The Paddler Magazine Issue 81 February 2025 | Page 4

PADDLER 4

REVIEWS

Kendal Mountain Festival Review www . kendalmountainfestival . com By Jo Moseley @ jomoseley

Kendal Mountain Festival is one of Europe ’ s biggest adventure festivals , taking place over four days in November in Cumbria . The programme features speakers , filmmakers , and authors sharing inspiring adventures in mountains , oceans , rivers , and forests across the globe .

It has a long history of supporting paddlesports , and in 2021 , I was hugely honoured that the film of my coast-to-coast fundraising , litter-picking SUP journey , Brave Enough – A Journey Home to Joy , was screened at the festival .

This year , I was thrilled to be invited to review kayaking and canoeing films for The Paddler from the Paddle Film Collection , sponsored by Dryrobe .

Rods , Rolls & Reality on the Soča Rok Rozman , Rozle Bregar Five minutes

I loved this quirky film about four kayakers who swapped their craft for fishing rods as they paddled the gorgeous blue waters of the Soča River in Slovenia . The humour and beautiful photography also contained an important message about conservation – saving the native marble trout . The four recommend spending time on the water fishing for dinner to create a simple , genuine connection to nature . Made in partnership with NRS , this film is available via the Balkan River Defence . www . balkanriverdefence . org

Ay Chihuahuai ! Benjamin Stookesberry 17 minutes

In this film , we follow two seasoned expedition kayakers embarking on the challenging waters of the mile-deep Barranca Candamena in the Chihuahua region of Mexico . Heavy rains cause flash floods in the canyon , and along with the threat of local drug gangs , this feels like a risky endeavour . As they navigate the route , the edge-of-your-seat moments make for a thrilling journey for the viewer and huge admiration for the team of Erik Boomer and Benjamin Stookesberry . There are also some touching moments as the adventurers spend time with locals along the way . With support from Whitewater , you can watch the film on YouTube . www . gearjunkie . com

Following Footsteps of River Runners Deane Parker – 18 minutes

A really engaging film spanning the generations , this film takes us back to the early days of kayaking adventures in New Zealand . The film shows a team of kayakers , led by Deane Parker , following the route John Mackay and friends took in 1974 to tube raft the Karamea River in the Kahurangi National Park , which he later documented in his book Wild Rivers . Today ’ s river runners , of course , have a supply of state-of-the-art kit that makes it a much less precarious adventure than 50 years ago . This shows how times have changed , from woolly jumpers and plastic raincoats to thermal drysuits and a GoPro fixed to the helmet . Whilst the action shots and scenery are engaging and inspiring , what I liked about this film was the great respect Deane Parker and the team showed their forerunners . I , too , came away with tremendous admiration for the living legend that is John Mackay , his pioneering spirit , courage and gentle , dry humour . www . deaneparker . nz

Photo : Rozle Bregar