A Spanish paddleboarder, Antonio de la Rosa, has become the first person to ever cross the Pacific Ocean on paddle power alone.
Surfer Today reported De la Rosa, 50, set off from San Francisco in California on June 9, paddling for 76 days, five hours, and 22 minutes until he reached his destination in Waikiki, Hawaii on August 24.
De la Rosa traversed an incredible distance of 2,950 miles (4750 kilometers) over the course of his journey but admitted there were some hairy moments toward the conclusion of his journey:
“I was surprised by a strong wind that crossed the navigation channel between Molokai and Oahu. It put me in a dangerous situation, at night, near the rocky area of Koko Head. Then came the part that particularly worried me – paddling from Diamond Head to the Waikiki harbor with side wind stepping on solid ground by my own means. This forced me to paddle close to the shore, which nearly got me into the pounding surf without even realizing it.”
The Spaniard had 90 days’ worth of food rations on his custom 22-foot paddleboard, and his achievement means his name will live on in the paddling history books.
