On World Ocean’s Day (8th June 2017) Carlos and I became the first people to complete a marathon on a SUP made out of plastic bottles in the absolutely stunning setting of the Dordogne River in France.
See the highlights of our day on our photo gallery here.
The Route
We successfully paddled 42.2 km/ 26.2 miles from Saint Julien de Lampon to Saint Cyprien. in 6 hours 45minutes (paddle-time) taking it in turns on our plastic bottle board and the Explorace 12’6 SUP board kindly donated by Itiwit by Decathlon. There was a little current in some parts of the river to give us a gentle push; however in other parts a little more effort was required. It was definitely a little more challenging on the plastic bottle board but overall we were delighted with it and we can certainly guarantee that it works! “Strong and stable…” I would say!
Connectivity and Responsibility
What a day! The weather was a scorching 30 degrees without a cloud in the sky. We felt privileged to paddle in such peace and serenity through a place steeped in history. Paddling allows you to view the world from a different perspective. As you glide through canyons below ancient castles accompanied by the ducks, swans, butterflies and dragonflies you cannot help but feel connected to nature. With that connectivity comes responsibility – I felt an overwhelming responsibility to preserve and protect our environment and this emphasized the importance of our mission. My message to you is a positive one. We have a stunning world to enjoy… make time, go out and immerse yourself in nature; feel the peace and happiness it brings. Once you do this, looking after it becomes automatic.
I have to say, that I was incredibly impressed with the cleanliness of the Dordogne. I did not see any plastic rubbish floating in the river and I found the recycling system in France to be very efficient. But it still makes no sense to use an indestructible material for throwaway items and that is what we aim to change. We look forward to seeing what the next marathon will bring.
Keep following our journey here: www.thewhalecompany.co.uk/route and if you can, please donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/plastic-bottle-sup
UPCOMING MARATHONS
24 JUNE – MADRID – on Atazar Reservoir – with SUP CLUB MADRID
8 JULY – PORTUGAL – in the Algarve– with ALGARVESUP
15 JULY – ITALY – in Noli – with GREEN SURF FESTIVAL