Editor’s note: The team behind Nakuru Kuru are currently seeking funds to support their vision. To learn more, check out Nakuru Kuru on Kickstarter.
Welcome to the future – where stories don’t just play out in front of you, they’re immersive experiences. The limits of virtual reality as a visual medium continue to expand on the daily. And while we’ve of course already been able to tandem VR surf with Kelly Slater, a new film project from Jiva VR and Panogs hopes to become the first full-length VR surf film ever.
The subject is a compelling one. In 1972, yachtsman John Ritter set sail in search of raw moments of solitude and serenity. Six years later it would lead to one of the greatest discoveries in surf history – the now-famed wave Cloudbreak in Fiji. Ritter anchored there, alone for a month – paddling from his boat, on a Bruce Jones 7’6″ single-fin, to surf one of nature’s great wonders before anyone else.
Cloudbreak at its finest is a beauty to behold. Here’s Joel Parkinson in the 2015 Fiji Pro for proof. Photo: WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
Nakuru Kuru: Discovering Cloudbreak is a VR film that documents Ritter’s untold story by retracing his original passage throughout the South Pacific; along the way providing this true pioneer the opportunity to give back to the ocean environment that has given him so much. With a Master’s of Environmental Education, John relies heavily on his learnings from the natural world to inspire and educate others.
To bring this project to life, the team behind it recently launched a Kickstarter campaign, and have currently reached about half of their $40,000 goal, which would allow them to complete the pilot. In other words, they need your support to tell this story.
