Rescue crews rush to aid naked Irish solo adventurer

Filed under: Paddling, OceaniaThe headline was too horrid on so many fronts to pass up.

It turns out 29-year-old Irishman Keith Whelan, attempting to become the first of his nation to row solo across the Indian Ocean - despite as far as I can glean having little rowing experience, just naked ambition and a Twitter account - had been slapped by a big wave 128 miles off the coast of Australia, cracked his head on a protruding bolt and called for help. A cargo ship, the Fujisuka -- having nothing better to do -- diverted course, picked him up and delivered him back to shore at Bunbury, where he held ... drum roll ... a press conference.

How do we know all this? Thanks to his constant tweeting and blogging and the 24/7 reach of the global media.

Before we go any further with the story of this faux adventure, why oh why did he opt to row naked? According to his website it was "to avoid painful chafing from salt encrusted clothing." ("Having gotten into a rowing boat for the first time only a year or so beforehand, he will spend 110 days alone at sea, facing 50 foot swells, hurricane force winds and unrelenting sunshine ... and he'll be naked.")

Not to mention the attention the word naked still garners in headlines, Twitter feeds and Google searches.
I'm not suggesting the guy shouldn't be able to 'define' adventure in his own terms. With most corners of the world already explored in a variety of fashions, those who seek adventure are forced after a fashion to find new ways of doing them. People have walked up Everest on behalf of every imaginable disease, attempted long walks, long rows, long sails, etc., going forwards, backwards, sideways and upside down to try and draw attention to their pursuit. Whelan is hardly the first. (His charity is Keep A Child Alive, for which to-date he's raised about $700 ... out of a hoped-for $15,000).
Continue reading Rescue crews rush to aid naked Irish solo adventurerRescue crews rush to aid naked Irish solo adventurer originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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