Rafa Ortiz Interview
The Heliconia Press | July 12, 2007The Heliconia Press interviews paddling talent, Rafa Ortiz, and uncovers what back breaking effort was put into the making of this movie. |
The Heliconia Press interviewa paddling talent, Rafa Ortiz, and uncovers what back breaking effort was put into the making of this movie.
THP: I read on the Jackson website that you were self taught and then bought some videos to learn from – which videos?
RAFA: "The first time I got in to a kayak I didn’t even have a skirt. I had an aluminum and plastic paddle, the kind for an inflatable raft. From there I saw some rafters who said to go get some gear and mentioned the NRS website. I bought a skirt but still had the crappy aluminum paddle."
"I quickly realized I needed to learn more." After self teaching the roll and stern squirt, Rafa bought his first instructional video, Charlie Walbridge’s rescue video. According to Rafa "first you want rescue, then playing, then a hardcore video." Ken Whiting’s Play Daze (now a combo DVD called Whitewater Kayaking) was Rafa’s playboating video and Over the Edge was his first ‘hardcore’ video.
THP: How did you become part of the Jackson Team?
RAFA: "I got the Wilderness Tours website from the Play Daze video and went to the Ottawa Kayak School for my first proper lessons." He spent summers in the Keener program and returned to Mexico for the winter where he practiced his new skills and watched more videos. He impressed Eric Jackson on the Ottawa and has been a Jackson team member since 2004.
THP: How did you get hooked up with Ben Stookesbury?
RAFA: "One day on the Gauley River, I was paddling with Nick Troutman (fellow Jackson Team member) and someone introduced us to Ben Stookesbury and Jesse Coombs. I didn’t know who they were, but they said they were going to Mexico and planning a trip to the Alsaseca River, which is one of the tributaries to the river that I learned to kayak on. Without knowing who they were, we decided to meet in Mexico in 3 months."
"At the cabin that night, Nick showed me the first Hotel Charley video. I thought ‘what the hell did we just get into?’ I was just a playboater! But at least I had watched Charlie’s rescue video."
"Nick and I spent the whole week after meeting Ben and Jesse working on lists every night on what to bring. To train we would fill up our playboats with water and carry them 2 miles. We were actually pretty @#*#@ scared"
THP: In total how much time did you spend working on this project?
RAFA: "I was inᅠMexico for one month and India for one month. In Alsaseca, Mexicoᅠwe spent at least 3 weeks straight on the water, with only a couple of days of scouting. We pretty much knew what we were doing and where we were going so we spent most of the time on the river."
"India was way different; we were traveling a ton. Getting to the first river took us 2 days onᅠa planeᅠand 1.5 days of driving a rented SUV (as seen being impounded in the film) just to get to the first river. That’s the deal with India, full on traveling to get there. This expedition was about the quest to the river just as much as it was about the quest on the river."
THP: You are essentially the kayaking ‘Coverboy’ for Mexican paddling magazines. With that steamy bio photo on the Jackson site (right), are there other types of magazines you pose for?
RAFA laughs) "Mauricio Ramos is the photographer. I met him 4 years ago and was the guy who hooked me up with shooting for Mexican magazines. At that time I was the only young kid doing stupid stuff in a kayak in Mexico, so I was the only one exposed."
More ‘Inside Hotel Charley 2 with Rafa Ortiz’ next newsletter – including the injury that left him screaming in the face of and elderly American tourist while strapped to a backboard.