that follows. But opportunities to protect and restore vital species and natural systems have been lost. But momentum is growing globally for policies and behaviors that recognize that everything we care about – health, security, prosperity and life itself, relies
H I E R BSLYILNVDI A E RETAERXLTE B L I N D
Mission Blue has partnered with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to develop protocols with a panel of experts who review applications for recognition of a place as a Hope Spot. Once approved, places are given guidance concerning gathering and sharing photographs, films, data and stories. Mission Blue engages more than 100 partners who are kept informed about opportunities to support community-driven efforts to secure official enduring protection for places that are aimed at creating a global network of hope – backed by real actions. Coral reefs are some of the richest environments in the oceans. Healthy coral reefs can re-seed threatened reefs. What needs to happen to replenish the fish stocks around the globe?
Removing half of the large animals from the sea in a few decades has broken essential links in ocean food chains, favoring adaptable, fast-growing microbes but disrupting finetuned systems that have developed over hundreds of millions of years. However, owing to recent explorations, great films and other new media, awareness is growing about the role of the living ocean in generating oxygen and maintaining Earth as a hospitable place for us in a universe of unfriendly options. The International OCEAN FILM TOUR offers a platform of education, networking and entertainment for ocean lovers around the globe. What is your message to our audience? Please look in the mirror. Do what little kids do naturally. Ask questions and never lose the
„SAVING THE OCEAN, IMPROVING THE STATE O F T H E W O R L D , I S A T E A M S P O R T .“ Sylvia Earle
When the killing stops, recovery begins. With large-scale protection, there are more sea turtles and great whales today than there were half a century ago. Now we know: coral reefs need the reef fish and the reef fish need the corals to thrive. Decades of evidence demonstrate significant increase in diversity, size and numbers of wildlife in places that are fully protected. Protecting intact systems provide critical centers of recovery. The current industrial-scale killing of ocean species the nature of nature. Replenishment of coral reefs, fish and ocean life generally requires a fundamental change of attitude about their value. Rather than thinking of fish as “stocks,” think of them as wildlife, the “birds of the sea”. Some people will likely always dine on sea creatures for sustenance, but ocean wildlife consumed by most people today is a matter of choice, not need.
sense of wonder you had when you were three years old. Great entertainment can be conveyed by myths and fiction, but the most amazing, wonderful stories of all are the true stories, that are all around us: in the lives of the barnacles growing on the bottom of a boat, in the behavior of animals living among crystals of water under an iceberg, in the function of feathers of a seabird flying across thousands of miles of open sea. They cannot speak, cannot tell their stories. That is up to you! No one knows better than you who you are, what talents and opportunities you have to make a difference. No one can do everything but everyone can to something that together will add up to moving in the right direction. Saving the ocean, improving the state of the world, is a team sport.
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VAMIZI
Like a colorful ribbon, century-old corals surround the island of Vamizi. For scientists and conservationists like Dr. Syvia Earle, this mother reef is a beacon of hope as coral bleaching threatens to destroy reefs around the world.
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Photo: Mattias Klum
EDEN UNDER WATER
VAMIZI
Coral reefs could be considered the rainforest of the seas. A healthy coral reef boasts greater biodiversity than any other place in the ocean. While these colorful underwater “forests” cover only one percent of the ocean floor, and estimates suggest that they are habitat for one in four sea dwellers. Over 4,000 species of fish, sponges, crustaceans, mollusks, starfish, turtles, sea snakes, and countless invertebrates and tiny organisms live in reefs – a total of over one million different species. A coral reef is an important indicator of oceanic health – and they are sounding the alarm. “Coral bleaching” is a chemical process that is causing entire reefs to die off around the globe. Rising water temperatures and increased levels of carbon dioxide being absorbed by the oceans have unraveled the symbiotic relationship between the reef and
the microscopic algae living on the coral. The algae turn sunlight into food for the coral; in return, the coral serves as their anchor point. Without these algae, corals normally only survive for a short period of time because they become vulnerable to diseases that quickly settle on their surface. One of the causes of coral bleaching is increased water temperatures, which means there is a direct correlation between this destructive chemical process and global warming. In order to protect places such as Vamizi, marine researchers like Dr. Sylvia Earle are advocating the creation of what are known as HOPE SPOTS around the world. These are protected zones in which corals and their inhabitants can flourish without being endangered by fishing or pollution, thereby giving the oceanic ecosystem a chance to regenerate.
