Cover Letter

Zambezi Source to SeaRyan Ellis & Nora RichardsZSourceToSea@gmail.com720.789.4129

@ZSourceToSea Find ZSourceToSea on Facebook

http://www.zsourcetosea.com

ZSourceToSea aims to create a portrayal of the Zambezi River in film, still image and non-fiction literature, from its source in North Western Zambia to its mouth in Eastern Mozambique.

When most people go out on epic outdoor adventures, they remove themselves from the world. They tempo-rarily become invisible, and no one knows where they are or what events are playing out. Ewan McGreggor and Charlie Boorman, for example, went on a motorcycle trip around the world, after which they wrote a book, made a TV series, and sold DVDs. But during their trip, they disappeared from the mind of society for several months.

Ryan Ellis and Nora Richards, the ZSourceToSea team, want to do the exact opposite. Covering 1,600 miles in 6 weeks to 3 months, their mission is to paddle the entire Zambezi River from its source to its mouth. During this journey, they will be blogging, tweeting, writing articles, taking photos and videos, and updating all of our digital media in real time. One of the trip’s most unique aspects will be the ability for audiences to be completely immersed in the journey, to the point of making decisions for the team. At key moments, followers will be asked to share their opinions and vote in polls on the team’s decisions, adventures, and misadventures. This will to create a completely new adventure experience, one which immerses the viewer completely in the outcome of the trip. This will generate a following of fans who will be as devoted as ZSourceToSea in completing this adventure.

With the cost of gear, transportation, sustenance, and repairs, ZSourceToSea is looking for sponsorship from businesses who have an investment or interest in the Zambezi river. Currently, ZSourceToSea has had over 1,000 blog views and over 120 Likes on Facebook, and are building a following on Twitter. The team invites both American and Zambian sponsors to take part in this media opportunity. Each sponsor will be represented by a fair distribution of tweets, blog articles, photos, and video feeds, as well as their logo being placed on a prominent part of our gear, which will be shown every day on the media feeds. The team will be diligent in making sure that the sponsors get as much out of the journey as ZSourceToSea is getting out of the sponsors.

We hope that you will read on and consider this opportunity to promote both our adventure and your business.

Thanks for the time and your help,

Ryan Ellis and Nora Richards

Gear

ZSourceToSea@gmail.com

720.789.4129

Durable Inflatable KayakA two-person inflatable kayak, which was specifically chosen for its size, versatility, and hardiness. The ARK Croc CRX is one possible option, but other brands and models are pos-sible. Including shipping, this type of kayak will be about $700.00.

Mountable, Waterproof CameraA high-quality video camera that will be able to withstand the duration of the trip. A Go Pro Hero3-Surf (pictured) would work well. The Go Pro Hero3 is about $400. There are other options available as well.

Satellite InternetThere are many possiblities that havebeen explored for access to internetwhile on the river. So far, there have been no conclusions on what device to use for this. The device must be durable, have relatively quick internet, and be portable. Satel-lite internet is very expensive, so $1000 will be budgeted to buy the device and make the monthly payments that most internet providers demand.

Solar PanelsHaving portable, durable solar panels will allow all of the devices to function sustainably throughout the journey. The Powertraveller Solargorilla Solar Battery Charger, or a compa-rable solar panel, would be crucial to the success of the trip. These run for $225- $300.

Fuel/MantainanceFuel for travel and mantainance will be the most expensive single cost on the trip. Included will be the initial drive up to the source, and then the subsequent support crew journeys which will bring the paddlers food and supplies. It is estimated that this will cost a total of $3000.

This is a partial list of the most essential gear for the success of the trip. A complete gear list will be compiled nearer to the launch date.

The Team

ZSourceToSea@gmail.com

720.789.4129

Ryan EllisRyan grew up in Zambia, where he raced motocross, swam in lots of lakes and mountain biked. When he was sixteen he left home to become a professional mountain biker. Three years later, he moved to the United States to study at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He will be the writer and blogger for the trip, and is the primary organizer.

