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Video review : Canada 2000, a nice video about British Columbia paddling. The review contains loads of video extracts, with sound. PLAYAK.COM arranged for you that if you happen to live in the UK, you can even get a copy for free!

Video Review: Canada 2000

[ Heeland Coo and Broken Horse Production ]

Great surprise in the post this morning, [mail address protected from spambots with javascript] and James Broklehurst just sent to PLAYAK.COM a copy of their latest video: Canada 2000. For those who do not know Dave, Brock and their friends, they are a group of paddlers based in Scotland, and who have apparently far too much time to on their hands... They did a nice video back in '99 called 'Dangerous when wet', which was included as a freebie on the SystemX promo CD-ROM (systemX is the Eskimo importer in the UK). More recently they did 'Another Kogg Day', the year 2000 KOGG promo video. Both videos featured some scary (very!) scottish creeking and nice freestyle action on different playspots in the Highlands, including the now famous Falls of Lora. Canada2000 is, as you would guess, much the same, though this time the action is based in ... Canada. This clique of paddling buddies spent 6 weeks in British Columbia last summer and the action was so great that they decided to put it all on film !

The video

Canada 2000 is also quite different from any commercial video in a sense that you won't find here the latest cool move or the gnarliest run on earth done by the most famous paddler on earth. No, it is more about nice, relaxed paddling but with some awesome freestyle bits (nice Skookumchuck action) and some rather gnarly creeks.

The action ...

The action starts with big water runs in the Vancouver area (see the mpeg by clicking on the picture on the left). The editing is really excellent with Dave and Brock incorporating some slow motion sequences, as well as some blurry sections that are really good to watch. The music is techno style and goes very well with the action on the water.

It carrys on with some waterfall action near Trail. Check ou the second mpeg, on the right. [Try not to land that one flat next time Dave !] There is also some freestyle footage where the quadros spin and wheel till dizzy. The quadro is not meant to be a full on rodeo boat but it looks very sweet when paddled by these scottish lunatics and does damn well on the wave!

Dave and Brock have incorporated some out of the water bits which are really funny but a bit ... well ... very odd. People break water melons on their head and speak about some kind of 'Giant Bunny Rabbits'. It might be a common practice in the Highlands of Scotland but I reckon it is more a consequence of some kind of alcoholic beverage ...

There then follows a very entertaining section of playboating in an eddy creating a massive whirlpool. The mpeg on the left hand side give an idea of the sequence but is of a rather low resolution. Paddlers just throw themselves in the core of the whirlie and start spinning vertically before being completely swallowed and getting some long downtime. Quite unusual, PLAYAK.COM will try to find out where this place is (as it is not mentioned in the video). If the river bed is is safe, that should be an awesome spot for squirtboating ...

After that, the rivers get steeper, obliging some paddlers to get back to the good old Topolino because 'It's #### hideous down there!'. Well it surely looks gnarly but the team paddles well and makes everything look rather easy.

Jasper provides some interesting wildlife, especially bears trying to steal the lunch from a camping table.

Skookumchuck cannot be missed on a video about British Columbia and our Scotts have spent some time up there as well. According to one of them, it was the best part of the trip ... "because it's very funny !" Funny maybe, but massive and sweet for sure. The paddling clique is well used to tidal features because of the Scottish equivalent of Skooks, the Falls of Lora on the West coast of Scotland and not suprisingly, they actually do very well on the wave. There is at least one aerial blunt, a clean 1080 and loads of green grinds (check our mpeg by clicking on the picture on the right hand side) in this section of the video. There is also some night footage which looks really good on film because the foam pile creates a weird light.

Following this there is more gnarly creeking near Whistler. All Steep and continuous stuff. The video finishes up with Callahan Creek. There is a nice mpeg of the run including the big waterfall but it is quite large (2.2 Mo) so be patient when downloading it to your harddrive. Well worth the wait though. Get it by clicking on the main picture at the top of the page.

PLAYAK.COM impressions

Sweet, very nice video. Great paddling, kicking soundtrack and great editing. Dave and Brock from 'Heeland Coo and Broken Horse Productions' have shown again their skills and we just have to wait to see one of their creations leave the UK market for something more international. More comments during the film would be nice though, such as river/waterfall/playspot. Naming the paddlers during the action would be nice as well.

In fact Canada2000 is just the best value for money you can get as the video is free. Yes, free. If you mate has one copy, copy it! Dave and Brock have absolutely no problem with that ! Read what Dave told us in one of his emails, it is quite interesting ...

"We decided that since we do not have the rights on tunes, if anyone wants a copy they can send us a blank video tape and an envelope with postage and we'll do them a copy totally FREE! Not bothered how many people want copies so long as it does not cost us a penny! How cool is that eh? Free videos for all (it's a fucking wicked video too - probably our best) Anyhow enough of the waffle. See you soon. Take care and have a wicked year. See ya on the wave... Dave"

Yes, you can get the whole video for free !!!!!!!! Well, the price of a blank video tape and a stamp... and a flight ticket to the UK if you are not a UK resident. To get your free vid, Email [mail address protected from spambots with javascript] or [mail address protected from spambots with javascript] (UK only!) and tell them PLAYAK.COM gave you the hint.

Article by [mail address protected from spambots with javascript] Renaud, for PLAYAK.COM, February 6 2001.