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kitesurfers in for the ride of there lives
Added: (Fri Sep 25 2009)
Dartmouth, 23rd September 2009
This October two young adventurers hope to become the first people to complete a non-stop kitesurf between three nations. Beginning in Watergate Bay, Newquay, the first leg of their journey will take them to within 200m of the Irish coast. From there they will tack and head for their final destination, Cardigan Bay in Wales. The record breaking 230mile trip taking an estimated 20 hours will see Murray Smith and Adam Khan, both 24, battle fatigue and limited visibility as they kitesurf through the night, large seasonal swells, unpredictable winds and navigating shipping lanes are only a few of the obstacles they have to contend with..
Adventurer Murray Smith from Dartmouth Devon brings a wealth of endurance experience to the table. Earlier this year he kitesurfed solo and unsupported over 95miles between the Caribbean islands of Antigua and St Barts and in March he completed a month long unsupported ski traverse of the Greenland ice cap. In 2008 he was one of 3 British athletes to star in the popular BBC extreme challenge series, Last Man Standing. And as a kite surfing instructor Smith’s specialist knowledge of his sport only enhances the possibility of success. New to the world of endurance challenges, Smith’s team mate Adam Khan recruitment consultant turned trainee paramedic from Bournemouth is a seasoned athlete who has competed at national level at both wakeboarding and mono skiing and is a qualified wakeboarding instructor.
In 2005 Andreya Wharry kite surfed 132 miles from Watergate Bay to Ireland breaking the women's long distance record however unsuccessfully reaching Ireland and only a small handful have come close with crossings similar to the distance Smith covered in the Caribbean. The additional distance throws up a number of problems such as how to stay hydrated, how to eat without letting your kite drop and how to stay warm through the night. The team will both wear a tracking device which will update their individual positions to their website www.2xtremes.co.uk every 10mins. They will also be accompanied by a support team on a RIB supplied by RIBEYE, which the rules state at no time can they touch, But even the introduction of a support boat could prove problematic as it may have to head in to Ireland for a refuel, leaving the team kiting unsupported in the dark for several hours.
Smith says “we can predict what kit to take and how many calories we might need but the one thing we can’t predict is the weather and if that doesn’t work in our favour what is already an incredibly tough challenge will become almost insurmountable”. Late September and early October see large season swells hitting our coastlines; the accompanying conditions will hopefully work in Smith and Khan’s favour but the decision to leave at this time of year could also work against them. October’s cold temperatures also mean that they must keep moving or risk hypothermia, especially during the night. When asked why they haven’t chosen to do this in a warmer climate and milder conditions Khan’s response is that “as British athletes who learnt to kite surf in the UK we both felt it was important to keep this adventure as local as possible and we wanted to prove that there are still people out there willing to push the boundaries of what’s possible and what’s comfortable.”
In the run up to the event the team the team have been hitting the charity trail with all contributions going to War Child and the fund raiseing is still ongoing as donations can still be made along with challenge updates via there website 2xtremes.co.uk.
ENDS