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Toronto man who made his own ice sail goes viral on TikTok with adventure videos

Toronto resident Brendan Carberry has only been sharing outdoor adventure clips on TikTok for a little over a month now, but millions of people have already been captivated by his creative, daredevilish, entertaining videos. 

Carberry told blogTO he's long been an outdoor adventurist and has been documenting his escapades on Instagram for quite a while, but he recently decided to expand to TikTok to share his experiences with even more people. 

"I love connecting with people through outdoor adventure, and usually just have a camera rolling to capture the antics," he said. "I've been using Instagram as an adventure journal for a while, and Tiktok seemed like a great way to share a highlights reel, so to speak."

After posting a handful of different outdoorsy videos in December that got a few thousand views each, Carberry shared a clip of himself skating on a semi-frozen lake, and it wasn't long before it had been viewed more than 6,000,000 times. 

"My intent was to learn the platform, learn some new editing and filming skills, and just have another fun outlet," Carberry said, explaining that he never expected to go viral. 

"The engagement has been fun because it inspires me to come up with new ideas and get better at documenting them."

Since then, several of his other videos have gone viral, including another dangerous skating video that garnered more than 17,000 views, a video of his friend skating with chainsaws which has been viewed upwards of 69,000 times, and a clip of him "iceberg hopping" on a bike that has more than 45,000 views. 

But while you probably shouldn't attempt to try many of the stunts shown in Carberry's videos at home, the Toronto resident assures that he and wife Lisa Erdle — who occasionally makes appearances in the videos — always take the necessary safety precautions when filming.

"I have always been adventurous, but I've toned down the danger level as I've gotten older and wiser," he said. "Just out of the shot is always a pile of safety gear, as well as a lot of experience with cold water, adverse conditions, first aid, etc."

In fact, one of Carberry's most-viewed videos actually shows him checking the thickness of the ice before skating.

"There's always a bit of fear or excitement," he said. "I think that's what makes it fun and enjoyable to watch. Although it may seem haphazard at points, everything is a calculated risk approached confidently by everyone involved."

One of his more recent TikToks meanwhile shows Erdle skating around using a homemade ice sail, and Carberry said it was inspired by some longtime Toronto islanders who have old wooden versions of the same idea. 

"I sewed it using some recycled sailcloth, and the frame is assembled from old stand up paddleboard paddles from Toronto Island SUP," Carberry explained. "It functions a lot like a windsurfer sail, and when the ice is good you can get moving with only a slight breeze."

Carberry told blogTO he has an ever-growing list of video ideas on his phone, but whether or not they ever see the light of day is dependant on weather conditions.

"I really love the DIY take on outdoor fun, along the lines of the homemade sail," he said.

"There will definitely be some how-to videos, ice safety videos, and plenty more inventions. I hope the channel can become a source of inspiration for folks looking to get out and find something fun and exciting in their own backyard. "

Lead photo by

Brendan Carberry


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