Monday, 12 January 2015 11:35

6 to watch in 2015 - who's going to be grabbing our headlines

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Last year we gave our prediction sof who to watch out for in 2014, selecting 6 people we had an inkling would hit the headlines in the year ahead. Each of our 6 to watch in 2014 did hit the headlines, with an additional tip mid-way through the year to keep an eye on Ian Burton and As the Crow Flies for a Kendal Award. Our prediction that Terry Abraham would get BBC exposure for his films was undoubtedly our biggest success with his Scafell Pike film making its BBC debut this week. Andy Turner hit the headlines with a spectacular dry tooling competition in the spectacular Devonshire Dome and Chris Townsend featured throughout 2014 first as an advocate of hill walking in his BMC role and then in front of the lens in Backpacking in the Lake District. Carey Davies was regular headline maker too with an Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild award for his writing and real progress in raising the profile of hill walking inside the BMC. Nadir Khan and Daniel Wildey carried on doing what they do - taking spectacular photographs that feature on the adverts we drool over.

Andy Turner's spectacular dry tooling route in Buxton's Devonshire Dome.

Of course we missed a couple of really big stories when making our predictions, with Steve Birkinshaw's amazing Wainwrights record and Shauna Coxsey's stunning World Cup performances. In the film world we couldn't predict the success of Al Lee's Brit Rock on Tour which smashed all records for public showings and we failed to spot Jules Lines "Tears of the Dawn" which scooped the Boardman Tasker.

 

So we start 2015 with a look ahead to we think will be making the headlines in 2015. There's some predictable nominations and a couple that at this stage are only far from certain with projects either not even guaranteed to proceed or a "hope" rather than a certainty for 2015.

 

Andy and Ella Kirkpatrick

The master of suffering will be back again in 2015 in a big way and we predict that Ella will emerge alongside her Dad as a major influence. 2014 saw Andy hit national TV with the spectacular Comic Relief Alex Against the Rock climb with Alex Jones and 2015 could see him return to TV with a Norwegian adventure "in the spirit of" the famous eroes of Telemark. The word is that 2015 will also see a return to El Capitan with Ella leading sections this time around. Since her appearance alongside Andy and Ed Byrne at Kendal in 2012 Ella Kirkpatrick has taken to the public glare with impressive performances both on stage and TV and has the markings of a star of the future.

Andy and Ella Kirkpatrick on stage with Ed Byrne

 

Shauna Coxsey

One of the big stories of 2014, we're predicting more success for Shauna Coxsey in 2015. With her, and the UK's, first ever Bouldering World Cup Golds in 2014 she went into the final event of the year with a real chance of overall victory and came away with a very close second place in the overall standings. This year's competition will be just as tight but with her consistency and the confidence of back to back World Cup wins in 2014 we can see Shauna going all the way in 2015. With her success last year Shauna started getting more mainstream coverage and a WC overall victory this year could see both competition climbing and Shauna herself reaching our TV screens.

Shauna Coxsey in action in the 2014 World Cup

 

Kenton Cool

If Kenton Cool's 2015 project comes to fruition he won't just hit the headlines in the outdoor media but will hit the news around the world. By no means certain as we write this the plan is probably the most audacious ever conceived in the field of mountaineering. Not content with completing the mind boggling Triple Crown of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse Kenton is aiming for new records with a Triple Crown that takes the breath away. The Himalayan Trology will see him take on the three highest summits in the world in just 3 months - "a challenge so great that no man or woman has ever attempted it before."

Kenton Cool inspiring the next generation as he chats with Scouts

 

Paul Diffley

An award winning film from the Hot Aches studios of Paul Diffley is as predictable as fireworks on bonfire night and it was almost a shock when Ian Burton grabbed the People's Choice from its familar home in Edinburgh. The competition had better watch out though, we've seen the storyboard of Transition, this year's big release, and it's going to take some beating! Scheduled for a Kendal release the film will see Natalie Berry take on the challenges of trad climbing and winter mountaineering with Dave Macleod as her mentor. Transition follows Natalie over the course of a year as she takes her first exploratory steps into a new world, closely following the highs and lows of the pursuit of a life in the mountains. It's going to be the one to beat!

Paul Diffley celebrates a double success at Kendal Mountain Festival

 

Jen Randall

One of the rising stars of British adventure film making, Jen Randall looks set to break the glass ceiling of a male dominated industry. With the critically acclaimed Project Mina behind her we can see Jen making major progress this year, assisted by a new focus throughout the industry on increasing female participation both in fron of and behind the lens.

Jen Randall's Project Mina saw success in both full and teaser versions in 2014

 

Books

Shout if from the rooftops, far from being dead the traditional book is alive, kicking and making a comeback. While Waterstones recently reported that sales of Kindles have crashed spectacularly sales of real books have started regaining lost ground. The 2014 Boardman Tasker Committee had a record number of entries in 2014 and 2015 looks set for an epic battle. On one side John Porter's "One Day as a Tiger" has been sweeping up awards like a vacuum cleaner and having just missed the Kendal deadline for 2014 looked nailed on for the 2015 award. On the other side we have Ed Douglas' much anticipated biography of the legendary Ben Moon. Already selling out fast in it's special edition it looks set to go straight to the top of the book charts and could prove real competition for John Porter.

John Porter(1)

John Porter reading from One Day as a Tiger at Kendal 2014