It’s one thing to surf in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s another entirely to cross it’s entirety on a surfboard.
South African Chris Berths became the first man in history to complete a solo trans-Atlantic journey on a standup paddleboard Thursday, SUP Magazine reports.
Navigating between Morocco’s Agadir Marina and the island of Antigua, the journey took him 93 days and across more than 4,000 nautical miles. Along the way, Bertish encountered a variety of hardships, including sharks, equipment failures, unfavorable trade winds, and large swells.
Perhaps the most noble component of the quest is that Bertish embarked on it in the name of charity. As of now, he has raised nearly $500,000 for Signature of Hope Trust, The Lunchbox Fund, and Operation Smile.
“Bertish aims to raise enough money to build at least five schools in South Africa, provide monthly dividends to feed and educate thousands of children and pay for surgeons to carry out life-changing cleft lip and palate operations,” CNN reports.
Watch his warm welcome in Antigua’s English Harbour below, and read more about his incredible journey here.
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