Big wave surfer and SUP Guinness World Record holder, Chris Bertish, plans to embark on the world’s first solo, wing foil, 4 103 km transpacific crossing.
Bertish is let to launch his expedition in late May from Channel Islands Harbor Marina in California and plans to reach Oahu, Hawaii by the end of July.
In June 2021, Bertish set the world record for the longest distance on a wing-foil by travelling unsupported for 341 km. He hopes to raise awareness of climate change and action while informing the public about ocean conservation.
This attempt will require him to complete the equivalent of more than two full marathons a day, winning a minimum of 8-12 hours per day over sixty days. He will embark on this journey completely unassisted.
Before, Bertish embarked on a world-first solo transatlantic stand-up paddle crossing that garnished global attention and raised funds for many global charities.
The Transpacific Wing Project craft has been custom-built for his 2017 solo paddle journey across the Atlantic and has been overhauled and upgraded with hydrofoils added to the side.
‘It was great to achieve a new wing-foiling distance world record last year, however, there’s a lot of work to be done to be able to complete the 2,550 miles journey over June/July and possibly the beginning of August, so I’ll hope for a great weather window to get away from land and then take it one day at a time from there,’ Bertish said.
Chris Bertish when he trained for his transatlantic SUP crossing. Picture: Getaway Gallery
The Transpacific Wing Project will raise money and awareness for ocean conservation through partnerships with Conservation International and Sea Shepherd.
Chris will share a tracker on his 4 103 km journey across the Pacific Ocean, posting weekly ‘Captain’s Vlogs’ and sharing valuable ocean temperature, PH and plastic and noise pollution data which he will collect along the way.
The team is also developing a first-of-its-kind live ocean classroom to give back to education during the expedition—in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Chris will assemble and teach ocean-themed classroom sessions focused on ocean health and climate change challenges through solution-driven thinking on how all humans can minimize their negative impact, take action, and be part of the change we want to see in the world.
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