PORT DOVER — Saturday’s high winds on Lake Erie made for grueling conditions for three stand-up paddle-boarders taking part in the 30 km Lake Erie Challenge fundraiser from Long Point to Port Dover.
The fourth Lake Erie Challenge athlete, Daniel Zin, had to abandon and reschedule his attempt to swim the 30 km distance due to what his coach Josh Reid described as “washing-machine conditions.”
What was anticipated to be a three- to five-hour paddle for experienced, long-distance boarders Tyler Backus, Jonah Logan and Josh Austin ended up taking them 7.5 hours. “This was one of the hardest paddles both physically and mentally for any of us because of the conditions,” says Backus. “Glad to say we finished our 35 km paddle yesterday in some horrible headwinds. It was a grind but quite the experience. We earned our drinks on the patio afterwards!”
Daniel Zin and his support crew of six arrived by boat to his start location at the tip of Long Point on Saturday morning, but then had to make the difficult decision to call the swim off. “From the beach in Dover, you wouldn’t know just how rough it was out there,” says Zin’s coach, Josh Reid. “But five kilometres out, we were encountering six-foot waves. Our pontoon boat was having a hard time of it, so just imagine swimming. The 30 km distance, already three times longer than any distance Dan has swum, would have easily felt like 60 swimming against those waves.”
Daniel Zin will reattempt his 30 km crossing on Saturday, September 7th. The athletes have teamed up with the Canadian Freshwater Alliance to raise funds for Lake Erie clean-up and protection efforts. For more information and to make a donation, visit LakeErieChallenge.ca.
