FIELD NOTES: THE MAKING OF "EMILY"

As a creative team, Claire Mudie and Lindsay Wilkins have spent years pursuing stories rooted in human grit, sports, and community. EMILY marks their third independent passion project together, a documentary revealing the off script, fun and candid side of the paddleboard race season through the eyes of Women's Test Pilot and 2024 Catalina Classic Champion, Emily Bark.

After watching Emily claim her first victory at the 2024 Catalina Classic, Claire and Lindsay saw an opportunity to capture something different. The concept was straightforward yet ambitious: follow Emily across an entire paddle season, documenting the slice-of-life moments that define her life on and off the water.

What resulted was an eight-month journey trailing Emily for over 650-miles of racing and adventure paddles. Here is how they brought Emily's story to life.

Film and Words by Lindsay Wilkins (Director) and Claire Mudie (Producer)

Emily Bark is from the South Bay of Los Angeles. Though you may find her shaping boards at her dad's shop in Torrance or longboarding in one of the coves tucked behind the Palos Verdes cliffs, she is also one of the most competitive prone paddlers in the world. After winning the Catalina Classic in 2024, she cemented herself as a force in the sport, following in the footsteps of her dad (Joe Bark) and her brother (Jack Bark) as Classic Champions.

Few know much about the sport of paddling; fewer know what it actually takes to win. After clinching her first title at the Catalina Classic, we thought it apt to capture a full paddle season training for the world's longest paddle races. The idea was simple: follow Emily from race to race, interjecting slice-of-life moments that separate her stints of long miles on the water. Wanting to further acquaint the world with paddling and our close friend, we pitched the idea to Emily.

She agreed, and we were off to the races (literally)! First up was the Avila Lifeguard Lap, one of the more unique races on the paddle circuit. Competitors and spectators alike pitched their tents at the campsite above the enclave at Avila State Beach. Surrounded by campfires and headlamps, the paddle community gathered to talk shop and eat before the morning of racing to follow. This event officially marked the beginning of the season—what a fun way to shake the dust off a raceless winter! After a somewhat easy cruise around the Central California waters, Emily finished the eight-mile lap with her reliably optimistic, "It was a fun one!"

The Malibu Downwinder is another staple in the paddle community, where Joe Bark predictably shows up with his homemade salsa. We joined Joe and Emily at the shop to make three buckets of their famous recipe full of chives, jalapeños, and extra garlic. What started as a damp morning in the South Bay turned to blue skies up in Malibu. We took to the coastline by car and followed racers for miles while parents and fans observed through binoculars. We made new friends and watched as paddlers faced some choppy conditions.

Since paddling is mostly an unprofessional sport, most of these athletes put in their main miles after work or on weekends. You can find paddlers carrying their 15-foot boards down rocky cliffs or planning early morning workouts around the locally world-famous R10 buoy. We learned that it is best to be nimble when following a water athlete—half the fun was grabbing the camera at a moment's notice or jumping in the boat with Joe after work. In between hometown races, we explored local waters with Em and the paddle crew to capture some of our favorite training moments. Between upwind paddles at the jetty and cliff-side descents, we found ourselves in some pretty fun places that only paddling takes you.

Though raced individually, paddling can feel like a community sport because paddlers often train together. A few years ago, Emily started the South Bay Paddle Club to foster that community. This group has grown over the years and continues to be a habitual meeting place for a wide spectrum of paddlers. Everyone from beginners to experts shows up to paddle the local waters and grab a coffee or beer (time dependent) together after. That is something we uncovered while following her for an entire season: Emily is sincere in her desire to introduce other athletes to the sport. She often starts races surrounded by friends, whether in middle age or middle school.

When walking around the South Bay, it would not be uncommon to find someone sporting Emily's hand-printed tees or custom-painted surfboards. She has spent hundreds of hours in her dad's shop learning to shape, and it is hard to miss her unique style of artistry, whether on boards, stickers, mugs, or animations. This organically became an important part of the film—capturing how her gifts converge on and off the water to contribute to the sport she loves.

Emily had quite a few races under her belt by mid-July, and it was time for Molokai. This iconic Hawaiian race invites competitors to paddle from Molokai Island to Oahu—a 32-mile stretch through deep Pacific waters. Thanks to our awesome crew of additional camera operators, we were fortunate enough to include training and race moments in the doc. Shoutout to Misha Robb, Slader Bark, and Anneliese Solberg! Emily claimed a remarkable second-place finish, spurred on by her boat crew and friends.

After about a month of recovery, it was time to run it back with "the granddaddy of all paddle races," as it is colloquially known. Claire and I were fortunate enough to hop on Joe's boat to escort Emily through the channel. Emily generously welcomed us into her process, traveling together by ferry the previous night. We pitched our tent and went to bed, knowing the 4 a.m. wakeup call was right around the corner. Rising well before the sun, we followed Emily through a quiet morning of prep. She went to the bathroom to apply sunscreen, count her Gu gels, and make sure her headphones were loaded. This was a sacred moment—full of stillness and nerves—before paddlers took their places at the start line.

Jack and Emily found a moment to pray together before they secured their spots in the water. The horn went off, and paddlers weaved between moorings and pushed into the early morning horizon. We found Joe and gunned it out there by boat, keeping a close eye on our girl and the paddlers out front. The conditions were favorable for someone who likes bumps (Emily). They were less favorable for someone who gets seasick (me). It was still one of the best days of the year. Emily took her own line with advice from her dad. She paddled mostly alone for 32 miles, and we enjoyed getting to cheer her on, film from the water, refuel her snacks, and talk with Joe about his daughter, whom he calls "a mental giant." A new women's champion, Yurika Horibe, was crowned, and Emily took an impressive second place.

With two 32-mile paddles under her belt, some would think it was time to take a rest. But Emily and her buddy Sydney Brouwer had other plans. They had been planning a hyper-long adventure paddle from the top of Los Angeles County to the bottom. On the most perfect morning in September, we all began the 17-hour journey from Ventura to Cabrillo State Beach. The girls covered 56 miles from morning to morning. They paddled for 14 and a half hours, accompanied by her brother Sam and friend Derek. We waded through a variety of California landscapes: everything from Malibu hills to cityscapes, passing the Beach Cities piers and familiar hometown marinas. The girls paddled by headlamps at night and stopped in Redondo Harbor for bean and cheese burritos (thanks Aimee and Joe!). We took turns sleeping and made sure to keep Nerds Gummy Clusters within reach. This was, surely, our favorite part of the paddle season.

Emily completed the trifecta by traveling to Tennessee for Chattajack, a river race in the Smoky Mountains. This is truly the end of the season and, for her, the completion of three 30+ mile races and one long adventure paddle. In 8 months, she covered over 650 miles.

Between our time at the shop, intimate moments of race starts, screen printing at her tiny home, and adventures out on the boat, we hoped to capture the full breadth of Emily's life as a waterwoman. Though her talents are many, we know she'd just be thrilled if the film encourages one person to get out on the water, pick up a paintbrush, or try something new.

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Check out the 2026 Catalina Classic Collection, designed by Emily Bark and for more, visit Bark Boards.