A flash-lit waterfall descent comes to life after multiple runs on one of the Whistler region’s most iconic whitewater rivers.
Photo :: Ben Girardi
Paddler :: Kiah Schaepe
Location :: Cheakamus River, Whistler
Ben: “I originally met Kiah randomly at the pullout of a river. We got talking and ended up getting out and shot a bit on a couple different rivers. The following summer I knew I wanted to create an image of a kayaker paddling a waterfall lit with flashes. I reached back out to Kiah to see if he was interested and he was down. When shooting with flashes it can sometimes take a few tries to get the shot exactly right, so we needed a spot that looked good but was able to be run multiple times—the Cheakamus delivered.
Kiah and fellow paddler Dave Graham ran the falls multiple times until we came away with this shot. Going into something like this I often question the idea and whether it is worth lugging all the gear into the forest, but seeing the image I had in my mind show up on the back of the camera—it always feels worth it. Huge thanks to Kiah and Dave for being willing to get out and try this idea with me!”
“We needed a spot that looked good but was able to be run multiple times—the Cheakamus delivered.”
Related content from ML:
The Cheakamus River hosted the 1977 Canadian National Slalom Championships, but none of the roads or facilities have been upgraded since. With local and global popularity of the river continuing to grow, Sea to Sky paddlers are currently fundraising to upgrade the parking lot, shelter and launch/take out sites on the Cheakamus River. For more info or to make a donation, email [email protected].
