Kiting from Russia to the USA, Across the Bearing Straits

[ricki]

"VIVAX BERING CROSS 2011

July 1 at the first attempt Eugene Novozheev and Konstantin Aksenov record and put the world's first crossed the Bering Strait to the kites from Wellen (Chukotka, Russia) Wales (Alaska, USA). Record occurred in the toughest weather conditions: on the board 7:00 into the icy water at the crossroads of two oceans, many currents, whales! In general, it is not just a sport!) "
http://kiteforum.org.ua/index.php?topic=2103.0


The guys set three records at one go:

1. The first crossing of the Bering Strait by kiteboard.
2. The first crossing from America to Asia by kiteboard.
3. The first crossing of the International Date Line by kiteboard.



They crossed the narrowest area between Chukotka and Alaska well to the north of St. Lawrence Island on the map.
http://obviouslyajoke.wordpress.com/...or-afficiency/


"Some details of the record: the kite through the Bering Strait

On the night of June 30, July 1, riders have become the first team VIVAX kaytbordistami who managed to cross the Bering Strait. For many years, athletes from around the world have tried to do it, but the Russian team has been successful.

For the first time kaytbordistam managed to overcome water space from Eurasia to America. (Bering Strait, which lies between the two continents, connecting the Arctic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. Strait length of 96 km at its narrowest point has a width of 86 km.)

And finally, the world's first international kiteboard crossed the demarcation line of the daily time. (Date Line runs between the islands of Diomede, where the state border between Russia and the U.S..)

All three achievements will be presented in the Guinness Book of Records. Team, formed by VIVAX, are Evgeni Novozheev (Jackson) - 4-time champion of Russian Kitesurfing, and Konstantin Aksenov (Carlito) - Kitesurfing instructor, a member of snowboarding expeditions. The team demonstrated excellent preparation. Experienced athletes have achieved such impressive results in difficult conditions: 98 miles and seven hours on the water slide at a water temperature, air 5 degrees.

I should add that the proximity of the Earth's magnetic pole of the Bering Strait complicates acclimatization and eliminates the use of GPS-navigation.

Inspired by the success of our champions, taking into account the possibility that the kite would be an Olympic sport, VIVAX decided to contribute to its promotion. The company announced its decision to establish a competition VIVAX Kite Cross c grand prize of 30 000 USD. The next stage will be held this autumn in Helsinki - Tallinn length will be 78 km cross-country."
http://www.ski.ru/az/news/post/nekot...eringov-proliv


You can see the story and images from another serious well funded attempt to cross the Bearing Straits by a French team at:
http://kiteboardingmag.com/features/...bering-strait/

[BigR]

Well , lets just hope they don't push their luck too much and end up like
Baron Arnaud de Rosnay, lost at sea

http://www.people.com/people/archive...077554,00.html

sailing alone and unescorted on a narrow, 13-foot surfboard from the island of Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia to the atoll of Ahé near Tahiti. He covered some 750 nautical miles in 11 days and 10 nights at sea, more than four times the previous distance record for surf sailing

and ultimately,

http://www.windsurfing-legends.com/a...de-rosnay.html

Following are his intrepid windsurfing feats:

1979 Speed sailing down the Sahara coast from Nouadhibou to Dakar in 58 hours spread over 12 days.
1979 Across the Bering Straight in 8 hours.
1980 Sailed alone and unescorted from the island of Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia to the atoll of Ahé near Tahiti. He covered some 750 nautical miles in 11 days and 10 nights at sea.
1981 Failed English Channel crossing attempt. In a race with Ken Winner, de Rosnay had to be air lifted out. Having won the race by default, Ken followed suit.
1984 Key West to Cuba in 7 hours.
1984 Across the Sea of Okhotsk from Hokkaido to Sakhaline
1984 Attempted to cross the Straits of Formosa from China to Tiwaan

Baron Arnaud de Rosnay wrote an account of his transoceanic crossing, Tout m?est défi. (1981)

While preparing to cross the Straights of Formosa, the Chinese say they offered him a support boat, but legend decided to go it alone and snuck out a day in advance of his scheduled departure. The Straits were in a particularly savage mood that day, with very strong winds, huge swells and reports of big ocean rollers actually breaking in open water. The Baron simply disappeared without even the slightest