Nora RichardsNora grew up in Durango, Colorado, spending her childhood rafting, biking, and exploring the Colorado mountains. She is the team’s source of whitewater experience and knowledge, being a certified raft guide and having a lifetime of experience on the water.

Krishant DandikerKrishant is a PR manager at Intercontinental Hotels, and has joined the team to help drive ZSourceToSea to success.

So far, ZSourceToSea is comprised of Ryan Ellis (founder and paddler), Nora Rich-ards (co-founder and paddler) and Krishant Dandiker (PR Manager).

The Route

ZSourceToSea@gmail.com

720.789.4129

The journey will begin at the Northwestern tip of Zambia and end in Eastern Mozam-bique. So far, four legs of the journey have been planned. Every few days, the support vehicle will be meeting up with the paddle crew to resupply and help with any difficul-ties.

Leg 1: Lusaka - Source - BorderThis includes the 950km drive from Lusaka to Mwinilunga, which is where the source of the Zambezi lies. There will be a lot of boat-carrying during the first day or so, when the source has yet to become a full-fledged river. 60 km will be completed within the first day, and within three days the crew will meet at the Angola border.

Leg 2: Angola, Border to BorderThis leg will be a 370km paddle from James Benwa to Karripande. In this section the river quickly grows as it meanders across the flat plains of eastern Angola. The river is extremely twisty, and branches off into countless dead ends, with a few small rapids. The paddlers will be without support for the entire time in Angola, and will be carrying the food, tent and all other supplies. Cazombo market will provide food, as well. This leg will be completed in a maximum of 5 days, ideally 4. The support vehicle will meet at the border crossing to load the paddlers with supplies for the next leg.

Leg 3: Angola - BarotselandAt this point, the paddlers and support crew will go through Zambia. A network of notoriously sandy roads and jeep tracks will allow the support vehicle to move roughly parallel to the river all along the west of the country. The river is relatively gentle, with sand banks, islands and many split channels. The team will be paddling through the river at the end of the annual flood.

Leg 4: The Barotse Floodplain This is a slightly difficult section to plan for. Roughly 200 km long, the river splits into countless channels, and then eventually bursts its banks completely. During peak flood season the river can be up to 20 km wide. Because of the flooding, the ground around the river will be coated in a thick layer of silty mud, which will not allow for the support vehicle to meet the paddle crew.

Leg 5 and Beyond:The major challenges will be in the first four legs. The rest of the river will have decent roads for the support vehicle, and will be relatively flat until the rapids at Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls will feature class 5 rapids, and lots of excitement as the paddle crew navigates through big and potentially treacherous water.

The paddle trip will be 1600 miles on the river, and the support crew will do twice that in the car. The paddle trip will be recorded with video, pictures, blog posts, Twitter feeds, and Facebook, and the support vehicle’s adventure will be digitized with video and pictures.

What We Can Offer Sponsors

ZSourceToSea@gmail.com

720.789.4129

Any and all sponsorship will be treated with gratitude and fairness. ZSourceToSea can be used as a vessle for media coverage: the crew has access to radio shows, a strong and growing following on Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger. Sponsors will also have the opportunity to be mentioned in ZS2S’s videos and upcoming book.

Daily Media Coverage (Before and During)

Blogthe ZS2S paddlers will be writing blog posts daily while on the river, and is writing sporatic posts leading up to the launch day. Sponsors will be mentioned in blog posts, and will also be represented on the “Sponsors” page of the blog.

Twittertweets will happen frequently, averaging 2-3 per day. These will consist of both the daily life of the ZS2S crew and mentions of the sponsors.

FacebookSponsors will be made prominant on our Facebook page, and will each have a logo represented in our picture albums.

Videos and gearZS2S will upload videos daily to our blog. Logos of the sponsors will be glued onto the inflatable kayak, which will be shown in our daily videos.

Future Coverage (After The Trip)

BookRyan will be writing a book to be published about the ZSourceToSea adventure, in which a special thanks will be given to all sponsors.

VideoA compilation of all video footage will be edited and sent to film festivals. Sponsors will be mentioned in the credits of the video, with a logo.