Official Trailer for the Film: Search for the Perfect Day!

We premiered the official trailer for the Search for the Perfect Day film series at the 8th annual Reel Paddling Film Festival at the Mission Theater in Portland, OR on April 25th 2013. You can watch it below:

There is also an article out about OSOM and the film series in the early summer issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. Click HERE to go to their site.

Team Members Jason Self and Shay Bickley have been invited to join an elite group of paddlers on Team Sea Kayaker, part of Sea Kayaker Magazine. There is a feature about them in the current issue of SKM.

Team Member Chris Bensch made waves last week when he rescued a family of 3 from drowning in the Clackamas River while teaching an unrelated white water kayaking class. Click HERE to see the news coverage.

We're working hard to finish shooting and editing of our film series by August. If you or your group/club/business/school/etc. would like to host a screening in the fall, we'd love to make it happen. Contact us at emailosom@gmail.com if you are interested.

T-shirts, decals, and photo calendars are in the works and we expect them to be ready very soon. Backer rewards for our Kickstarter campaign will ship shortly after they are produced!

Shooting Search for the Perfect Day Episode 3 in Kauai

What a whirlwind the last three months has been! We've been back in Portland for almost three weeks and we're just beginning to recover. We apologize for the delay in posting our report on shooting Episode 3 in beautiful Kauai!

First, let's catch up on recent and upcoming events...

March 27th: We were given the opportunity to give a slideshow presentation to a great local paddling club; Oregon Ocean Paddling Society (OOPS), on our OSOM mission and shooting Search for the Perfect Day Ep 1-3.

April 16th: Jason will be the featured guest on the Double L Show on Kayak Fishing Radio. Click the link to listen in at 8pm EST. He'll be talking about shooting Episode 1-3 as well as showing a few clips and photos in the chat room during the show.

April 25th: The team will be showing a special Portland only 5 minute preview of Search for the Perfect Day, followed by Q&A at the Portland showing of the Reel Paddling Film Festival at the Mission Theater. Advanced tickets are available at both Alder Creek locations for $6, or at the door the day of the show.

April 27th & 28th: We'll be at Alder Creek's Spring Paddle Festival giving kayak skills clinics as well as running a cleanup contest during the event and spreading the OSOM message.

Mid May: Shooting Todd Fischer Surf Art and Paul Kuthe for Episode 1.

May 25th & 26th: Joining Rivers for Change for the Cal 100 paddle festival, relay, and river cleanup.

September 13th: We're partnering with the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, the Schooner Restaurant, and Kayak Tillamook County to host a  day of promoting awareness in around the importance of clean and healthy waterways. The day will consist of an open paddle on Netarts Bay, where we'll enjoy the scenery touring the bay, learn about the local environment and the threats facing it, pick up any trash we find, maybe catch a few crab :) We're always open to help anyone brush up on their paddling skills as well. That evening we'll enjoy drinks and dinner at the Schooner Restaurant, where we'll give our presentation, and show our slideshow and video clips.

And what about those backer rewards for our Kickstarter campaign?

Prints from Todd Fischer will be shipping within a week. T-shirts, stickers, and photo calendars are on order/being produced and will be shipping within a month. Editing on the film series has begun and we're on track to have the series ready for release by the end of August 2013. Contributors to 2012's Trashpedition will receive their backer rewards as well! 

On to shooting "Search for the Perfect Day" Episode 3: Kauai

We arrived in Lihue, Kauai on March 8th late in the day. After sorting out all of the gear we brought with us, including a Valley surf kayak, three folding sea kayaks from Trak Kayaks, paddles, all our camera gear, etc we made our way to the beach near Kapaa on the East side of the island. We found plastic, but this was different than what we normally find in the Pacific Northwest. This stuff was right out of an ocean gyre, not from the island. 

What we found was an infinite amount of near microscopic plastic particles mixed in with the sand. As plastic degrades in ocean gyres from UV and abrasion it breaks into tiny particles. This stuff is literally becoming part of the planet.

The next day we scouted the entire island for shooting locations (and good surf breaks). When we made it to the North Shore, we were certain we had found paradise.

Bali Hai was calling, but we had work to do. We met and interviewed Barbara Weidner from Surfrider Kauai at Hanamaulu Beach, where she told us about the problem with derelict fishing nets and how they kill an immense amount of wildlife, especially turtles, seals, and whales. There happened to be two on the beach that day, and we proceeded to remove them, bit by bit with the help of a few friends and volunteers. 

 

The following day we made our way back to the North Shore and paddled the Hanalei River through taro fields and jungles of flowering mango trees. North Shore Kauai is one of the cleanest places we've ever paddled. In contrast to the South and East sides, we only found two pieces of litter the entire day here. Inquisitive sea turtles appeared frequently, swimming right up to our kayaks to check us out.

Though the river may be near plastic free, there are many problems with pollution caused by human waste/lack of infrastructure, as well as toxic chemical run off from fertilizer & pesticides from Mansanto's GMO experimentation on the island.

