Kootenay Lake
Shayne Kasai is up early. I barely fit in a shower before our early morning Skype meeting. It’s 8:00 a.m. for me on the East Coast of the U.S.; it’s 6:00 a.m. for him in Vancouver, British Columbia when we begin our interview.
For the past three years, Shayne Kasai has pursued his passion as an independent filmmaker. His then current project (which is now complete), Sinew and Yellow Cedar, is a short film that examines the current state of wooden boat building in British Columbia. Shayne made the film in hopes of reminding viewers about the importance of working with their hands in a world where most boats are pre-made and plastic.
So, it makes sense that Kasai paddles a Folbot Cooper, a kayak crafted by hand.
Kasai purchased his Cooper for the purpose of exploring, as the folding aspect of the kayak makes it extremely convenient for filmmaking. Though he hasn’t used it while filming quite yet, Shayne hopes to film while paddling in the future.
“I’d like to explore where I’m from,” he explains, specifically his childhood stomping grounds of Kootenay Lake, B.C.
Once, while paddling on Kootenay Lake, Kasai observed petroglyphs in the rock faces that he’d like to further investigate.
“It gives you that Indiana Jones feeling,” says Shayne of discovering something from the past while paddling.
A close second to Kootenay Lake? The channels of Venice, Italy.
While Shayne’s Cooper makes his filmmaking and adventuring more convenient, it also makes living in Vancouver easier. As a major metropolis, space in Vancouver is precious. According to Shayne, most people live in condos.
“Folbot has a huge advantage over any other kayak,” says Shayne. He loves being able to store his kayak in the apartment instead of in a rental facility, where his wife stores her paddleboard. Living a block away from the ocean, Kasai wanted easy access to his kayak and possible adventure.
“A Folbot to me means being able to explore,” says Shayne.
We’re so glad.
Shayne Kasai
Folbot - In the Fold 