Over the edge: Extreme kayakers who laugh in the face of the world's most powerful waterfalls
07 Jun 2012 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
It's not a hobby for the faint-hearted, but these daredevils get a kick from the adrenalin rush of extreme kayaking.
Plummeting over some of the world's deadliest waterfalls, Steve Fisher, from South Africa, and Ben Brown and Jarred Meehan, both from New Zealand, travel the globe looking for their next plunge.
These pictures show the trio tackling falls in Iceland and Norway, mindful of the high casualty rate that many of the drops are known for. No going back: Ben Brown battles with the raging waters of a waterfall in Iceland nicknamed 'Drowning Drop'. It is a fall that is notorious among kayakers as it has claimed so many casualties Kayaker Steve Fisher catches some air as he launches himself off the top of a small but powerful waterfall in Iceland while he takes on a 50ft drop in Norway Kayaker Steve Fisher seconds before he launches off the precipice of the 40ft Godafoss waterfall on the Skjalfandafljot river in Godafoss, Iceland Kayaker Jared Meehan as he plummets over the edge of the 40ft Godafoss waterfall on the Skjalfandafljot river in Godafoss, Iceland
Mr Brown has even conquered Iceland's notorious Drowning Drop which has claimed several lives.
Amateur photographer Dresre Tate, 34, has fallowed the thrill-seekers, climbing nearby cliffs to gain spectacular vantage points of the heart-in-mouth moments.
She said: 'There have definitely been some scary moments as a professional photographer following these guys. They are athletes and always push the limits so the tension can be high on a shoot.
'I find it is always best to just concentrate on what I need to do and let them do what they want to do. Cascading water is both your friend and enemy - your friend because it is softer than rocks, but your enemy because if you misjudge it you can end up with a broken back or compressed vertebrae.'
Miss Desre, from brisbane, Australia, captured the incredible images during a tour of the Scandinavian nations as Mr Fisher, Mr Brown and Mr Meehan navigated vertical drops of up to 65ft unscathed.
One wrong move could have seen them tumble onto jagged rocks.
Desre added: 'Like anything in life, things can go wrong.I have been on a shoot where a friend took a stroke a millisecond too late and instead of a smooth line down the fall, he cracked his elbow on a rock and shattered it.
'But these guys are pros and didn't have any hiccups at all.'
The waterfalls tackled by the trio included - the 65ft Aldeyjarfoss fall, 40ft Godafoss fall, both in Iceland, and Norway's towering 50ft Fleming Falls. Kayaker Steve Fisher appears like a tiny, vulnerable figure as he plummets 50ft down in Fleming Falls, Norway, but he has years of practice under his belt
Jarred Meehan appears to be facing a wall of water as he sits on the precipice of the towering Selfoss Waterfall on the Jokulsa a Fjollum river in Selfoss, Iceland
It looks a bit like Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland, but Ben Brown is pictured tackling a 65ft waterfall on the Skjalfandafljot river in Aldeyjarfoss, Iceland
Steve Fisher follows him over the Aldeyjarfoss waterfall into the the fierce bubbling waters below
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