“SUP the Coast” paddles 2000 mile eastern seaboard

by Kyle Ellison on

Here at Gadling we recently reported on the Dudes on Media team who sea kayaked from Alaska to Seattle and traced the length of India’s Ganges River in a rowboat and a rickshaw. While the Dudes on Media team edits the India footage into what will be their 3rd documentary, on the other side of the world, the SUP the Coast duo of Mike Simpson and Will Rich recently completed an epic paddle of their own to raise awareness for SUP Cleanup and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Beginning in Key West, Florida, on June 29th the SUP the Coast team completed a 121 day stand up paddle journey along the eastern seaboard when they pulled into Portland, Maine on their 90th day of paddling. Covering an average of 30 miles a day in difficult upwind conditions, Simpson claims that progressing at “such a slow pace for such a massive distance” was the most grueling part of the journey.

With adversity, however, of course also comes the reward. Along the way, not only did the duo take comfort in the warmth and hospitality of strangers met along the journey, but they never lost the passion for the causes that initially inspired them to take to the sea.

In addition to paddling the daily 30 miles, the team also decided to spend at least 20 minutes each day cleaning up a local beach to benefit the environmental organization SUP Cleanup. According to Simpson, the cleanup segment of the trip entailed taking a blue plastic tarp, laying it flat on the sand, and once it was full of plastics and marine debris gathered from the shoreline the team would “roll it like a big blue burrito” and paddle it on the front of their boards until the nearest town for recycling and disposal.

What’s the one item that stood out the most during the cleanup project?

Plastic water bottles. “No way will I use another disposable water bottle” claims Simpson. “No way”.

The second group the paddle aimed to raise awareness for is the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization which aims to empower and support wounded military veterans returning from serving overseas. In a statement made by the SUP the Coast team prior to departing on the journey, they respectfully stated that their mission was to “stand up for those who have stood up for us”.

Still trying to wrap their head around the journey and continuing to raise support for their causes, like most long-distance adventurers, the team now must confront those two simple words:

“What’s next?”

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge begins tomorrow

by Kraig Becker on

The inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge gets underway tomorrow in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where 128 of the best riders in the world are preparing to take on one of the toughest courses ever created. The route features long climbs, harrowing descents, hairpin turns, and more altitude than any other pro-cycling event in history.

The first day of the competition features a short five mile prologue that will set the stage for things to come later in the week. Then on Tuesday, the race really gets going with a 100-mile long ride between Salida and Crested Butte that will serve as a warm up for Stage 2, which features more than 9700 feet of climbing. Stage 3 is a time trial through the streets of Vail, while Stages 4 and 5 return to the road for two more challenging days, before the teams have a relatively easy finish on their ride into Denver on Sunday.

The Peloton will be filled with big names, including Australian Cadel Evans, who won the Tour de France last month, and brothers Andy and Frank Schleck, who both stood on the Podium in Paris as well. In all, the race features five former world champions and eight stage winners from the Tour.

To get an idea of what the riders are in for, check out the video below. The race will be televised on NBC and Versus, and if you’re in Colorado, there will be plenty of chances to see it live as well.

[Photo Credit: AP File Photo]

First look at the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in DC

by Melanie Renzulli on

On August 28, 48 years to the day that Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech, the nation’s capital will dedicate a memorial to him on the National Mall. The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will be the first memorial on the Mall dedicated to an African-American and the first solo memorial for a non-president.

The MLK Memorial is located on four acres on the Tidal Basin, site of Washington’s famous Japanese cherry trees, and sits within a “line of leadership” between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The line ties Dr. King to President Lincoln, author of the Emancipation Proclamation and on whose memorial Dr. King gave his “Dream” speech, and Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence. “Peace” and “independence” are two of the main themes of the MLK Memorial, even down to the Memorial’s official address. The street number in the address 1964 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20024 refers to the Civil Right’s Act of 1964.

Although it does not open for another week, would-be visitors can watch the construction cam to watch workers put the finishing touches on the King Memorial. The video below also provides more information about the memorial, its location, design, and landscaping.




[Photo credit www.mlkmemorial.org]

7-year old climbs Mt. Whitney

by Kraig Becker on

When he returns to school in a couple of weeks, 7-year old Tyler Armstrong of Yorba Linda, California will have plenty to say when he’s asked “What did you do this summer?”

Tyler recently became the youngest person to climb Mt. Whitney in a single day when he and his father Kevin hiked to the summit in just 7 hours and 50 minutes. Standing 14,505 feet in height, Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the continental United States, and while it isn’t a technical climb, its height still makes it a considerable challenge for many.

The father-son climbing team set out from Base Camp, located at 8500 feet, at 2:05 AM and reached the summit around 9:55 AM. They both recorded their times in the summit log, and enjoyed the view, before turning back down the mountain. The descent wasn’t much easier than the climb however, as the return trip required more than nine hours to complete.

Kevin says Tyler first became interested in climbing Whitney after hearing him talk about how he had hiked the mountain with his father when he was 11 years old. While that was a memorable experience for Kevin, he adds that it was one of the proudest moments of his life to stand on the summit with his own son.

With a successful climb now under his belt, Tyler is hoping to turn his attention to other mountains in the future. For now, he’s content to stay close to home and hone his skills on other California peaks. But he says in the future he’d like to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, which stands 19,340 feet in height. Eventually, he’d like to turn his attention on Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world at 29,029 feet.

[Photo credit: Geographer via WikiMedia]

“Deep Throat” parking garage gets a historical marker

by Melanie Renzulli on

Watergate. The Washington political scandal that made stars of Woodward, Bernstein, and “Deep Throat,” resulted in the resignation of Richard Nixon, and has since lent its suffix to thousands of scandals has a new landmark. It’s in a parking garage.

Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward met with Watergate whistleblower Mark Felt (aka “Deep Throat”) six times from October 1972 to November 1973 in the parking garage under the office building located at 1401 Wilson Boulevard and North Nash Street in Rosslyn, Virginia (just over the bridge from DC). Although it has been more than 37 years since the Watergate scandal broke and six years since FBI officer Felt revealed himself to be “Deep Throat,” Arlington County erected a permanent, historical marker at the entrance to the garage only this week. The exact parking space where the pair met is number 32D.

While it remains to be seen whether the Rosslyn garage will merit a stop on a DC Scandals Tour – seriously, it’s just a parking garage – the permanent marker is a nice gesture toward recognizing journalists and whistleblowers and the often tedious work they must do to reveal the truth.

To learn more about the “Deep Throat” parking garage marker, check out this video news report from Tom Sherwood of Washington’s NBC News 4.