Celine Prudhomme Madsen

I met Hendri for the first time during spring 2003 on my first 2-day rafting trip. After a day packed with rafting actions, we stopped for the night on one small island in the middle of the Nile.

After dinner, as we were having few drinks by the fire, Hendri pulled out his pois and played by the river. It was so beautiful, he looked amazing, the fire and his enchanted pois reflection were dancing on the Nile. The evening was all surreal and peaceful. I was almost hypnotised by the show. Time seemed to have stopped as the sky full of stars was looking upon us. An evening I’ll never forget.

As Hendri came back to the fire, I was determined to ask a little more about these captivating fire balls. I ask Hendri if it was difficult. He replied that it was not and that I should try (It was funnily the same answer he gave me few hours before when I tried to move straight back up his kayak from and up-side-down position – I never made it). Anyway, excited but a little cautious, I gave it a go. It was my very first fire-pois session and I was hooked! Since that night on the Nile, every time I play, I have a nice little thought for Hendri 🙂