Nick Harding | @nickhdg | Sportscene - Musician Ben Friberg has become the first person to stand up paddle non-stop across the Florida Straits leaving Port Hemingway, Cuba and arriving at Key West, Florida, USA.

Most feats of global exploration have been achieved over the last few decades but with the growth in popularity of SUP sport, we are also seeing an increase in the number of expeditions and challenges undertaken by paddleboard.

Ben Friberg (35) from Tennessee already has one title under his belt; last year he completed  the longest-distance paddleboard trip achieved in 24 hours – 238 miles along the Yukon River, Canada. He is also a man of many talents, he is the lead singer and guitarist of American band Chattanooga.

This time round, and having prepared for a year since his last voyage, he paddled 110 miles (179 km) of open ocean in 28 hours whilst his proud father watched from a support boat. He was upright for the whole distance, with the odd sit-down snack-stop. He arrived yesterday dehydrated but in good health.

Equipment was essential, he paddled a 14ft-long board that not only was stable but with a streamlined ocean-racing type nose to dissect ocean waves, long sleeves shielded him from the sun and tight-fitting long-socks acted as protection from jellyfish and pruney feet.

He also had a team in place relaying weather information to his father, he required flat-water but the Florida Straits are renowned for highly-changeable currents. Tricky for him, 'the seas didn't die down, especially at night and there was a ton of chop  and my stomach wouldn't settle.” He had to balance endurance paddling with the conditions as well as taking time to enjoy to the natural beauty around him.

His father was worried about his son being followed by sharks; on a recent trip to Hawaii one stalked Ben for about an hour leading to some wobbly legs.

The Cuba-South Florida crossing has long been the site of mass immigration attempts into the US by boat or floating vessel. More recently the Key West peninsula has lured many an adventurer seeking a place in the history books.

Others have tried the crossing and some did so. Many open-water swimmers attempted it but were deterred by surface-dwelling jellyfish. Australian Susan Maroney swam it in 1997 thanks to the help of a shark cage, in 2011 lifeguard Cynthia Aguilar completed the gap kneeboarding, several surfers have endured it and in 1992 a Cuban doctor Ernesto Barral windsurfed it in 19 hours at night. 

Links

• Ben Friberg and Chattanooga: www.benfriberg.com
• Journey on NRC NL
• Journey on The Telegraph