Volvo Cold Water Project

Cornwall delivers tough, testing conditions for launch of the Volvo Cold Water Project

Abseiling down Cornwall’s Atlantic coastline in a hail storm may not be the most conventional start to a kitesurfing session but this was just one of the challenges taken on by British Extreme Kitesurfer, Sam Lutman-Pauc and his team during the first location shoot in a series for the Volvo Cold Water Project.
It was a testing three days for Sam, who set a record-breaking time kitesurfing across the English Channel last October, as he surfed the pounding waters of Newquay and surrounding areas to capture some of the most dramatic and extreme Cornish coast for his unique film project.

“If the Volvo Cold Water Project doesn’t sound crazy enough anyway, to get to some of the untapped and un-ridden spots we filmed at this weekend we had to hoist equipment down cliffs, access a beach via a cave network and really work with the tide to reach some of the most remote places.
Cornwall being such a hub for extreme sports was an obvious choice for the project and it was a great weekend. The crew shot some fantastic raw footage that really documents just how powerful and relentless the coastline is” Commented Sam who was joined by kitesurfing legend and Cornwall local, Dom Moore for the weekend.

With one of the main objectives behind the project being to capture the raw and powerful beauty of mother nature and discovering uncharted waters, the weekend lived up to expectations delivering just about every type of weather condition imaginable. Friday brought torrential, horizontal rain and gusty winds that proved to be great for kiting but challenging for filming. Saturday started positively with the rain holding off for the cliff descent, however, once the team reached the beach they were forced to take shelter in a cave to avoid a huge hailstorm. Fortunately, despite time being against them the afternoon concluded with a dramatic sunlit session on the water.

The final day of filming took place at Bedruthan Steps and concluded along what is said to be one of the most beautiful and dramatic roads in Cornwall, a long sweeping road that hugs the coastline with stunning views out to sea. Ahead of the event in preparation for the weekend Sam intensified his training and increased his time on the water “I’ve had a good few sessions on the water recently and I’ve been working really hard on other elements of my fitness, focusing on high intensity interval training, improving core strength and doing lots of hill climbs on my bike in blizzards. But, after this weekend my legs are still aching!”

The next stop for the Volvo Cold water Project is North Wales, followed by The Hebrides and Loch Ness, where he will be attempting to set a speed record for the fastest crossing of the length of the world famous Loch. Due to the unpredictable weather conditions Sam is currently unable to pre-determine exact filming dates and precise locations for the Volvo Cold Water Project. Regular updates and planned dates and times of future weekends will be updated ahead of event at www.volvocars.co.uk/sailing