#hendri coetzee

[dabiconcordia]

“Life is so outrageous I could not have imagined it, made all the sweeter because it cannot last. It is all about today. Today is the best day ever because tomorrow might not happen.” ― Hendri Coetzee

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Life is so outrageous I could not have imagined it, made all the sweeter because it cannot last. It is all about today. Today is the best day ever because tomorrow might not happen.

- Hendri Coetzee, Living The Best Day Ever

[oh-you-beauty]

Some Rules for Living - Hendri Coetzee

Whatever you do, do it hard.

Doubt is not tolerated.  The ability to surrender completely to life is a must.

Never admit to a problem.  When one appears, shrug and agree that it isn't hard enough.

Hung-over or still drunk, always get up and do whatever has to be done, even if this does not always mean as well as it should be done.

Each day's challenge is to outdo yesterday.

[givelifehorns-blog]

We never had the pleasure of meeting Hendri, but his spirit lives on through so many friends in the whitewater community. And we simply love his outlook on life

[raychaplin]

While I never met Hendri, the stories I've heard and what I saw in the doccie Kodoma all say one thing... what a great great guy!

[stompdirect]

Hendri Coetzee Tribute to a True Waterman "Kadoma"

Although Hendri Coetzee death was almost 2 years ago, I have to admit never heard of him before last night. Mostly because I don't kayak or follow it, apart from every now again keeping tabs on an old school buddy Steve Fisher, who has become one of the world's best kayakers. It was at Patagonia's Film night in Santa Monica that I was introduced to "Kadoma" The film about the last expedition Hendri took leading two American  kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic on a 1200 mile journey down the ferocious and mostly unchartered Lukuga River in the Congo basin.

It was on this trip, supposedly the last of Hendri Illustrious career, that The South African was pulled under by a Crocodile on a flat part of the river never to be seen again.  At the time, it grabbed national headlines but what was lost in the sensationalism surrounding his death was the story of the man himself. First and foremost he was a true "WATERMAN" in every way possible. His African Friends called him Kadoma (also the name of the movie) for his bravery in the face of a river they fear and respect greatly.  The name has slightly different meaning in different dialect but generally translates Kadoma: the little bee that travels and improves lives everywhere it goes.

What struck me hardest about the film and Hendri, was the way that he lived his life. from kayaking solo through the densest populations of hippos and crocodiles found anywhere on the planet to walking  nearly a thousand miles of Tanzanian coastline He lived every day to the fullest. After more than a decade of exploring some of Africa deepest darkest parts he was and remains today an inspiration and a legend among men, a life you can do nothing but look up to. RIP!

[theawakener]

life without passion holds no appeal... if safe was all I wanted, I would have stayed home.

Hendri Coetzee

his story

his blog

[losesightofshore-blog]

Heroes: Hendrik Coetzee

I have been holding off posting about Hendrik Coetzee for awhile now. Much like Tim Hetherington, Coetzee's death impacted me more than I expected it would and I didn't feel I had the time to try to decode it. Here's my best shot: 

In late 2010, Hendrik Coetzee and American professional kayakers Ben Stookesberry, and Chris Korbulic traveled to the Democratic Republic of Kongo to make a first descent of the Lukuga River. For a couple month's the team posted regularly to their First Ascent blog, which I followed closely. I had visited Africa a few years ago and never imagined paddling the rivers and lakes that are ever present in the Sub-Saharan portion of the content. I am by no means an excellent paddler but Coetzee, Stookesbery, and Krobulic's trip in effect opened up a new world of exploration for me and many others.

In December of 2010 after navigating a series of rapids on the Lukuga,  Hendri Coetzee disappeared when a crocodile surfaced besides his kayak and pulled him under. His body was never found.

After Hendri's death adventure magazines and blogs published a number of articles on the tragedy, the most prominent being "Consumed" from Outside Magazine's March 2011 Issue. There are a number of quotes in that article and in subsequent interviews with Korbulic and Stookesberry that struck a nerve, but for me the most memorable are from Korbulic and Coetzee prior to his death.

Coetzee: "I need to believe that there is more to this world than what we know. I need to believe there is magic out there. I cannot believe these things blindly, though, and maybe that is why I had to do this mission—to prove to myself that we can do things which are bigger than ourselves. I needed to walk through a minefield to feel protected . . . The adventure is sometimes a terrifying thing to love, but when you do, there’s nothing that can replace it or push it out of your head. It’s the best remedy, inspiration, stimulation, and challenge that moves me towards learning the most about myself and the world."

Korbulic: "It is a passion, and a life without it holds no appeal. I saw and heard that from Hendri the very first days I knew him, and it was reinforced every day until the last. This mentality kept Hendri going and it will keep me moving forward, hopefully to share and inspire with his story."

Korbulic and Coetzee's words capture so much of why I love the outdoors and why I have the passions that I have. To hear of and follow the exploits of someone who shared my passions and to subsequently follow as that passion led Coetzee to his death gave me a new understanding of adventure. I will likely never do anything on par with the Coetzee's first descents but his death made me realize that nothing is without risk or consequence. 

I share this story and it's impact because of the trailer below. At Telluride, Colorado's MountainFilm Festival this weekend, Stookesberry and Korbulic will premiere there documentary "Kadoma" and a collection of photographs, both chronicling their trip and the last moments of Hendri Coetzee's life. 

(h/t Outside Blog) 

I've added the tag "Heroes" to this post and the one announcing Tim Hetherington's death. I'll continue to use it for adventurers, living and dead, that relentlessly follow their passion to wherever it takes them.