CLOSE UP Documentary – How Clean Kit Boosts Professional Athletes’ Confidence
Thu 29th Mar, 2018 @ 9:30 am
New Documentary Explores How Clean Kit Boosts Professional Athletes’ Confidence
Cleaning technology company Kärcher has commissioned an independent filmmaker to capture the real-life stories of three professional sportspeople in its first documentary film, CLOSE UP, which is being released this March through PR and online.
In the documentary, broken down into three short films, BAFTA-nominated British filmmaker Gary Tarn looks at the psyche of three professional sportspeople – Team GB BMX rider Shanaze Reade, British champion big wave surfer Andrew Cotton, and trained hiker Paul Steele – and the cleaning rituals they use when competing.
Filmed across Britain, the documentary-style film captures the trio in their natural habitats – hiking through mountains, riding through winding tracks, in the open water – and explores the emotional connection each has with their professional kit and equipment. Looking beyond the material, metal, and resin, Kärcher’s CLOSE UP explores the emotional link between having clean equipment and having confidence in their respective field.
Multiple BMX and track world champion Shanaze Reade, who was named the sole woman member of the United Kingdom BMX Olympic team by British Cycling, comments: “My bike has taken me to places I could never imagine. There is no doubt about it, a clean bike is a better performing bike. But more than that, and I know it sounds ridiculous, but for me, my bike is the equivalent of someone’s horse — if I have shown I’ve cared for it, I’m convinced it will care for me. I do not mind admitting I talk to my bike and the cleaning process is like a bonding process.”
World-record holder Andrew Cotton, who has vowed to surf again after breaking his back in a dramatic wipe-out in Portugal in November 2017, comments: “The aim of my surfing is always to catch the biggest wave possible, which is dependent on Mother Nature who you cannot control. So, the things that you can control – like having a smooth, clean board – are vitally important because they can give you a mental and physical boost so you feel you’re at least prepared for the waves ahead of you. You’re surfing waves of consequence and if I know that I look after my kit, it’ll look after me.”
Former British soldier and professional hiker Paul Steele comments: “My clothes protect me from all kinds of conditions; come rain, mud, snow or ice. I methodically clean my equipment because when I’m climbing a mountain the difference between well and poorly maintained kit can be the difference between life and death. Hiking is a sport that demands excellent preparation and seeing shiny equipment and mud-free boots gives me the confidence boost to walk further and climb higher safe in the knowledge that I can rely on my kit to look after me.”
The CLOSE UP documentary films by BAFTA-nominated director Gary Tarn are presented by Kärcher UK and is available to watch online at the following links:
Andrew Cotton: Click here to view video
Paul Steele: Click here to view video
Shanaze Reade: Click here to view video
Jack Sweeney from Kärcher UK comments: “Kärcher has been the expert in cleaning for over 80 years, but it is only really now that we are beginning to understand and prove the connection between cleaning and confidence. This study – and also the CLOSE UP film – demonstrate that an expert clean is a satisfying clean, which can boost confidence levels. With outdoor sports like cycling, running and surfing growing in popularity we have developed the Kärcher OC3 portable cleaner, which has become an immediate best-seller as it taps in the psyche of people who know that clean equipment makes a difference.”
For more information about Kärcher, please click here
