Sailboats aren’t your typical shuttle vehicle, nor the fastest way to get to international put-ins. In this case, however, the journey is more important than the destination.
In March, the sailboat Wizard’s Eye will sail quietly out of the Bay of La Paz, Mexico and begin a multi-year journey across the planet’s largest ocean.
The 20-ton steel hulled Wizard’s Eye will be led by world-record holding extreme kayaker Tyler Bradt (Team NRS). The Wizard’s Eye crew—a rotating band of adventurers, artists and athletes—will point the bow toward New Zealand from Mexico, kicking off a five-year-long circumnavigation of the globe, combining modern-day action sports with time-honored exploration.
Along the way, Bradt and crew will produce an ongoing web video series. A just-released film teaser outlines the adventure. The bi-weekly web series documenting their adventures, likely including several first descents, will be broadcast on Vimeo, social media and sponsor websites.
According to the trailer, their goal is “to explore the limits of what’s humanly possibly while exploring the farthest reaches of the planet.” Sponsored by KAVU, NRS, VOKE Tab, Goal Zero, Dagger Kayaks, Smith Optics, and GoPRO, the Wizard’s Eye Expedition will take Bradt and crew to some of the world’s most beautiful, remote and severe locations. Whitewater kayaking, surfing, kite boarding, mountaineering, deep sea diving and BASE jumping are just some of the activities they’ll pursue along the way.
“I’ve been to a lot of places and I’ve gotten to know myself and my limits over the years,” Bradt says. “And I’m still in the midst of exploring those limits and figuring out what’s possible for me. This trip is an expedition to literally sail into the unknown.”
The first stop for the Wizard’s Eye will be the Tuamotu Islands in the South Pacific, one of the most remote places on Earth. From there, Bradt and crew will continue to New Zealand where they will wait out the winter storms, and probably do a little paddling, among other pursuits.
“This is the kind of voyage that everyone dreams of taking, but almost no one does,” said Mark Deming, NRS Marketing Communications. “Tyler is one of those rare people with the energy, determination and skill to actually make it happen. His enthusiasm for adventure is unmatched, and this series is going to make it contagious.”
–Aaron Bible