MEGAN BASHAM, HOST: Antonio de la Rosa celebrated his 50th birthday alone on the Pacific Ocean. He sailed 2,500 miles from San Francisco to Hawaii on a tiny boat that barely pokes out of the water.
The native of Spain made the impressive solo journey to draw attention to ocean pollution.
But here’s the really impressive part: His boat did not have a sail. And when a reporter from KHNL asked if the boat had a motor, de la Rosa responded…
DE LA ROSA: No, no motor, no, no, no.
Then with a smile he pointed to his bicep.
DE LA ROSA: Only the motor is—this is a motor (laughs)
That’s right, de la Rosa paddled all the way from California to Hawaii—the middle of his narrow boat serving as a standup paddleboard platform.
He ate dehydrated food and sometimes fished. He slept at night but woke up hourly to check on his gear. … He paddled 10 hours and arrived in Honolulu 76 days later.
AUDIO: Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii!
And with that, de la Rosa paddled into history as the first man to cross the Pacific as a standup paddleboarder.
It’s The World and Everything in It.
