Join Humboldt Surfrider, Ocean Conservancy and Humboldt Baykeeper for Ocean Night, TONIGHT, Thursday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Arcata Theatre Lounge. The event features Ikkatsu, a film documenting the journey of three sea-kayakers traveling down the Washington coast surveying the beaches for tsunami debris. Along the way, they found not only flotsam, but high adventure and a greater understanding of how the ocean connects us all.
Ikkatsu is sponsored in part by Arcata-based watersports wear manufacturer Kokatat. The business is also sponsoring the attendance of the filmmakers/kayakers who will elaborate on the story Ikkatsu tells. With the North Coast likely facing tsunami debris arriving on our shores in the near future, the film serves as a guide to what our community might expect.
Surf flicks to follow!
Ocean Night is all ages, and a $3 donation is requested. Bring cash for the raffle and Surfrider schwag!
Listen to KHUM Coastal Currents interview with filmmaker Ken Campbell.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/49922487]
More about Ikkatsu:
With the debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami drifting on ocean currents toward the coast of North America, a small group of skilled sea-kayakers set out to document the flotsam as it began to come ashore along the remote and roadless Washington coast.
Over the course of the summer, the team filmed their paddling adventures as well as the beach survey processes and the result is a 40-minute documentary that details every aspect of the project, from inception to completion. The team is composed of three experienced professional guides, each having a multi-year resume including multiple trips and expeditions to remote coastal environments.
Ken Campbell has authored several books on Pacific Northwest kayaking and is a frequent contributor to print and online magazines on subjects relating to the outdoors and the environment. Jason Goldstein began his kayaking career in Christchurch, New Zealand, currently owns his own guide service and works as a cartographer and GIS specialist. Steve Weileman is a documentary film maker and photographer, with previous experience in Newfoundland and Alaska, as well as numerous locations throughout the Northwest.
Pollution, specifically plastic and other floating debris, is a very real threat to our oceans and to untouched ecosystems like the wild Olympic coast. The film details the issue of marine debris as well as highlights the portion of the problem that can be directly attributed to the tsunami.
Pieces of a Japanese house were found at one northern peninsula beach and a soccer ball that came from a small village near Sendai was found on another. These personal items bring the tragedy home in a way that nothing else can, and the story of the Ikkatsu Project includes the human interest side of the tale as well as emphasizing the scientific and ecological elements that drive the discussion.
Ikkatsu is a Japanese word that means “united as one,” which is a concept that the tsunami debris illustrates in a powerful way. This project is an attempt to understand how we are connected, one society to another, and how no matter how distant something may seem at first glance, we are all riding on the same planet. The vast expanse of the oceans doesn’t keep us apart; it is what joins us together.