Rock the Boat THE EXPEDITION’S NEXT FRONTIER
Nowadays, the only real difference between a paddling trip and a true expedition is marketing BY ALEX MATTHEWS
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THE WORD “EXPEDITION” comes with a lot of baggage. And I don’t mean the two tons of lightest-gear-known-to-man that invariably accompanies each team member in the form of loaded duffles, camera equipment and paddling gear. What I’m talking about is that increas-
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ingly cloudy distinction between going for a nice paddle somewhere and mount- ing an “expedition.” What exactly are the key ingredients that launch paddling from one place to another into the realm of expeditioning? In the old days, going on an expedi-
tion meant doing things the hard way in order to complete a trip that was so am- bitious, so outrageous in scope that the paddling world simply had to sit up and take notice. But that approach is really tir- ing—and scary too! Just ask Paul Caffyn what it was like to paddle around Austra- lia in 360 days through shark- and snake- infested waters. Or quiz Ed Gillet on how much fun it was to paddle alone from California to Hawaii for 63 days, running
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out of food and losing 25 pounds along the way. These guys are so tough that their trips are just plain nutty! That’s not for the likes of you and me. Nowadays, the only real difference
between a paddling trip and a true expe- dition is marketing, which comes in the form of sponsorship and media coverage.
If your expedition doesn’t generate any hype, it’s all over. You might as well do nothing at all.
If you’re not sponsored, it’s not an ex- pedition. I don’t care how far you paddle or how much you suffer. You must have stickers on your kayak and get all of your gear for free. Without sponsorship, you’re just going for a paddle like everybody else, and what’s special about that? Once you’re properly wallpapered
with corporate logos, you need media coverage—reportage*. If your expedition
LORENZO DEL BIANCO
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