World wakesurf distance record

Pretty cool stuff. You can bet with a little press there's going to be quite a few attempts at this record. Check the video at the end of the article: http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/...+panama+canal/

Panama's Gary Saavedra, intent on discovering his limitations, surfed a wave created by a boat moving through the Panama Canal for 3 hours, 55 minutes and two seconds, while spanning a distance of 41.3 miles.

The 13-time national surfing champion set Guinness World Records for longest time and distance surfed on open water. (England's Steve King had held the time record: 1 hour, 6 minutes, set while riding a tidal bore wave in 2006. The distance record is new.)

"After the third hour, my body was very tired," he said. "I almost fell eight times. In the first hour, I worked very hard and used all my energy. The weather was harsh ... I had never trained in such conditions."

Thie unusual odyssey began Saturday at 6:40 a.m. in Gatun Lake within the canal. Saavedra surfed toward the east behind a two-foot wave created by a wakeboarding boat.

Does anyone know what set-up he had on the boat? It looks like a MC X-25 to me.

I read that is was an X-25:

"...through the Gatun Lake, and back again to where he started, surfing a wave created by a MasterCraft X25 2010 boat."

http://www.ink-on-the-web.com/2011/0...-panama-canal/

I've done 5 miles before on Lake Erie,I can't even imagine that distance.

Sounds like a job for the "Saltless Surfer". My favorite loco goofy rider.

i asked chris if he thought he could stand behind the boat for 4 hours ........ he laughed

looks like he is on a skimboard? i wonder which style board would tire you less for a long endurance run like that

we have just been surfing big time at santa cruz this winter ........ i havent even seen the boat since november ........ looks like we will be splitting our time this coming year at the ocean and on the boat ........ chris has been riding a quad fin fish in the ocean and maybe .............

RJ has done about 60 mins once, just because we were going to the other side of the lake, and RJ said, "can I surf it". I would think a stable surf style board would be easier to not lose your balance when you get tired.

RJ and Whitney would love to head out with you once or twice to Santa Cruz. That would be fun, and make a great podcast.

as soon as the weather clears up robert we will hit it ........ we will be there all this weekend but the weather is alittle too unsettled for saturday but sunday is supposed to be real nice ......... we now have a couple of real nice longboards and 2 nice shortboards ......... im even getting a shortboard for a 280lber !!!!!!

didn't somebody ride for 24hrs straight? I would think they would have killed this record

Originally Posted by petrey10

didn't somebody ride for 24hrs straight? I would think they would have killed this record

My understanding is that guy rode for 24 hours but had to stop to refuel every 3 hours or so. I think the next holder of this record will either have to a) refuel under power or b) have a larger fuel tank than the X25.

That was Warrick Bell

Warrick Bell
http://www.livinglakecountry.com/oco...101992873.html

"The team from People's Wave Center uploaded a video of the recent testing. Check it out and get an inside look at the facility. One surfer maintained a barrel ride for over 2 minutes. Probably a new world record! "
I guess they never heard of wakesurfing