On the 16th of March this year, renowned adventurer and Windhoek brand ambassador Riaan Manser and his travel partner Dan Skinstad embarked on a journey that would see the pair set a record as the first two Africans to paddle around Iceland’s arctic waters by kayak.
With only a week left to go, the duo is well on the way to breaking the record and gearing up to return to South Africa after spending over five months in Icelandic waters.
Already past the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik and powering their way through the final stretch of North West Iceland, Manser and Skinstad will head back to the Northern town of Husavik where they started the 2000km circumnavigation.
The expedition has not always been smooth sailing. Manser and Skinstad have had to overcome some setbacks that included foul weather, a volcano eruption and 50km/h gale force winds resulting in huge waves that saw the pair fall out of their kayak and into rough seas. This experience resulted in Dan, who has a mild form of cerebral palsy, being swept 300m from the kayak and at times lost from Riaan’s sight.
“The team’s countdown to the finish line is inspirational; it symbolises their tenacity and a 100% pure commitment. We are proud that they have had the courage to be true to themselves and their conviction to successfully complete this daring expedition. We cannot wait to proudly welcome them back with their record for South Africa,” says Alan Roberts, Marketing Manager of the Windhoek Trademark in South Africa.
The team is in high spirits about making its way home, and are due to arrive on 5 September at OR Tambo International Airport to a crowd of supporters that have been tracking their progress for the past four months.
“The Windhoek team wishes the guys best of luck on the remainder of the expedition and we will be cheering for them on their return,” concluded Roberts.
