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Sometimes SUP challenges aren’t just about getting from A and B. The challenge starts way before you even step foot on the water… whether it’s getting fit, planning the route, or deciding on your kit, these are all small challenges that need to be ticked off the list before embarking on the bigger challenge. But if that’s not enough, what about making your own SUP to use on your challenge too?!!
Making a wooden SUP yourself isn’t on most peoples SUP challenge ‘to do list’ however afew years ago Scott Mestrezat from Michigan, USA decided to do just that. Buying a wooden SUP kit and then building it in a friends hanger was the start of Scott’s challenge. Scott who had for a long time daydreamed in his office about embarking on a long distance, human-powered expedition, eventually found the courage and inspiration to get his dream underway. Scott decided on a 14′ wooden SUP kit (from Chesapeake Light Craft) and allowed himself only afew weeks to make it between work and moving his lifes belongings into storage, before heading off on his trip.
Scott’s challenge… to SUP the length of the Missouri River.
Scott set off on his SUP on the 7th June 2013, carrying all his gear onboard, camping and staying with friends old and new along the way. He had no idea how long it would take him but he had one goal… to paddle the full length of the Missouri River.
“During the summer of 2013 I paddled a home-made, wooden stand up paddleboard the length of the Missouri River. I set off from Three Forks, Montana and arrived in St. Louis 2400 miles and 107 days later. The trip was just as much about capturing the unique encounters and amazing landscapes as it was paddling” says Scott.
Scott is not only passionate about SUP. He’s also a passionate photographer so captured his experiences along the way, and shared them on his blog at www.missouririversup.com. On his return Scott spent the first few months editing together a documentary of the trip – Big Muddy Moose which is available to buy on DVD via his website.
“The trip is a constant reminder to the value of my own time and ability to just figure things out. It lasted less than four months but held the experiences of several “normal” years. Above all I’ll remember the amazing sights, extraordinary people along the way and support of family and friends.”
Scott completed his epic paddle 4 years ago, but it’s still one of the best complete challenges we’ve heard about at SUPboarder.
If you’ve got a SUP challenge that you’ve been daydreaming about, why not turn it into a reality. Get planning and go for it… you can be sure the memories will last a lifetime