Watermen Bill Whiddon and Thaddeus Foote, will make the first ever attempt to stand-up paddle (SUP) across the Gulf Stream, from Bimini, Bahamas to Miami, to raise awareness for Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics campaign to reduce plastics in the ocean.
The Bimini-Miami Blue Water Challenge marks the launch of a grueling 17-hour, non-stop adventure taking paddle boarders 48 miles across the deep blue waters of the powerful Gulfstream current armed with only a board, a paddle, and their wits. The intrepid paddlers will endure one the earth’s most powerful oceanic currents, exposure to shifting weather conditions, extreme isolation, and all the risks of open ocean navigation in order to reach their destination. Whiddon & Foote will be the first to attempt to stand-up paddle across the Gulf Stream. The weather-dependent window is June 3 – 10, 2012. The athletes will depart Bimini and continuously paddle from 3:30 AM to approximately 5:30 PM. The crossing will start in Bimini, Bahamas and land on Miami Beach (approx. 3rd Street) where they will be celebrated by Surfrider Foundation volunteers
By completing this journey, Whiddon and Foote hope to raise awareness of the impacts that discarded plastics are having on the world’s marine environments. The Surfrider Foundation Miami Chapter is an official partner of the crossing and is fighting the proliferation of marine plastics through its Rise Above Plastics (R.A.P.) campaign. R.A.P. is aimed at increasing the rate of plastic recycling and reducing the release of waste into the oceans.