Last week I made a quick trip to Bella Bella to check in with the students building their own handmade, cedar paddleboards. Originally I wasn’t planning to make this trip as I will be back in Bella Bella next week to shoot the finishing touches on their boards, but they are so keen on the project that they have been coming into the woodshop after school and making great progress. In order not to miss some key stages of the construction of their boards, I bit the bullet and raced up to get some shots. And let me tell you, they are doing some incredible work. Most students have already started fiber-glassing, or are about to start. They are incorporating some stunning artwork like Blake’s grizzly prints along with tributes to the quest to protect their waters from tanker traffic.
What was a real treat, however, was learning more about why they are building their boards, what it means to have the independence to go out on the water whenever they choose and what their aspirations are for the future. Much of that you too will learn about in the film when it is complete. They are a great group of young people and I am really excited to hang out with them again next week as they finish their boards and then make the trip to the Hakai Research Institute to take an introduction course to paddling and surfing with Norm.
We will keep you posted.
-Anthony
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