Michigan Men Set To Paddleboard Across Lake Superior [Video]
Three guys from Northern Michigan will attempt to paddleboard across Lake Superior this week to help raise money to keep the Great Lakes great.
Kwin Morris, Joe Lorenz and Jeff Guy call themselves "Three Stand Up Guys" and this week will attempt to cross Lake Superior on stand up paddleboards. And they're doing it to raise money to advocate and educate for the future of the Great Lakes.
Their charity, Stand Up For The Great Lakes, is the main beneficiary of their efforts, which, if successful, would be the third Great Lake they've paddled across. Their goal, is to paddleboard across all five Great Lakes eventually.
Three years ago, you may remember, they paddled across Lake Michigan from Algoma, WI to Frankfort, MI, completing the Lake Michgan phase. Last summer, they went from Alpena to Tobermory, ON to successfully cross Lake Huron.
This year, they will attempt the trickier crossing of Lake Superior, known for its finicky weather, and colder water. They are awaiting to depart any day now, saying the best weather window is now through July 20.
"People don't realize, it's 70 degrees on the shore, but when you get out there, the water is 37 degrees," Morris told WZZM. "Mentally and physically, this will be the most challenging thing I've ever done."
"The waves can pick up like crazy in a matter of seconds on Lake Superior," Morris added. "Superior's weather and waves have taken thousands of sailors and their ships to the grave."
Speaking of which, their route will take them from Sinclair Cove, ON to Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula, not far from where the big freighter the Edmund Fitzgerald went down.
The trio plans to lay a wreath in the spot where the big ship sank in 1975.
The men say they expect the 57 mile journey to take them around 30 hours.
They were scheduled to depart this morning (July 10) from Ontario at 8:30am and arrive tomorrow afternoon in Michigan.
You can donate on their web site, Stand Up For Great Lakes, and follow their exploits on their Facebook page.