02:00PM, Monday 09 May 2022
Darth Vader took a break from serving the Galactic Empire by paddleboarding on the River Thames near Windsor last week in celebration of the Star Wars franchise.
Richard Symonds, 52, decided to don the Sith Lord’s costume on May 4, which is known by many movie enthusiasts as ‘Star Wars Day’.
A fan of the series since he was 10, Richard – or Darth Vader – told the Express that he wanted to ‘give people a giggle’ on Wednesday last week.
“Having recently bought the outfit, I thought why not give people a giggle and as I’m passionate about paddleboarding I thought combining the two would be something different,” he said.
“[The reaction] was just magic; boats hooting horns, people racing to get a photo, shaking hands with passing boats – I was just glad I was anonymous behind the mask.”
Although Darth Vader is set to take a hiatus from paddleboarding, Richard added Spiderman and Aqua Woman could be taking to the Thames in the very near future.
May 4th be with you #MayThe4thBeWithYou @windsorobserver @ExpressSeries pic.twitter.com/v56QAg4K3K
— Richard Symonds (@richwildart) May 4, 2022
Comments
Editor's Picks
Most read
Top Articles
Would-be visitors to Dorney Lake have expressed disappointment at a decision to close it to the public over summer once again.
Burnham Park Academy and a scenic spot near Windsor and Eton Bridge are among the locations to feature in a new romantic drama on Netflix.
More closures are planned on the M4 this weekend as works continue on the smart motorway project.
© Copyright 2016 Baylis Media Limited All right reserved
