Announcements:
July 11, 2007, 1:30 pm (CST): After 1,704 miles (2,742 km) and 59 days, Jacob has completed his Mississippi journey!
June 29, 2007: Jacob is making good progress along the Lower Mississippi and expects to reach New Orleans by mid-July!
June 25, 2007: Jacob has traveled 1,000 miles, and expects to reach New Orleans before the end of July.
June 20, 2007: Jacob has traveled more than 800 miles, and by tomorrow will have reached the Lower Mississippi.
June 13, 2007: Jacob has traveled more than 700 miles, and has paddled passed St. Louis - the "psychological" half-way point of the journey.
June 1, 2007: Jacob has updated his photo gallery and his blog.
Note: Jacob's access to towns, cellphone signal, and Internet connection (blog, email, etc.) has been worse than he thought... so please have patience if you're trying to reach him.
In the Media:
Interview with Joe Easingwood C-Fax 1070 Radio Victoria, BC, Friday July 20, 8:20 am Pacific.
On the air with Fred and Seven, KCPS Radio Burlington, Iowa, Friday July 20, 7:30 am Central.
On the air with Eric Nelson, WCCO Radio Minneapolis, Wednesday July 15, 1:10 pm Central.
On the air with Eric Nelson, WCCO Radio Minneapolis, Wednesday July 4, 10:00 pm Central.
On the air with Eric Nelson, WCCO Radio Minneapolis, Sunday June 17, 1:10 pm Central.
On the air with Eric Nelson, WCCO Radio Minneapolis, Sunday June 10, 1:10 pm Central.
On the air with Fred and Seven, KCPS Radio Burlington, Iowa, Monday June 4, 6:30 am Central.
On the air with Dan Geiger, WCCO Radio Minneapolis, Saturday June 2, 8:30 pm Central.
News Article: Mississippi Kayak Challenge Kicks Off (Twin Cities Sports, May 2007)
Press Release: Mississippi Kayak Challenge (April 24, 2007)
News Article: Up the river with a kayak (Times Colonist, April 27, 2007)
The Outdoor Enthusiast Next Door: Jacob van der Merwe (Part 1) (Outdoor-Weblog Interview, April 24, 2007)
The Outdoor Enthusiast Next Door: Jacob van der Merwe (Part 2) (Outdoor-Weblog Interview, April 24, 2007)
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Jacob van der Merwe, a.k.a. The Crazy Kayaker
Mississippi Challenge 2007
This summer, I got to realize a childhood dream. I completed a 1,704 mile kayak trip on the Mississippi river. My adventure started at St. Paul, MN on May 13, 2007, and I reached New Orleans on July 11, after 59 days on the river.
All my life I have known that one day I will meet this river, and get to know its people, its places and its history, in an up-close and personal way. I can think of few more intimate ways than to make my way downstream in a kayak, paddle in hand, at the river's own pace. To have its powerful waters an eighth of an inch away from my bottom; to be able to reach out and touch it by lowering my hand a few inches, and to let the river take me where it wants me to go, as fast or as slowly as it wants to.
Logistics
Supply and other logistical arrangements for this expedition are straightforward and for the most part without the challenges inherent to wilderness or ocean trips. more »
Supply and other logistical arrangements for this expedition are straightforward and for the most part without the challenges inherent to wilderness or ocean trips.
Food and other supplies will be cached and replenished as required en route. There are stretches along the last few hundred miles of the river that cut through undeveloped terrain, where I will have to be self-sustained for a few days. This poses no problem since my kayak can hold a seven day supply of food and water in addition to all my gear. I plan to camp most of the way.
The Book
An important reason for this adventure, and my end-goal, is to share my experience through a book. It also happens to be how I make my living. more »
An important reason for this adventure, and my end-goal, is to share my experience through a book. It also happens to be how I make my living.
The book will be a 2,000 mile journey through the space and time that define the Mississippi; the story of a river and its people, told from the cockpit of a kayak. This unique account will include all the elements of travel, adventure, history, human interest and the environment. I hope to take you along in my kayak as I follow the river through a changing landscape; explore its cities and countryside; meet the people; learn about the history; and enjoy the music, food and art inspired by the river.
My journey, the river, my experiences, my successes and failures will define the book. I am approaching this odyssey, and my writing, with an open mind. To do otherwise, will be dishonest to myself and the river. This will be a long and difficult journey, with many unforeseeable surprises along the way. I have no preset ideas or agenda; I will let the river be my guide. And the river will have the final say about this book.
More About the Crazy Kayaker
The Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata once said, 'It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.' Some say he borrowed the quote from Cuban revolutionary José Martí, not that it really matters. Either way, it struck a chord with me. A while back, I adopted a variation of the quote as part of my life philosophy: 'I'd rather die on a river than live in a cubicle.' Which is another way of saying I spend most of my time paddling. more »
The Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata once said, 'It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.' Some say he borrowed the quote from Cuban revolutionary José Martí, not that it really matters. Either way, it struck a chord with me. A while back, I adopted a variation of the quote as part of my life philosophy: 'I'd rather die on a river than live in a cubicle.' Which is another way of saying I spend most of my time paddling.
If you read my formal resume you will discover that I am a published author, experienced ocean kayaker, skilled amateur photographer and an energetic traveler. My first non-fiction book, Survival of the Cleanest: A Common Sense Guide to Preventing Infectious Disease, was published in 2005. It is sold worldwide by major booksellers, including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, B. Dalton, Blackwell and Amazon. The book has also been acquired by public libraries in the US and Canada.
Prior to escaping from the world of cubicles, I held management positions in North America and Africa with information technology and industrial corporations. Somewhere along the line I also acquired a degree in business administration.
My future writing adventures include a solo kayak trip on the Volga river planned for 2009, and a kayak trip down the Nile in the next five years.
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