Matt Crofton is paddling down the Mississippi on a SUP ATX Paddle Board from Big Board Outfitters
Yes, read that again if you need to...
How awesome is this guy?
mattcroftonwrites.com
His Story
First Paddle Board Video Log 5/31/2011
Here's an excerpt of Matt's first day
Standing at the source of the Mississippi River on the north end of Lake Itasca, Minnesota, it was hard to believe this meandering trickle, approximately six feet wide, would turn into the Mighty Miss dumping forcefully into the Gulf of Mexico.
I was excited, and my father and I were quickly turning into a spectacle; him taking videos and pictures while I packed down my 12’ stand up paddle board and geared up.
“Is that a surfboard?”
“It’s like a BIG surfboard.” I smiled at the cute little boy with the Minnesotan accent.
Within minutes of me arriving at the headwaters I was being photographed and encouraged thanks to my dad telling everyone around, “This is my son, he almost died, and this is what he’s doing.”
One little boy asked if he could stand on my board and take a picture with me. I reach out my hand and helped him from the shore then flashed a peace sign towards his mother snapping the photo.
Kevin, a representative for National Geographic was nearby taking pictures for a story about the Mississippi river. He caught wind of what was going on, came over with his video camera, and started interviewing me as I finished my preparations in shin deep waters.
The sun was out… It was chilly but nice. And I was full of strength and hope. Nothing could bring me down. I’m a great adventurer! I covered the country for a year on a motorcycle. I lived on a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean. I survived death.
Ya, I was feeling pretty sure of myself. Arrogant is a better word.
I pushed off on my knees, pirate flag waving, and people cheering as I began my next great adventure.
I quickly realized the Mississippi was not going to give herself to me without a fight. I spent the first two hours standing up, sitting down, standing up, sitting down just to get around fallen trees and debris blocking the river. At one point I had to lie flat to clear a culvert passing under a road. It was about thirty yards long. I shot through it like a water slide, giggling as I splashed through to the other side. The river wound like a snake through the tall grass and some places were no wider than my paddle. I saw beaver swimming about before diving under water, flat iron tails waving goodbye and disappearing under the surface. My board was so quiet that sometimes I would sneak up on white-tailed deer before they would spot me and bounce away into the emerald canvas.
Those first couple hours were a beautiful start to what I knew would be one of the most spectacular and grueling journeys of my life. I was ready and I was going to see it through to the end no matter what.
And then it happened…
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You Only Live Once
The theme of YOLO is very much in the hearts and minds of founders Jeff Archer and Tom Losee. Both are business owners with a keen entrepreneurial spirit. Balancing family, business, and recreational activities always has its challenges, yet the realization that life will never slow down caused them to look at maximizing fun in relation to responsibility. With the motto "You Only Live Once" as the mantra for these two entrepreneurs, the idea of YOLO as a bigger force was born.
After extensive research and development, it was determined that there was a need for more of a hybrid style stand-up paddle board--one that not only has its roots in traditional surfing but also in other related paddle sports such as canoeing and kayaking. With the endless supply of bodies of water in Florida and increasing momentum in this segment of the water sports market, YOLO BOARD was born… Standing up and paddling offers a whole new point of view: from paddling with dolphins, to sneaking up on blue crabs, to dropping in at your favorite surf-break, the act of YOLO-ing or stand up paddling has evolved from its surfing roots to a far more extensive means to enjoy time on the water from a new perspective—anywhere—anytime.
