SURFs up in the Panama channel

This is no April fools joke. Panamanian surf champion Gary Saavedra found the perfect place for his surf endurance test: the Panama channel.

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The world record for the longest time and distance open water breaks surfed, Saavedra managed to out his legs from buckling under him for 3 hours 55 minutes and 2 seconds, while driving a shaft for 41.3 km.

There about 50 km long, the Panama channel, where more than 14,000 ships a year cross, the perfect racing conditions to maximize the long-distance surf behind a wake-boarding boat is available. Or not. The chop from other boats on the Canal for a restless and almost his Board during the critical first hour and 6 minutes-cut off the previous record holding time Saavedra.

"After the third hour, my body was very tired," Saavedra told reporters. "I was almost eight times." In the first hour I worked very hard and used all my energy. The weather was tough... "I had never trained to under these conditions."

But then no one had. Saavedra is the first person of the Panama Canal Authority has ever allowed surfing access on the channel, and then only on the day of the race.

The Team Red Bull sponsorship Saavedra came with him in the early hours of the morning on Lake Gatun. Travel East, he was surfing behind the boat 2-foot wave until a cramp forced him from his Board.

"This record incredible feeling," said Saavedra, once back on dry land. "I had never faced these conditions, and all of these challenges and its two Guinness world records the most famous achievement is the my career so far."

Check out this video for some cool Saavedra's moves on the more traditional waves:

Figure 1: Panama's surfing champion Gary Saavedra rides one wave for Red Bull channel cross as he destroyed by the Panama channel in Panama City. Saavedra drove a wave created by wake surfing boat for 3: 55: 02 hours, over a distance of 41.3 km through the choppy water. Credit: Red Bull content pool.

Figure 2: map of the Panama channel (Wikimedia Commons).

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