Marcus & Biff - Off To Patagonia for Achilles! Presentation at Pier 66 TUESDAY DEC 1!

Adding a note at 9:36 PM - If you were unable to make it to the presentation, you can read about it here. I didn't make it in the end. I started the day optimistic enough to bring the Optio, but quarter-end closes are particularly demanding beasts & although I thought I was in good shape when I left last night, things came up that I didn't foresee. Happens a lot. I guess I will just have to look forward to the presentations when they get back!

Oh, shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot, I forgot this is happening tomorrow!!!! Once again, I will most likely have to miss it, but I'd wanted to help spread the word. Posting 22 hours before an event is not exactly the best way to do that. Anyways, this is a presentation by my crazy-in-an-awesome-way friend Marcus, and Biff, who I haven't met but she must be similarly amazing.

No, Biff isn't in this picture!

From Mayor's Cup 2009

Marcus & Mike with their Mayor's Cup trophy. Mike's an amputee & they raced in a double in the Achilles category. The folks who won the touring tandems category thanked them for being in the Achilles category, because Mike & Marcus came in about 10 minutes ahead of them! Marcus's post-race comment about Mike - "He's not handicapped. He's a machine". Remember, the Mayor's Cup was cut to "elites only". These guys made the cut. Them and Greg Barton (blue jacket in the background). Yup.

Still not a great picture of Marcus - Pentax Optio WP's are sunshine & outdoor toys, don't do so hot inside on a stormy day, but at least it's a change from my usual "Marcus with a giant rubber ducky" picture!

OK, on with the event already. Did I mention it's tomorrow? Tuesday? December 1st? 7pm, pier 66?
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Paddling Around the Uttermost Part of the Earth

On December 16th, 2009, New York based paddlers Marcus Demuth and Biff Wruszek will set out to the southernmost tip of Patagonia to attempt the first circumnavigation of Isla Grande Tierra del Fuego – South America 's largest island. The expedition will raise funds and paddling gear for Achilles, a non-profit New York-based organization, which enables people with disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics.

Starting in Ushuaia, Argentina -- the southernmost city in the world – Demuth and Wruszek will set out to complete the 1,100-mile trip counter-clockwise in what is considered one of the harshest maritime climates in the world. "The Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego Pilot book" calls the exposed coastline "one of the toughest a yacht is likely to meet". Nevertheless, Demuth and Wruszek are fueled by the desire to experience the beauty of the 100 mile wide Cordillera Darwin; the abundant wildlife; and the charm of the people living in this sparsely populated region which the Anglo-Argentine author and explorer Lucas Bridges called “The Uttermost part of the Earth.”

Biff and Marcus will tell about the preparations and challenges of the trip. Joe Traum of the kayak program Achilles will talk about the 2010 kayak program which will be held here at Pier 66 for Achilles athletes.

How much: No cover, but donations to Achilles are welcome

If you like: Bring beverages and snacks to share


Presented by Manhattan Kayak Company and NYRiverSports


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