Lapping the Island – The race for one of sea kayaking’s top prizes

By: Canoe & Kayak | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Canadian sea kayaker Joe O’Blenis pulls no punches when asked why he’s planning to endure over two weeks of 40- to 45-mile-long paddling days around British Columbia’s Vancouver Island this summer: It’s to reclaim a speed record he set in 2007 by lapping the island’s 750-mile perimeter in 23 days. Barely a year later, British superpaddler Sean Morley eclipsed the Canadian’s record by nearly six days. “I wouldn’t be going if I didn’t think I had a shot at the record,” says the native of Thunder Bay, Ontario. “It’s that stupid competitive spirit in me.”

O’Blenis, 45, has an impressive list of long-haul paddling accomplishments to his credit, including a single season, 3,750-mile cross-Canada canoe trip in 2004 and several top finishes in the 460-mile-long Yukon River Quest marathon race. In 2003, he paddled 170 miles in an attempt to set a new world record for distance paddled in 24 hours. He’s planning to depart the city of Nanaimo or Comox on Vancouver Island’s east coast (part of the Inside Passage) in mid-June to take advantage of the longest daylight hours of the year.

Click here to read the rest of the story at canoekayak.com

Comments

Monty Scheman
January 28, 2011 12:37 pm

Very good site, where did you come up with the information in this write-up? I’m glad I found it though, ill be checking back soon to see what other articles you have.

Add a Comment

By submitting a comment you grant Canoe & Kayak a perpetual license to reproduce your words, name and web site in attribution.
Comments may be removed at an administrators discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only and will never be shared.