In this incredible video Zack Mutton, a world champion in extreme freestyle kayaking, makes the 92-foot drop down Abiqua Falls in Oregon to the cheers of paddlers below.
The New Zealander is one of few to run the iconic falls, a feat previously accomplished by Dane Jackson several times as well as the first successful descent by Jesse Coombs who sustained a collapsed lung in the descent.
Behind the viral video of the Abiqua Falls send
The incredible footage of Mutton’s descent of Abiqua Falls might appear to be shot with skilled dronework, but videographer Steve Donovan uses a different method. Instead of a drone, Donovan shot the waterfall descent footage on an FPoleV camera pole with an Insta360 camera attached to the end.
The FPoleV camera pole was created by Donovan himself in order to create smooth action footage using cameras like GoPros and 360 cameras–small cameras designed for high-intensity action sports with lots of motion. The setup was inspired by traditional boom shots, in which a camera is mounted to a crane for smooth movements, but adapted and slimmed down to meet the challenges of capturing action sports like whitewater kayaking.
Donovan’s FPoleV camera pole extends up to 24-feet, making it possible to extend a camera over a paddler and follow them smoothly as they make the plunge into the pool below. The method lent to a new perspective on Mutton’s epic drop of Abiqua Falls, beyond the usual paddler point-of-view GoPro footage or footage shot from cameramen on the sidelines.
