Chris Bertish | |
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Born | 1974 (age 48–49) |
Nationality | South African |
Occupation(s) | Big wave surfer, stand-up paddleboarder, adventurer |
Parents |
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Relatives | Conn Bertish Greg Bertish |
Website | chrisbertish |
Chris Bertish is a South African surfer, stand-up paddleboarder, adventurer, and motivational speaker. In 2004 he gained recognition as the owner of 'Best Cribbar Barrel Vision Ever' after he pulled into a giant closeout at the infamous big wave spot in Cornwall. He won the Mavericks Big Wave Surf contest in 2009. In March 2017 he completed the first solo, unsupported stand-up paddle board (SUP) crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. He did it while supporting charitable organizations. He has also set other SUP world records. [1] His efforts moved an obscure sport onto the forefront of many important media outlets. [upper-alpha 1]
In February 2010, Bertish competed at the 2009/10 Mavericks Surf Contest near Half Moon Bay, Northern California, winning the $50,000 big-wave surf competition. [4] [5] Watched by 50,000 spectators, the contestants experienced waves in excess of 40 ft (12 m). Bertish arrived at the competition without his equipment and had to borrow a board to compete. [5] [6]
In 2016, a failed attempt at crossing the Atlantic on a stand-up paddleboard occurred. The boat was piloted by Nicholas Jarossay, a French citizen who was rescued a week into his trip. [7] [upper-alpha 2]
In a 93-day trek, Bertish successfully completed a solo, unassisted and unaided crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on a stand up paddle board, going from Morocco to Antigua. [9] [10] The feat was the culmination of five years of preparation. [11]
On 6 December 2016, Bertish set out from a marina in Agadir, Morocco, in a custom-built 20 ft (6 m) stand-up paddle craft on a journey of 7,400 kilometres (4,600 mi) and 120 days across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands. [12] [13] [14] His $120,000 craft was designed by Phil Morrison, a naval architect, and resembles a connected row-boat and a stand-up paddle board, called ImpiFish. [12] It weighed 1,350 pounds (610 kg), which Bertish now considers to have been "too light." [upper-alpha 3] It had a "number of technological amenities such as a satellite phone, a radar device, a MacBook, a water maker" – carrying the amount of fresh water he needed was impractical. [11] On 9 March 2017, he arrived in Antigua at English Harbour becoming the first person to cross the Atlantic on a stand-up paddle board. [15] He made the journey unsupported and unassisted in 93 days. [15] Initially he wanted to continue to Florida, but due to forecasted poor weather made his landfall in Antigua. [15]
The craft was self-righting if it capsized, avoiding the possibility of turtling. Gear included a life raft, flares, and an emergency grab bag. [7] An integral part of maintaining stability in adverse weather was the use of sea anchors. [7]
Bertish averaged 43 miles (69 km) a day, surpassing his planned 30 miles (48 km) daily. Paddling was mainly done at night to avoid sun exposure. [7]
The attempt was made in order to raise money for several South African charities to feed, school and provide medical operations for children and succeeded in raising $412,000. [13] The charities include Signature of Hope Trust, the Lunchbox Foundation and Operation Smile.[ citation needed ] The attempt had been sponsored by the financial group Carrick Wealth. [11] [16]
In addition to gaining the Guinness World Record for being the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a stand-up paddle board, Bertish also set another world record during the attempt by travelling the furthest distance solo, unsupported and unassisted over open ocean in a day of 115.86 kilometres (71.99 mi). [17] In fact, he set at least three world records during the crossing; and promised to pay for a charitable surgery for each of them. [18]
Previously he completed a 3½-day 320-kilometre (200 mi) paddle and a "source to sea" run-paddle-bike descent of the Thames River, with an English Channel SUP bonus crossing. [19]
Unofficially and off the South African coast, he set the world record for 12-hour open ocean paddling, covering almost 130 kilometres (81 mi) aided by "great downwind conditions." The previous record was 120 kilometres (75 mi) held by an American. [19]
Bertish has been chosen, as one of 100 visionary people, to contribute a 250 word essay to be included in a 3D book. [20] The 3D book will be designed by artist Ron Arad and will be a world first and printed in zero gravity. [20] Called, Genius: 100 Visions of the Future, it is organised by the Albert Einstein Foundation Initiative for the Inspired by Einstein Project. [20]
In 2018, South African artist, Michael Lee, painted three large oil paintings to commemorate the transatlantic crossing, Atlantic Solo, featuring Bertish battling a storm at night, with a reference to Hokusai's Great Wave image, Atlantic Soul showing the SUP champion in equilibrium with a calm ocean and various aquatic creatures, and Atlantic Epic, illustrating Bertish's arrival at the Pillars of Hercules in Antigua to complete the epic journey. [21] [22] [23]
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer, uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also be found in standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or in wave pools.
A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They trade off the manoeuvrability of whitewater kayaks for higher cruising speed, cargo capacity, ease of straight-line paddling, known as tracking, and comfort for long journeys.
