He’s yet to even set foot in a boat, but a Queenstowner’s about to embark on a deeply personal rowing mission in the United Kingdom. Brad Stent’s heading to London in September for the 312th running of Doggett’s Coat and Badge, the world’s oldest continuously-run boat race, first held in 1715, after which he’ll attempt to row the same 7.5km stretch of the River Thames as his late father, David, who won the race as a 21-year-old apprentice waterman in 1966. Brad, a filmmaker with no rowing experience, is turning the entire journey into a feature documentary, The Waterman’s Son, about grief, legacy and the silence that often divides men across generations. He says he heard his dad talk about winning the race when he was growing up, but didn’t fully grasp the achievement until after he’d died. By then, it was too late to have the conversations he wishes they’d had when he was alive. "This isn’t a sports film,” Brad says. "It’s a film about a river that will hopefully bring me closer to the father I spent a lifetime trying to understand. "I think many men carry some version of that same story – unspoken love, things left unsaid, and the question of whether I truly knew my father as a man.” Production’s about to start on the film, where Brad, who’s in his 40s, has just six weeks to prepare for what will be one of the most physically-demanding challenges of his life — he’ll first set foot in a rowboat next week. He’s being supported by the Whakatipu Rowing Club and trained by OC Health Club’s Paddy Turnhout, who describes Brad’s mission as a “huge undertaking”. "The biggest challenge is that Brad has not had physical activity as his main priority for a large portion of his life. "Helping him overcome those physical barriers and mental blockages will be important, but also what really excites me is being involved with a project much bigger than just physical exercise.” The Waterman’s Son follows Brad’s present day training and prep in Queenstown, supported by the Whakatipu Rowing Club, and the reconstructed story of his late dad’s life as a Thames waterman, a trade with roots stretching back tot he reign of Henry VIII. The production’s led by Oaia Road Entertainment — founded by Brad — alongside Wānaka based co-producer Erin Murdie and director of photography Joe Murdie. Ahead of the film’s release, Brad will be running a hugely personal ‘Dear Dad’ content series across social media, inviting audiences to share their own unspoken words to their fathers. tracey.roxburgh@scene.co.nz
