A B.C. man appears to have set a new record for fastest crossing of the Georgia Strait on a stand-up paddleboard.
Jerry Zhang, a former architect, completed the crossing in just 13 hours and 45 minutes.
He started the journey at the Oak Bay Marina at 6 a.m., with the aim of reaching Tsawwassen Beach, 80 kilometres away, by 7 p.m. Wednesday.
However, once Zhang set out on the water Wednesday morning he knew something was wrong.
“In the beginning there were huge, huge waves and it kind of sucked my board,” Zhang said moments after making it to Tsawwassen Beach.
“I was stuck at a spot for like 40 minutes. I thought: ‘oh crap’ and I looked at my watch and I was going like three kilometers per hour and I need to do six.”
But the winds shifted, so too did his luck.
“After that, everything just went our way. I ended up paddling close to 90 kilometers instead of 80 and we still beat the record.”
Before his journey Zhang said it would mean a lot for him to be able to accomplish the challenge.
“Especially since I am not a professional athlete. I don’t have a athletic background. I come from an architectural background, so to be able to achieve something like this is really something.”
Zhang said he completed the crossing in a two-day period two years ago, and is now stepping out of his comfort zone in the hope of inspiring others to do the same.
He said the effort was a “mental challenge.”
While he was alone on the paddleboard, Zhang was not alone on the water. He assembled a 10-person support team that documented the crossing and shadowed him on the water.
“The biggest challenge is not breaking the record, but how to control yourself, not be afraid. We know this is going to be a very tough journey,” said Catherine Chen, Zhang’s support boat coordinator.
“Jerry told me, ‘Catherine, I am not going to worry about the first eight, nine hours — the last two hours is going to be the most challenging part. Because at that point I will be already exhausted.'”
Despite the difficult mental task, she said Zhang had been training all out for six months for the challenge he has now surpassed.
Many people gathered at the beach to pop the champagne and cheer on Zhang as he arrived with less than 15 minutes to spare.
Crew member Aaron Pierce stood beside Zhang after he beat the record and recounted the long day and the high spirits Zhang felt during the journey.
“There was never a doubt that he was going to pull through,” Pierce exclaimed.
“Every time we pulled up beside him and gave him some water or something to eat he had a big smile on his face. Even when he said he couldn’t feel his arms and hands he was smiling the whole time. So, it looked like he was having a lot of fun, even if he was in incredible pain while doing it.”
Zhang, who has left a 15-year career in architecture behind to focus on watersports and the outdoor industry full time, said he hopes his record-breaking feat shows others that anything is possible.
“Every time I’m in the office I’m just thinking about wanting to be on the water and be outside,” he said.
“Now I am just passing on the torch so to speak, I want to inspire more people.”
As for what comes next, Zhang is already thinking big after perusing the various paddleboard titles up for grabs on the Guinness World Record website.
“They also have a Bering Strait title unclaimed so far,” he said. “So maybe that will be my next goal.”
While Zhang’s attempt appears to be a record, it will still need to be verified by the folks at Guinness to officially be declared a world record.