The International Canoe Federation (ICF) is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide. 157 countries are affiliated with the ICF after seven national federations were added at the 2008 ICF Congress in Rome.
Kommetjie is a small town near Cape Town, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It lies about halfway down the west coast of the Cape Peninsula, at the southern end of the long wide beach that runs northwards towards Chapman's Peak and Noordhoek. The community of Ocean View is located to its immediate south east.
Hannes Lindemann was a German doctor, navigator and sailor. He made two solo transatlantic crossings, one in a sailing dugout canoe made while working in Liberia and the second in a 17-foot Klepper Aerius II double folding kayak, modified to carry two masts and an outrigger. His book Alone at Sea documents the trips, which were totally unassisted. He was motivated to make the trips by an interest in how the human body and mind respond to survival at sea, a theme which the Kon-Tiki (1947) and Alain Bombard (1952) explored in earlier ocean voyages.
Ocean rowing is the sport of rowing across oceans. Some ocean rowing boats can hold as many as fourteen rowers; however, the most common ocean rowboats are designed for singles, doubles, and fours.
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is the world governing authority for surfing, SUP racing, SUP surfing, para surfing, bodyboarding and all other wave riding activities. The ISA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Peʻahi is a place on the north shore of the island of Maui in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It has lent its name to a big wave surfing break, also known as Jaws.
Peter Bray became, in 2001, the third person known to cross the Atlantic Ocean alone in a kayak as well as the first one to paddle west to east and also the first one not using sails to help his paddling. He documented his expedition in the book Kayak Across the Atlantic in 2004.
Paddleboarding is a water sport in which participants are propelled by a swimming motion using their arms while lying or kneeling on a paddleboard or surfboard in the ocean or other body of water. Paddleboarding is usually performed in the open ocean, with the participant paddling and surfing unbroken swells to cross between islands or journey from one coastal area to another.
Dave Kalama is a big wave surfer/tow-in surfer, stand-up paddle (SUP) surfer and racer, surf and SUP board shaper, windsurfer, outrigger canoe racer, private adventure guide, and celebrity watersports enthusiast. Kalama, his wife, 2 sons and 1 daughter live in Kula, Maui.
Standup paddleboarding (SUP) is a water sport born from surfing with modern roots in Hawaii. Standup paddleboarders stand on boards that are floating on the water, and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. The sport was documented in a 2013 report that identified it as the outdoor sporting activity with the most first-time participants in the United States that year. Variations include flat water paddling, racing, surfing, whitewater SUP, yoga, and fishing.
Corran Descy Addison is a slalom canoeist, whitewater kayaker, surfer and surfboard designer. He is now based in Montreal, Quebec.
Thomas Michael O'Shaughnessy Jr. is a member of the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame, a paddleboarder, surfer, adventurer, real estate agent and philanthropist. He is currently living in Ponce Inlet, Florida.
Paddleboard Yoga, invented by 2009, is the practice of modern yoga as exercise, and sometimes specific transitions between postures, while stand up paddleboarding, usually with the board in calm water, such as a lake.
Andrea Moller is a Brazilian-American competitive canoeist and surfer. She competes in every outrigger race large event, from one-man (OC1) to six-man (OC6) canoes as well as SUP long distance races all year round. She is a professional Paramedic and mother, on Maui where she lives.
Roray Kam is a surfer, a multiple-time winner of longboard surfing competitions and an early participant in stand up paddle boarding in South Florida. He is a surfing coach and the founder of RK Ocean Gear, and in 2013 resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL and works for the Broward County Sherriff's Office. Kam has hosted a number of Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) events and races.
The ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship is the premier SUP/Paddleboard championship organised by the International Surfing Association. The competition has been held since 2012 and has taken place roughly annually since. There is a similar world championship in this discipline organized by the International Canoe Federation called the ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships, which originated a litigation from ISA to the ICF. The arbitration was eventually ruled in favor of allowing to keep both championships by CAS, but giving ISA the international recognition of the sport in case of an entry at the Olympic Games.
Connor Baxter is an American standup paddleboarder. Between 2015 and 2022, he was the recipient of one gold medal, five silver medals, and two bronze medals in the long distance, technical, and sprint races at the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship. At the ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships, he has won two silver medals and one gold medal (2022) in the technical race, and a further two gold medals and one silver (2021) in the sprint race. At the 2019 Pan American Games, he won a gold medal in standup paddleboarding race. At the 2022 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship, he won a gold medal in the sprint race. He has also served as a brand ambassador for the sportswear brand Dakine.
Bertish personally committed to funding one operation for a child in Africa through Operation Smile for every world record he achieved on this epic Transatlantic journey. And he achieved many of them including a new world record for a 24-hour solo unsupported and unassisted open ocean distance SUP.
Days it took surfer Chris Bertish to travel across the Atlantic on a paddleboad, an unprecedented feat.
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