At dawn the next morning we met with Miguel "Micco" Godinez, local waterman and owner of Kayak Kauai,  a local kayak, surf, and snorkel outfitter and guide shop on the island.  After a fun dawn paddle at "Gauntlet" at Pine Trees in the middle of the beach at Hanalei Bay, we interviewed Micco about his perspectives on the outdoors.

 That afternoon we interviewed local surfer Kaikane Wong after shooting a surf session at Pine Trees.

The following day Kaikane and crew invited us to a secret surf spot on the North Shore. As we were setting up to shoot on the cliff above, a 15-20 foot shark swam into the lineup. None of the surfers seemed to mind, and went about there business laughing and playing on the waves. The shark meandered away from the lineup and back out to sea with no issues. We enjoyed an amazing surf session all the same, Kaikane's crew on boards, and us in surf kayaks. Sorry there is only video footage available of this session. You'll have to wait for the film premiere to see it!

On our last full day on the island, we decided to hike the Kalalau trail on the Na Pali coast. The scenery was incredible and we spotted dozens of migrating humpback whales from high upon the cliffs. The trail was relatively litter free considering the sheer number of people hiking it on a daily basis, but we did find it.

The next day we spent our last few hours taking as much of Kauai in as we possibly could. None of us were ready to leave. Just one more!

If you look closely at the right horizon line in the photo below, you will notice a humpback whale breaching the surface. As we surfed, dozens of them played behind us, launching strait up in the air and crashing back down.

We caught our flight with seconds to spare. The night spent on the floor of the San Jose airport while waiting for our 6am flight back to Portland would only serve to remind us how warm and friendly this place is. The people of Kauai are some of the kindest and most welcoming we'd ever met, and the natural beauty and outdoor adventure opportunities are second to none. We're looking forward to producing the episode so we can show you just what we mean!

If you find yourself on the North Shore of Kauai, be sure and look up the good folks at the Hanalei Inn. These guys are super friendly, steps from the beach, incredibly affordable, and they cater to surfers and paddlers!

Shooting the Search for the Perfect Day Episode 2

We just returned from shooting the Search for the Perfect Day Episode 2 on location in Florida's 10,000 Islands, Everglades, and Keys. This is just a brief outline of what we were up to. Look for more detailed reports of each event in the near future!

We're still editing and adding photos. If you'd like to see the pics we've posted so far, click HERE.

We arrived in Tampa the night of 2/13. Wind and rain had followed us from Oregon. We picked up boats from Valley Sea Kayaks and Russell Farrow at Sweetwater Kayaks the next day and drove South to Naples, where we met up with Brandon "Mango" Gunderson from Naples Outfitters and adjusted our plans according to the harsh weather conditions; Temperatures dropping into the 30's, 40mph wind, and torrential rain.

We decided we'd hike and explore the area on foot while we waited for the weather to break, and headed off towards the everglades to see if we could spot some gators. The trail was beautiful, but the gators were hiding from the cold.

The next day we met with Rich Jones and Capt. Jason Sine of Calusa Outfitters in Everglades City to explore Big Cypress while kayak fishing. We found a bit of litter in the mangroves and managed to remove it. Jason caught and released a juvenile goliath grouper. The sun brought out the alligators and soon we had seen more than we could count. On the way back to Naples a front pushed through with 40+mph winds, forcing us to pull over and rearrange our boats on top of the car. The storm continued through the night.

Sunday 2/17: The weather finally broke and the sun was shining! We paddled the mangrove tunnels around Marco Island and the 10,000 Islands with Jay Rose and Brandon Gunderson of Naples Outfitters, experiencing white sand beaches for the first time.

That night we were invited to the home of local paddler Win Turner for dinner, where we interviewed his father, a 75 year resident of the area. One of the local rivers bares their name.

Monday 2/18: We're off to Big Pine Key! Upon our arrival we found a pelican pierced through the neck with hooks and tangled in fishing line. With the help of the staff at the Old Wooden Bridge Fishing Lodge and Maya Totman (quite a serendipitous meeting) of Florida Keys Wildlife Rescue, we were able to free it.

We got on the water Tuesday morning with Bill Koegh of Big Pine Kayak Adventures and did a cleanup of Bahia Honda Key, removing mostly foam floats and line for crab and lobster fishing. Thunderstorms and high winds closed in quickly and we were off the water by mid day. We explored No Name Key and removed trash as the sun set after the storm.

Wednesday 2/20: Nothing but blue skies and temps in the low 80's. the wind remained a brisk 20mph for the remainder of the trip. We travelled down to Key West to interview Karrie Carnes of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA, before heading back to Big Pine to interview Maya Totman of Florida Keys Wildlife Rescue.

That evening we were back on the water with Bill Koegh fishing, followed by fresh caught fish tacos and cold beer at his house.

