Paddling News

Calgary man hopes to set crossing record in self-propelled, enclosed vessel. Written by: Jim Gibson, Times Colonist

A Calgary man will be at a Victoria rowing club today with the prototype of the enclosed kayak in which he plans to cross the Atlantic in December.

In his pedal-powered kayak, Greg Kolodziejzyk seeks to become the fastest human to cross the Atlantic, erasing the 43-day mark set more than a decade ago by a French rower.

It is one more in string of challenges to test the limits of human power by the 46-year-old retired software entrepreneur. He holds two world records for endurance cycling. In 2006, he pedalled his human-powered land vehicle 1,041 km in 24 hours and last June he pedalled his human-powered boat 173 km in 24 hours on Calgary's Glenmore Reservoir.

He has named his co-designed vessel WiTHiN, a reference to the power that comes from within humans.

Last weekend, Kolodziejzyk spent several days in the waters off Tofino confronting both swells and choppy conditions in the vessel, which has retractable outriggers for stability.

"It was pretty cool. I was pleased by the way it handled," Kolodziejzyk says of the vessel, which is comparable in size to a two-man kayak.

While there were no stability problems, Kolodziejzyk had trouble sleeping stretched out in the boat tied for the night at the marina. The noise from the wind slamming it against the wharf kept him awake. In the early hours, he opted for a hotel room.

The Tofino tests revealed some deficiencies in the prototype. The final model needs to be longer and wider to provide more stretch room than the current 6.7-by-0.8-metre prototype. It also should have a retractable canopy to allow Kolodziejzyk to stand up.

Changes must be made to the vessel's sloping windshield, which fogged over with the humidity. A venting system needs to be developed for the south Atlantic crossing, where temperatures will be in the 27 C range. With outside temperatures last weekend only 3 to 4 C, Kolodziejzyk was still too hot inside the vessel.

He expects to return to Tofino in the spring and summer to train on the water for the crossing from the Canary Islands to Barbados. He chose December, as the storm season has usually abated and he can take advantage of the east-to-west wind and current flows. He will be accompanied by a support boat.

Kolodziejzyk thrives on challenges. An ultra-endurance athlete, he has finished 12 Ironman events and run more than a dozen marathons, qualifying twice for the Boston Marathon. The Atlantic crossing was a natural fit for him.

"I wanted to expose myself to something different and a little bit scary," says Kolodziejzyk, whose ocean-going experience is next to nil.

He has long been an achiever, saying his only employment was as a young newspaper carrier. From college on, he has always been self-employed.

He only became interested in fitness about a decade ago.

"I was an overweight businessman. I decided it was time to devote some time to my health and set an example for my children," Kolodziejzyk says.

Kolodziejzyk, his vessel and his human-powered cycle will be at the Gorge Rowing and Paddling Centre (2940 Jutland Rd.) from mid-morning through the afternoon.

More info: Times Colonist