Find out more about HOPE SPOTS at mission-blue.org
RECOMMENDED BY
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VAMIZI
How did you come about Vamizi and this film project? in us. If we lose biodiversity, we lose stability on this planet. I started out back in the mid-80s as a wildlife and conserva- It’s not just that some cute fuzzy colorful animals disappear, tion photographer but my interest grew more towards sus- it’s about stability and resilience which we stand to lose and tainability issues and I took on a more holistic approach. which would damage so much of our future. We are the only I started making films in 1994. I’m trying to inspire change or species that can actually do something about it. We have at least create a sense of awe towards our natural environ- this sense of empathy, we have the intelligence, we can ments. As we destabilize these environments we create a bridge the gap between our emotional heart and our clever situation, where nature starts to invoice the economy. When brain. We can fix things and that’s what it takes. What we I got an invitation to visit Vamizi from one of the founders of try to do with films like VAMIZI is to inspire and to get this The Friends Of Vamizi Foundation through the International spark going. If you only become misanthropic or dystopic, if Union for Conservation of Nature, I enthusiastically agreed you give up then you lose. It’s all about winning and not losto come there and see the ing, when it comes to our place for myself. I was blown planet and our future. away by the place. What was the How do you reconcile toughest challenge the gloomy news about of filming VAMIZI? coral bleeching with the One challenge of course is to hopeful message that get the “actors”, the sharks we can protect places and the humpbacks, to pop like Vamizi? by. You can’t schedule a Like any Shakespearean meeting with them. (laughs) play, opera or Hollywood But I would say that the bigfeature film, having the full gest challenge is to have dynamics of life right in front your own photographic lanof you makes it all more real. guage and give the film a And in the case of Vamizi, personality. Being a Eurothe reality is that we have pean and a Swede, I tend to this phenomenally diverse embrace a slower pace in marine eco system but at the story telling than maybe a same time we’re at this big North American would. Antipping point facing big chalother challenge was to caplenges both locally and globture events, that we only ally. I felt that by addressing could dream of, for instance the upcoming gas exploitathe “kitakulu”, the mass tions in the region, I make spawning of coral during a the film more real and relefull moon. We had only a few vant. We have to understand seconds to film that really. “teleconnectivity”: The fact We waited and waited and that what we do in Sweden, waited but then we got Since he was a teenager the Swedish Germany, Panama or wherlucky. But every single day, photographer and filmmaker has followed ever has an effect on places every dive is magical. There his passion for wildlife and photography, elsewhere. It makes the are situations where it sudexploring the most beautiful spots of the planet. VAMIZI is his second film about the whole thing very democratic. denly hits you and if you’re universe of coral. (laughs) Because people can lucky you capture it with make a difference through your camera. It’s like a gift their daily choices no matter when it happens and such a where you live and what you do in life. wonderful feeling. If that feeling can be transmitted on Are you still hopeful when you look at the screen, if it’s contagious enough for the actual viewer, who state of the planet? then says “I want to experience this” or “I want to help the I am. I can see that we can still navigate towards a better oceans” or “I want to become a scientist” then it’s increfuture if we choose to. There is so much innovative capacity dible. That’s the dream.
MATTIAS KLUM
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TO U R DAT E S
THE DATES OF THE TOUR: COME ALONG, OCEAN LOVERS More than a night at the movies: In selected locations our live presenters lead you through our hand-picked program of six films on the big screen.
