Iceland Expedition 2003 - Sucessfully Completed!
May - September, 2003
Team Iceland:
Chris Duff,
Shawna M. Franklin,
Leon Sommé
Official web site: www.icelandexpedition2003.com
Upcoming Presentations
| Victoria, B.C. | February 1 & 2, 2006 |
| Port Ludlow, WA | February 6, 2006 |
| Waldron Island, WA | February 15, 2006 |
Iceland is the most isolated nation in the western world, sitting atop the
mid-atlantic ridge just 3 miles south of the artic circle. Glaciers, geysers,
active volcanoes, snow capped mountains, vast lava deserts, the world's most
crowded seabird colonies, and a small highly educated population of friendly
people make Iceland both exotic and inviting.
In May 2003, Chris Duff, Shawna Franklin, and Leon Sommé, set out to
circumnavigate this great island in four months time. They finished early - it took less than three months.
Along the way they stopped to teach paddling skills to local clubs.
Find out more about their trip, "the Rescue," their sponsors, and the photographs and updates they sent back from Iceland
at the official Iceland Expedition 2003
web site. There are also dates for upcoming slide-shows and talks about their trip.
Team Bios:
CHRIS DUFF
BCU 5 Star Sea, Coach 4 Sea
Chris Duff has traveled over 15,000 miles by sea kayak since 1983 when he
paddled 8,000 miles around the eastern third of US and Canada. In 1996, he
became the first person to solo circumnavigate England, Wales and Scotland.
With the completion of the Irish expedition in 1996, he is the only person to
have soloed the entire British Isles. On April 16th, 2000 Chris completed his
1700-mile solo circumnavigation of New Zealand's South Island. Chris's
well-received "On Celtic Tides - One Man's Journey Around Ireland by Sea kayak"
is available now at a bookstore near you, and his second memoir chronicling his
solo circumnavigation around New Zealand will be available in March, 2003. Beyond
being an extraordinary paddler, Chris is also a highly certified and passionate
kayak instructor, who infuses his love of the outdoors, knowledge of the sea,
and his gentle and calming spirit into every course that he teaches.
LEON SOMMÉ
BCU 5 Star Sea, 4 Star Surf, 4 Star Inland, Coach 4 Sea
Leon has been paddling and teaching in sea kayaks for 12 years. He has logged
thousands of coastal miles on Lake Superior, the Sea of Cortez, the Gulf of
Mexico, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the Irish Sea. Most notably, in
1998, Leon successfully circumnavigated Vancouver Island, B.C., a trip of over
700 nautical miles in 28 days. His passion is to teach other paddlers the
skills that they need to safely kayak in the beauty of a stormy sea. He
recently co-organized and co-hosted with Shawna, the highly successful West
Coast Kayak Skills Symposium held on Orcas Island, WA (2001).
SHAWNA FRANKLIN
BCU 5 Star Sea, 4 Star Surf, 4 Star Inland, Coach 4 Sea
Shawna is the first woman in the United States to gain the BCU 5 Star Sea
Award, a test of skills and leadership in advanced sea conditions. Shawna has
been paddling and teaching for over 10 years. In 1998, and in 2000, Shawna
competed in the San Juan Challenge Sea Kayak Race, placing first in her
division both years.
Chris, Leon, and Shawna have been guest instructors at some of the most well
recognized kayak skills symposiums across the country. The list includes: the
Sweetwater Florida Gulf Coast Symposium (1998-2002), the East Coast Kayak
Skills Symposium in NY (2000-2002), the West Coast Kayak Skills Symposium on
Orcas Island WA, and the Port Angeles Kayak Symposium (2002).
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