Element of surprise

My favourite thing about my work is, without a doubt, the element of surprise. Case in point: The Eskimo Ninja (aka Nick Hanson of Unalakleet, Alaska). Nick is a contestant on the hit show “American Ninja Warrior.” He built his own training course, pictured here, out of driftwood and trash from the dump. In this shot by Eric Guth, Nick descends the 14 foot Warp Wall framed between the posts of his Salmon Ladder.

So what is more surprising that meeting a self-described indigenous ninja on a beach in an Alaskan village? It’s this: Competing in this reality show, down south in glitzy L.A., reminds Nick of his Inupiaq heritage. “It’s supportive, and cooperative,” he says. “When I went to American Ninja Warrior, I felt like I was going home.”

#meetthenorth #lindbladexpeditions #nationalgeographic #americanninjawarrior #ninjawarrior #eskimoninja #nativeyoutholympics #alaska #unalakleet