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Production Information 
First time filmmakers Gavin and Curtis Callaway grew up spending most of their weekends on the river featured in The Secret Spot. In 1988 Curtis left the area to pursue an education and career in photography. Gavin stayed in Texas achieving his personal goals while continuing to make the river his weekend haven. Thirteen years later once Curtis returned from his studies and world travels, this gave the brothers the opportunity to collaborate on a project that would satisfy them both. Gavin’s dream was to create something with his own hands and Curtis’ ambition was to produce his own documentary. So The Secret Spot project was established. 
"The river is a special place to me. It gives me a feeling that I remember having as a child when my father would take us to the family ranch, or out camping. Just being together as a family outdoors away from the city and settling into a simple rhythm with nature where everything is reduced to the most basic elements of life. I enjoy the pleasure of seeing every sunrise and sunset, seeing the fish jump and the deer and beaver roam along the riverbanks. At night I am lulled to sleep by the owls and coyote and wake up the next morning to the sound of birds singing in the canopy. Some mornings a magical fog covers the river and the sensation of skiing through the mist is unparalleled. The best part is that I can share all of this with my wife and son. My goal was to capture all of the nuances of this place on film. 
Once Curtis and I decided to make this film we soon discovered that this would be the first of its kind. There are many surf and snow ski films, but no one has ever made a film that documents inland water sports. We have asked every one we meet in the industry and our most common response has been "It’s about time". The project originally began the spring of 2002 and we started shooting on 16mm. By the end of that summer we agreed that format did not do justice to the caliber of athletes we were filming. We started again in 2003 and this time we shot on 1080i high definition. The high definition format was much better suited to capture the amazing energy and artistry of the skiers as well as the beauty of the landscape that served as a backdrop. Another objective was to reveal the unique character of some of the colorful people that frequent these waters. As we began editing each segment we carefully chose music that best portrays the true essence of each character and style of skiing. It was no surprise to me that many of the interviews resonate the same themes that are important to me personally; enjoying time outdoors with family, passion for water sports, and an addiction to this river in particular. 
Amazingly the project was blessed with incredible weather the entire summer. There was never a rainout or any delay in shooting. However the last few weeks of filming presented many challenges. The weekend we were scheduled to shoot all of the women slalom skiers, 10,000 cubic feet of water per second was released from the lake above turning the entire river into a root beer float. There must have been 6 inches of foam covering the river as far as the eye could see. The foam dissipated in time to film, but the current created many problems with the slalom course. Thankfully, the skill and talent of the women skiers saved the shoot but this was one time Mother Nature almost caused a critical delay. About this same time Curtis acquired poison oak from clearing a small area to set up a blind for filming wildlife. His doctor told him that it was the worst case he had ever seen which made those last couple of weeks filming in 100 degree Texas heat very uncomfortable. 
As for myself, I narrowly avoided getting bit by a rattlesnake. I was peering off of the 300’ cliff (pictured in the still photograph at the front of the press kit) looking for the perfect angle and apparently was blocking the snakes view. Luckily I jumped to my right instead of forward to avoid the snakes wrath but it was a close call that I won’t soon forget. This whole process has been memorable in so many ways. Now 2 years from when we began and a wealth of experience later, the project is much more than I ever dreamed it would be when Curtis and I first started talking about our shared vision". ~ Gavin Callaway |