If this doesn't inspire you

September 9, 2001 3:20 PM

If this doesn't inspire you nothing will. Talk about risk taking!!! Anyways I'll bet the last two months weren't half as exciting as this guy's.
posted by HoldenCaulfield (13 comments total)

If you define exciting as being all by yourself in a vast ocean, then I guess so.
posted by geoff. at 3:30 PM on September 9, 2001

he must have set-off before planes were invented..
posted by apathetic at 3:42 PM on September 9, 2001

Who are we kidding, obviously he handpicked this exciting trip, and the charity fundraising that went with it, simply to make himself look good. Geez, what a prick!
posted by hincandenza at 3:54 PM on September 9, 2001

dude, you mean he HANDPICKED where his own money went!? That's communism. OH WAIT! ITS THE EXACT OPPOSITE!
posted by Satapher at 4:37 PM on September 9, 2001

I was going to make a snide sarcastic comment, but I thought the better of it.

So he did it for his fifteen minutes, what's wrong with that? He's hoping to raise $225,000 Cdn for charity. He's a teacher - comparing himself to a tycoon billionaire doesn't quite work. $225k, that's probably three years salary for him! Good for him I say.
posted by mkn at 6:11 PM on September 9, 2001

Mock him and his motives all you want, but just remember that anybody that can kayak across the bloody Atlantic can also punch a hole through a brick wall... or a human torso.
posted by saladin at 6:13 PM on September 9, 2001

good points!

hmm... i wanna raise money for charity by punching holes thru people's torsos.

that would rock.
posted by jcterminal at 6:43 PM on September 9, 2001

That is damned cool. I don't care why he did it - it's an impressive achievement.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:53 PM on September 9, 2001

At last, this will open up the coming great era of transatlantic passenger kayak travel.
posted by dhartung at 3:21 AM on September 10, 2001

And we're celebrating this achievement instead of questioning his sanity because... ? This would rank pretty high on my list of things too pointless to even contemplate.
posted by m.polo at 5:05 AM on September 10, 2001

No wonder it's so hard to find adventures these days - as soon as you come up with something really challenging, truly, awe-inspiringly difficult and actually a bit dangerous, instead of noting your unusual courage and above-average determination, people start questioning your sanity.

Bah. How boring.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:15 AM on September 10, 2001

last weekend i noticed that my tv remote was across the room after i had already sat down with beer. i had to gather the strength and traverse the living room and back before I could comfortably watch big brother. so i kinda know what this guy went through.
posted by bliss322 at 8:30 AM on September 10, 2001

Pretty damn remarkable. I'm in the middle of Paul Theroux's Fresh Air Fiend (which I usually read while smoking... hilarious I know), in which he describes paddling his kayak through a portion of Cape Cod thought to be too dangerous to cross. That was exciting enough in itself. This is innumerable times more impressive. I am in awe of this guy.

k
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:06 PM on September 10, 2001