GERMANY
Photos: Johannes-Maria Schlorke
15/03/ 18/03/ 19/03/ 19/03/ 19/03/ 20/03/ 20/03/ 21/03/ 21/03/ 21/03/ 22/03/ 22/03/ 23/03/ 24/03/ 08/04/ 09/04/ 09/04/ 09/04/ 10/04/ 10/04/ 11/04/ 11/04/ 12/04/ 12/04/ 13/04/ 14/04/ 14/04/ 14/04/ 15/04/ 15/04/ 15/04/ 16/04/ 16/04/ 16/04/
Hamburg PREMIERE Munich Göttingen Berlin Stuttgart Nuremberg Wiesbaden Frankfurt am Main Dusseldorf Essen Augsburg Cologne Stralsund Berlin Heidelberg Stuttgart Osnabrück Cologne Muenster Aachen Marburg/Wehrda Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main Bielefeld Nuremberg Regensburg Munich Kiel Karlsruhe Stuttgart Hamburg Augsburg Mannheim Hamburg
SWITZERLAND 17/04/ 17/04/ 18/04/ 18/04/ 18/04/ 19/04/ 19/04/ 20/04/ 20/04/ 21/04/ 21/04/ 22/04/ 22/04/ 22/04/ 23/04/ 23/04/ 24/04/ 24/04/ 24/04/ 25/04/ 25/04/ 26/04/ 26/04/ 27/04/ 28/04/ 28/04/ 29/04/ 29/04/ 30/04/ 30/04/ 30/04/ 02/05/ 02/05/ 03/05/
03/05/ Potsdam 03/05/ Bayreuth 04/05/ Ulm 04/05/ Potsdam 05/05/ Munich 05/05/ Kiel 06/05/ Mainz 06/05/ Munich 06/05/ Lübeck 07/05/ Nuremberg 07/05/ Essen 07/05/ Stralsund 08/05/ Berlin 08/05/ Frankfurt am Main 08/05/ Leipzig 09/05/ Berlin 09/05/ Brunswick 11/05/ Rosenheim 12/05/ Heidelberg 12/05/ Tübingen
Hamburg Landshut Passau Hamburg Stralsund Bremen Flensburg Hanover Muenster Erfurt Witten Mainz Cologne Leipzig Essen Kaiserslautern Jena Dusseldorf Brunswick Cologne Saarbrücken Freiburg Hanover Chemnitz Berlin Constance Rostock Stuttgart Bremerhaven Dresden Lindau Dusseldorf Hamburg Ludwigsburg
06/05/ 07/05/ 08/05/ 09/05/ 11/05/ 12/05/ 13/05/ 14/05/ 15/05/ 16/05/
Bern Basel Rorschach Zurich Winterthur Lucerne Zurich Geneva Lausanne Fribourg
NETHERLANDS 20/04/ 21/04/ 22/04/ 23/04/ 24/04/
Amsterdam Utrecht The Hague Rotterdam Enschede
BELGIUM 25/04/ Ghent 26/04/ Sint Niklaas DENMARK 20/04/ Copenhagen
AUSTRIA 04/04/ 05/04/ 06/04/ 07/04/ 08/04/ 09/04/ 11/04/
Laakirchen Vienna Salzburg Innsbruck Klagenfurt Graz Linz
LUXEMBOURG 27/04/ Luxembourg I T A LY 12/04/ 13/04/ 15/04/ 16/04/
Trieste Milan Turin Genoa
USA
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California, Florida, Oregon, Washington AUSTRALIA Sydney, Melbourne
WAT E R I I
TESTING THE WATERS
Photos: Morgan Maassen
With his photography the young filmmaker Morgan Maassen evokes instant longing for the ocean. For Maassen, who grew up by the sea, the big blue has become both his work place and his muse. Despite your young age, you’re an accomplished ocean and surf photographer/filmmaker. Do you recall the first time you saw the ocean and what it felt like? My parents raised me at the beach, so my earliest memories were by the sea. I'll never forget when my dad pushed me into my first wave, at the age of 7. I felt like the whole world stood still for a moment, as the profoundness of sliding across the water was so surreal and enthralling. In your film WATER II the ocean seems to be a blue universe onto itself, a blue void. Do you ever feel like an ocean dweller or do you sometimes wish you were one (in that case, which)? I find all of my inspiration in the sea, and aspire to spend as much time in it as possible, so I think it’s safe to say I am a sea dweller. While I love the mountains and cities, I always gravitate back towards the ocean. You’re travelling the world and have undoubtedly seen many of the most beautiful ocean shores. What changes have you seen over the last years, above the surface and beneath? I've seen some amazing changes, both good and bad. It’s been incredibly frustrating to see the amount of pollution
entering the ocean and its global health decline, but the flip side is that I have never observed more people opening their eyes through education and effort to help save it. Plastic pollution is a major issue, and I hope we can collectively take strides to solve the issue before it is too late... One of your previous short films is about your father’s passion, hunting for sea urchins. Did you get your passion for the ocean from him? Absolutely! My whole family is crazy about the ocean, between my dad and his work and my mother loving spending her time there equally as much. We've spent so much time at sea, at the beach, traveling, and exploring the ocean as much as possible. They have always instilled how much it means to them in me, and I'm elated to share their same passion for it. How do you recover from shooting an entire day in the ocean? i exercise regularly to be in the best shape when i enter the ocean, whether it is for surfing or shooting in big waves. at the end of a long day in the ocean, whether for fun or for shooting, i always make sure to relax, and get excited for the next day.ss
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H I EARN D B LTI H N EDNE RWT E XSTWBALM IND
James Adair and Ben Stenning are without a doubt the most chaotic pair to ever row across the Indian Ocean, and of course no matter how well you prepare, something will always go wrong. So when their boat capsized the two Brits had already been through a ton of trouble.
