Kiteboarders complete 1237-kilometer adventure in the Great Barrier Reef

August 26, 2015 | Kiteboarding
Kite The Reef: 1237 kilometer to cure Motor Neurone Disease

A group of eight kiteboarders has broken the world record for the longest kitesurfing journey.

The adventure - named Kite The Reef - took place in the whole northern section of the Great Barrier Reef, in Queensland, Australia.

The riders sailed a total of 1237 kilometers (768 miles) between August 13th-21st. At the same time, the group raised $100,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Research Centre, at Macquarie University.

"On top of creating awareness for Motor Neurone Disease and drawing importance to the beauty of The Great Barrier Reef and the need for its conservation, Kite The Reef also highlights ordinary people doing extraordinary things," underlines Richard Branson, who supported Kite The Reef.

"No one has ever kited most of the areas that the team are covering. Together they are pushing the frontiers of science, charting uncharted territories, and overcoming great adversity, all in the name of adventure and a good cause. I wish that I could be there to join them!"

Jesse Richman, Nicholas Cole, Richard Hatherall, Jason Rogers, Jess Digs, Phil Barton, Nick Levi, and Alex Unsworth broke men, women and team records, and a femur too.

The kiteboarders spent 61 hours in the water riding surfboards and twin tips. They've kicked off the journey in the Vlasoff Reef and arrived at Cape York eight days later.