Watch: Two Guys Paddle from the Source of the Hudson River to Brooklyn
Jesse Hooker and Cosmo Piefl are two modern day outdoorsmen who recently escaped the urban confines of Brooklyn to set upon an explorer’s mission: navigating the entire Hudson River by kayak. Along their way through the flora and fauna of New York State, the two men crashed into choppy waters, paddled through an evergreen landscape, and lived off rationed salami.
All 315 miles and seventeen days of their journey are documented in “The Paddle Home,” a short video filmed mostly by a GoPro camera that Hooker strapped to his head. Along the way we get vibrant shots of the surrounding landscape all the way from the river’s source at Lake Tear of the Clouds, straight to Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Hooker and Piefl are pretty adept navigators, and their film flags all of the geographic landmarks and towns along the Hudson, giving the viewer a direct glimpse into all the woodsy hamlets and massive steel bridges throughout the way. The footage is blended with twangy folk music, to enliven the unquestionable Americanness of this epic journey.
The film is the best depiction of an adventurer’s bromance since Lewis & Clark set off to explore the unchartered west. It also documents the second ever recorded jaunt through the Hudson by kayak. It might drive one to buy a life-vest or shop for earth-toned hiking clothes.
Watch the video here:
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