Thursday 2/21: SUP session and interviews with Susan Hewlings of Paddle Board the Keys and Bill Koegh, followed by another cleanup at Bahia Honda Key.

Friday 2/22: Interviews at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon Key, and a cleanup at Long Key before traveling back to Tampa for our plastic presentation at Sweetwater Kayak's Florida Gulf Sea Kayak Symposium on Saturday 2/23. The presentation went great, and we were honored for the opportunity given.

We conducted an interview with Russell Farrow of Sweetwater Kayaks before jumping on a flight back to Portland the next day, arriving late Sunday 2/24.

The entire experience was amazing. We can't wait to share this story with you in the upcoming video!

We're off to shoot Episode 3 in about a week and will post more when we return!

Febraury Cleanup Contest Announcement

We've been a little busy shooting for the Search for the Perfect Day on location in Northern California, and now we're getting ready to head to Florida to shoot Episode 2 in the Everglades and Keys. In between trips, we managed to run a successful fundraising campaign on Kickstarter!

Our appologies for falling a little behind with this month's prize announcement, but here you go. Let's get it on!

CLEANUP CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT: FEBRUARY 2013
Pick up litter using human power and dispose of it properly. Post a photo of your work to our Facebook wall. We'll pick a winner at random from all entries at the end of Feb. to win a one year subscription (digital or print) to Sea Kayaker Magazine!

If you haven't picked up the February issue, you should! There is a feature about our Portland to Ocean Trashpedition written by Team Member Jason Self with photos by Freesolo Collective and OSOM's Chris Bensch.

Don't forget; If you're in the Tampa/St. Petersburg FL area on Feb. 23rd, join us for our presentation at the Florida Gulf Coast Sea Kayak Symposium put on by Sweetwater Kayaks. There is still space available in classes at the sympo as well, so you can brush up on those kayak skills with world class coaches while you're there!

Also, we've picked the two winners of the print by Todd Fischer Surf-Art. Congratulations Derek Davis and Andrew Hansen and thank you both for supporting our project!

-Team OSOM (Jason, Shay, & Chris)

The Search for the Perfect Day... FUNDED!

Because of your outpouring of generosity and support, we're happy to report The Search for the Perfect Day Episode 1-3 is fully funded! So many people pitched in to get the word out. We're incredibly grateful and look forward to proving ourselves worthy!

So far our Kickstarter page has over 1035 likes! Thank you to all of our sponsors, especially Keen, Klean Kanteen, and Ibex. Special thanks to Todd Fischer Surf-Art, the guys at Ikkatsu Project, as well as Justine Curgenven for all of your help and support. We couldn't have done it with out you.

The official campaign doesn't end until 5pm EST on February 7th, so if you'd like to pre-order the project DVD, OSOM T-shirt, OSOM photo calendar, or OSOM decal you still have time!

We're jumping right back into shooting for Episode 2 in the Florida Everglades & Keys in just a few days. It's a mad dash to prep in time, but we're excited for the trip just the same! After a hard fought fundraising campaign, we're looking forward to "slowing down and reconnecting with nature".

We'll pick the two winners out of all pledges for the Todd Fischer Surf-Art Print tomorrow, and ship the hooded indies from Ibex as well. T-shirts, calendars, and decals will be printed when we return from shooting Kauai at the end of March, and we'll have the videos ready to go in August.

But tonight we rest!

Thank you all from all of us at Team OSOM (Jason, Shay & Chris) From the bottom of our hearts.

825 Likes! 68% Funded! 4 Days to Go!

We're incredibly grateful and humbled by the support we've received so far for our current video project; "The Search for the Perfect Day". We're 68% of the way to our all or nothing funding goal with less than four days remaining. It's coming down to the wire, but with your likes, shares, and pledges, we can get there.

We've added another new reward: Make a pledge to our Kickstarter Fundraising Page (new or existing, increase your pledge, and/or refer a friend who pledges and let us know and we'll put your name in the hat for a drawing of one of two signed, limited edition 26x13 prints of "My Back Yard" by Todd Fischer Surf-Art, who is profiled in Episode 1: The Redwood Coast.

Pledge $500 and we'll send you 1 of 10 signed prints, Project DVD, Team OSOM T-shirt, Team OSOM photo calendar, and Team OSOM decal.

Like/Share/Pledge here: http://kck.st/SfJf3h

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Team OSOM (Jason, Shay, & Chris)

New Backer Reward: Todd Fischer Surf-Art Signed Print

Six days left in our Kickstarter fundraiser!

Todd Fischer has graciously donated 10 signed, limited edition 26x13 prints of "My Backyard" to help support our project. The first ten people to pledge $500 or more will receive this beautiful print!

Order Print/Pledge Here: http://kck.st/SfJf3h

We're so grateful for all of our friends and family who have pledged their support to this project. If we continue at our current pace, we just might hit our goal at the last minute of the last hour. If you like what we're doing, please keep sharing our kickstarter page with your friends. If you're able to kick in a few bucks, please do so now. Together we can make this happen!