By Sarah Thornely
SUPJunkie
Photos:
Will Reddaway
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Ready, set, go!
After months of meticulous planning, by the time this magazine drops through your letterbox or inbox, Brendon Prince will be on the ocean and well into his circumnavigation of Great Britain to raise money for his worthy charities and try to set a new Guinness World Record. The Long Paddle 2021 will have commenced!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Brendon and Jordan Wylie together a few days before the start of The Long Paddle 2021 – we thought it would be a great idea to bring these two giants of SUP adventure together. They have spoken many times over the last few months, and Jordan has been able to give Brendon some great intel to help him on his way. They are both very different paddlers; Jordan was a relative newcomer to paddling but took on The Great British Paddle with great gusto, learning so much on his 149 days at sea. Brendon is a much more accomplished paddler with years of experience behind him but has appreciated Jordan’s input. These men have developed quite the bromance!
Brendon has invited Jordan to join him in Scotland to finish those last few kilometres into John O’Groats, something Jordan never got to do, having been pulled off The Great British Paddle due to Covid restrictions. I think that’s also an open invitation to paddlers from all over the country, so if you fancy a road trip, watch this space! Wherever Brendon is paddling around Great Britain, he would love to see as many of you out with him as possible – it’s a real boost to have a local paddler next to you on your long journey.
BOARD and HEADLINE SPONSOR NEWS
Brendon has a new board sponsor in SIC. The board he is going to use is their Bullet model – it’s been tried and tested recently, and clearly, Brendon is delighted with this choice of board. During the interview, Supjunkie got the exclusive news that the board’s name will be Scarlet (as in Pimpernel) – what a beautiful name, and we look forward to hearing the story of how she came by it. Many people name their beloved SUP boards, and Brendon now has Scarlet.
More importantly, Brendon has found a headline sponsor – Peuguot has come on board and provides two brand new vans for the team and many other benefits, which is incredibly important on a challenge like this.
Over the last few months, Brendon has been getting out on the ocean every day in all kinds of weather. There is no choosing a fine day when you know that the weather gods are going to throw all sorts at you. The paddling has probably been a slight relief from the logistics of the challenge, which have been never-ending, but slowly, things have come together, and the team are ready to go! Admin, photographer/ videographer, driver – all giving up their time to support this exciting adventure.
Brendon’s wife Helen and three children absolutely understand the drive and need behind his paddle challenge – there have been some wonderful, short videos on The Long Paddle 2021 Facebook page www.facebook.com/thelongpaddle2021.com. Helen is fully behind Brendon’s vision and is breaking the challenge down to bite-sized pieces as “it’s a really long way.”
The Charities close to Brendon’s heart support water safety, men’s health and faith – they are all worthy causes and if one or more resonates with you, pop Brendon a donation – it really will make a difference. I am sure there is nothing more encouraging whilst battling the elements than to see that pot grow.
We can’t wait to share more of Brendon’s story with you – you can follow the live tracker on the new website: www.thelongpaddle2021.co.uk, and we look forward to bringing you more news next time.
You can also watch Supjunkie’s interview with Brendon and Jordan here:
