Thursday, March 24, 2011

 Longest surf ride: Gary Saavedra sets world record (Video)

Lake Gatún, Panama -- Panama's Gary Saavedrasurfed a wave created by a boat moving through the Panama Canal for 3 hours, 55 minutes and two seconds, while spanning a distance of 41.3 miles - setting the new world record for the Longest time and distance surfed on open water .

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The Guinness world record for the longest stand-up surfing ride on a river boreis 12.23 km (7.6 mi) achieved by Steve King (UK) surfing the Severn Bore on the River Severn in Gloucestershire, UK.

  Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the most surfers riding the same wave simultaneously: 110, in an event organised by Kahuna Promotions, at Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, South Africa.

   The 13-time national surfing champion set World Records for longest time and distance surfed on open water.

   The previous Guinness world record was held by Steve King, from the UK, who surfed this type of wave for one hour and six minute.

   The distance world record is new.

  Saavedra, who traversed through choppy water and was rocked constantly by the wakes of giant freighters, said afterward: "This record feels incredible. I had never confronted these conditions and to surpass all these challenges and establish two world records is the biggest achievement of my professional career so far."

  Saavedra had hoped for a much longer ride but a severe thigh spasm forced him to abandon his quest.

  "After the third hour, my body was very tired," he said. "I almost fell eight times. In the first hour, I worked very hard and used all my energy. The weather was harsh ... I had never trained in such conditions."

   Gary Saavedra is the best surfer in the history of Panama. He was born in Chitre, in the region of Herrera. His home spot is Bocas, in Cambutal.