Asian kiteboarding star Narapichit Pudla has become the first rider ever to kite cross the Gulf of Thailand.
The Thai kiteboarder managed to connect Baan Nam Mao Beach and Sam Roi Yod Beach, in Thailand. The 112-kilometer (70 miles) adventure took four hours, five minutes, and 51 seconds to complete.
"I was inspired by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who built a sailboat and sailed it across the Gulf of Thailand by himself [in 1966]," explained "Yo" Pudla, who to wanted to pay tribute to the late monarch.
Narapichit Pudla kicked off his adventure with a 13-knot wind, and under blue skies. The breeze was steady, and he was feeling good. However, at a certain point, his support boat had engine problems and had to be towed by a fishing ship.
The intrepid kiteboarder, focused on making his dream a reality, decided to continue his journey, solo and unassisted. An hour later, "Yo" began feeling exhausted, and the wind started to drop. To make things worse, he still couldn't see the shore.
"Suddenly, I started to see a blurry mountain. At first, I thought it was an illusion, but then I knew it was real. But where was I? Cha Am, Hua Hin, Pranburi Sam Roi Yod or Prajuab Kiri Khan? The wind kept getting lighter, and I had to go downwind, ending up about 10 kilometers from Pranburi," adds Pudla.