SINK OR SWIM If James Adair hadn’t been pulled over with an expired license while talking on his mobile phone in Geraldton, Australia, who knows what would have happened. He and Ben Stenning may have stayed even longer before setting sail. Their departure had been long overdue, but that looming court date expedited the farewell. Indeed, it was the only thing they would be safe from beyond the three-mile zone. Out there the Indian Ocean loomed, an unpredictable giant that confronted them with problems that made a police hearing look like a walk in the park. The fact that Osama bin Laden’s ashes had been scattered over the same ocean bothered them about as much as any other reports they heard from the ”real world” over satellite phone. If you’re in a rowboat bobbing over waves, you tend to focus on more important things: weather reports in general and circling sharks in particular. James knew that having a shortsighted rowing partner who was too vain to wear glasses wouldn’t necessarily be a survival advantage. Still, you have to be able to ignore certain things when you’re sitting in one boat. Ben rowed that boat dutifully even when seasickness
had laid James out, and they were both responsible for dumping their most important tools overboard on the fourth day of the voyage. Not even the question of whether toilet paper was really a necessity on board ruined the friendship—James had been in favour but Ben had been against it and won the argument, something James regrets to this day. Once they were finally underway, after years of planning, it was still quite obvious that they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. There were advantages to being out on the ocean alone. Nobody was there to notice that they didn’t know which was the bow and which was the stern, nor did anyone hear their discussion about whether the soundtrack from the ”Titanic” or from ”Inception” better suited their rowing adventure. There was also nobody present to tell them ”I told you so” when the calamitous wave capsized their boat five miles off the coast of Mauritius. It wouldn’t have helped anyway. Once they were in the water surrounded by thunderous swells it was clearer than ever what had to be done: survive. But wasn’t that what they had perfected anyway after three months out?
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LAST PICTURE
WAVES AND WILL With one foot on the water and the other in the air, Kai Lenny (25) juggles the elements. The yellow board, he casually carries under his arm on the cover of this magazine, shoots down a wall of water. In the background the ocean already begins to close in on Lenny. He needs to get the turn right. The wave is carrying him but it can easily swallow him whole. For the longest time, the ocean was a never-ending horn of plenty to us, providing us with food and
swallowing our waste without complaint. But the days of plenty are numbered. We can still save what remains. Now it is our turn to let the ocean catch its breath and change our ways with the world. Our program goes to show what pioneering feats we are capable of, if our circumstances or our will demand it. It is precisely this intrinsic drive and willingness, which will determine the future of our oceans and thus our own future.
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Photo: AJ Messier
Imprint: The International OCEAN FILM TOUR is a production of Moving Adventures Medien GmbH | Head executives: Thomas Witt and Joachim Hellinger | www.moving-adventures.com | Editors: Paula Flach, Florian Denzel | Art director: Birthe Steinbeck | Graphics: Sebastian Vogel | V.i.S.d.P. Thomas Witt | Š 2018 | Moving Adventures Medien GmbH, 80337 Munich, Germany
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