2023-12-25 09:45:14
BarcelonaImagine having the power to fly. Levitate in the air and feel that everything is possible. Breaking the law of gravity and having the privilege of being a bird that feels the breeze on the back of its neck while contemplating the landscapes that this world gives it. This is the feeling experienced by Girona kayaker Aniol Serrasolses (Bescanó, 1991) when he descended a 20-metre glacial waterfall. “Being in the air is an incredible feeling. You’re suspended over the water,” says the Girona native, who attended the ARA, when he remembers the moment.
It was a historical milestone. The Catalan, a Red Bull athlete, entered the coldest waters on planet Earth to end up falling down the river of ice and breaking a world record. The largest descent ever recorded in this type of waterfall. And he achieved it in the arctic circle very recently, at the end of last November. Specifically in Bråsvellbreen, the area of the frozen wall that spits water and is located on the island of Nordaustlandet. A distant destination that captivated the eyes of the kayaker from the first moment. And, like every story that moves its protagonist, this one has its beginning in a photograph.
“The idea was born in a very simple way”, begins to relate the same person who would break a record a few years later. Aniol was inspired by a black and white image captured by National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen of the falls. The water came out of a wall of ice and faced the sea: “The photo inspired me a lot. It was perfect.” Since then, the Girona native began to investigate everything around him to the point of imagining how he would descend. The years passed, until in 2021 he proposed the project of his life to the company that had given him wings to make his childhood dream come true, Red Bull, and in August 2023 he was able to close to put – it in practice.
To carry out this idea there was only one attempt. One small mistake and the dream would be shattered. But not everything was in his hands. There were many questions that could only be answered once we reached the glacier: “Will there be polar bears? Will there be enough water in the falls for us to descend? Will the weather conditions respect us?” A single doubt broke all the possibility of making the record a reality. “The pressure was very high because we promised to do it,” says Aniol. Cameras to immortalize the moment, logistics to get there and people from the company were involved in this journey that only knew of its existence through a black and white photograph. But after walking 10 km on the ice, dodging crevasses, crossing rivers with a ladder and being refused by the guides due to the strong frost, Aniol and his team reached the start of the river
A giant leap
With the kayak of 2.70 meters and 30 kilos in front of his eyes, Serrasolses received the visit of nerves before starting the adventure. But he got on it and the fears disappeared. “Once inside I don’t let my mind wander and go to places of doubt. I focus on paddling and enjoying the moment,” he comments before explaining the next steps.
His working tool began to navigate the river. Crossed ice tunnels. Others had open roofs, looking out into the Arctic sky. The white walls on both sides and the navy blue caused by the sunlight when projected on the water left an idyllic landscape. “It’s like sailing on another planet. It’s been crazier than I ever imagined,” he told the Reuters agency after finishing the milestone.
The route along the frozen river and the descent through the 20-metre waterfall
The rivers forked and the current guided him until he saw that the path had no continuity. The end was in his eyes. The kayak began to tilt and the waterfall I had only seen in pictures became a reality. “It’s the best moment. You look at the place where you are and it’s etched in your mind for the rest of your life,” he told ARA. As he fell, enjoying the moment was in the background, as he had to prepare for the impact: “20 meters is enough”.
“I heard the crash of the water. It had just come down the waterfall.” Happiness was reflected on Aniol’s face. Gratitude, too. “I thought, ‘Look where we are, it’s amazing. How lucky we are to be here’. I didn’t want it to end.” The Catalan dream came true. The fact that he came across Nicklen’s photo, fell in love with it and couldn’t get the idea of falling down that icy wall out of his head made the Girona player break the record. The black and white image took on color. And life
#Girona #man #works #miracles #board #kayak