Photo by Marcel Vander Wier
AFTER THE QUEST 鈥� The mixed tandem kayak team of Julie Kirk and Joshua Friedman were the last team to finish the 2014 River Quest. The two paddlers from Moyie Springs, Idaho, called the race one of the toughest events they've endured in life.
DAWSON CITY 鈥� As far as toughness goes, the Yukon River Quest ranks somewhere alongside Navy SEAL training.
DAWSON CITY 鈥� As far as toughness goes, the Yukon River Quest ranks somewhere alongside Navy SEAL training.
That's according to 51-year-old Red Lantern winner Joshua Friedman.
The retired U.S. Navy SEAL partnered with fellow Idaho kayaker Julie Kirk, 53, in this year's 715-km journey down the Yukon River.
"This is the second-hardest thing I've done in my whole life,鈥� Friedman told the Star. "The first thing on that list was going through my SEAL training. And the only reason why (the race) isn't on the top of the list is just because of the length. This was three days, and when I went through my hell week with SEALs, it was seven days.鈥�
The duo finished last on Saturday night 鈥� the 48th and final team to cross the finish line 鈥� after a last-minute stop along the riverbank near Dawson City allowed another team to pass them.
"I pulled in along the shoreline because I didn't know where to go,鈥� said Kirk, who manned the stern for the entirety of the trip. "There was a ferry on the side, so I pulled in and walked into town to ask where we were supposed to go.鈥�
They would finish in 68 hours, 45 minutes, 29 seconds 鈥� a little more than two minutes behind "Krave Kayak鈥� 鈥� a male duo of San Francisco paddlers Sam Colley and Chris Jackson.
Despite battling winds and waves on an "extremely challenging鈥� Lake Laberge, Friedman and Kirk continued to plod along.
"We were going to finish no matter what,鈥� Kirk said. "We just figured go slow at the end, take our time, and come across the line.鈥�
Sleep deprivation and the summer sun's heat began to affect Friedman late in the race, causing him to hallucinate.
"He didn't sleep at all through the whole race,鈥� said Kirk. "The last day was the most challenging, because I was just trying to keep him from getting out of the boat. He kept thinking we were in a car 鈥� I had to talk to him constantly.鈥�
The team 鈥� known as 鈥楥hallenge Blue America' 鈥� first heard about the race last year after reading an article in the Spokesman-Review, a newspaper in Spokane, Wash., describing the feat of an area canoe team that won the voyageur category in 2013.
While Kirk is a seasoned paddler, Friedman has only been training for one year. However, he has completed a number of ironman triathlons 鈥� including qualifying for the world championships in 2004.
"My hat's off to anybody who even enters the race, let alone finishes,鈥� said Friedman. "It's an amazing accomplishment for anybody.鈥�
The duo said they aim to return next year in hopes of shaving some hours off their overall time.
By MARCEL VANDER WIER
Star Sports Editor
In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.
Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.
Be the first to comment