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===== From Brandon =====

**Brandon Nelson** \\
08/23/13 #14772

Hi Gang!\\
I'm writing to you by talking into my iPad as I lay in this hospital bed at St. Joes. I KNOW tomorrow they'll cut me loose.

I so appreciate all the chatter online that has focused on thanking each and every one of you who helped make the Lake Padden world record event a total success.

I couldn't possibly articulate my deep, heartfelt awe and respect for this community and how much gratitude and humility I am feeling right now. The way I will forever frame the experience in my mind is that if any one person was missing from Lake Padden that day, who helped in the smallest way, or the absolute biggest way, this would not have been successful.\\
To say it took a village is the absolute truest use of that phrase that I can imagine.

I should have the packet of official evidence assembled by sometime on Friday, and I intend to FedEx it to Guinness headquarters in the UK. They should have it by Tuesday and have promised to complete their assessment in three days.

If we were successful, and that certificate comes in the mail, I will put it in one of those frames with the large white border that everyone can sign. And we'll have a huge party for everyone who makes this paddling community the goal-accomplishing, ever-strengthening, passionate and inspiring Organism that will absolutely, collectively own that world record.

In my heart of hearts, if one part had been missing, one single part, the project would have failed. But by God…. We freaking pulled it off!!!!!! We freaking did it!!!!!!

I've gotten a number of emails and have seen a number of comments that ask how I could possibly stand to circle the small lake again and again instead of going out for a long run on a much bigger body of water. I'm sure it's as laughable and obvious to you all as it is to me. "I need my people."

As deeply as it is possible to bow… Hell, even deeper… I bow to you with humble thanks.\\
I'll be in touch soon!

**Another 24 Hour Record Attempt Oct. 7th**

**lori & beau whitehead** \\
08/23/13 #14777

Well, this should be interesting…

Pedal boat vs. Carter on his surf ski for 24 hour distance record on Whitefish Lake… Pretty amazing how close Brandon, Carter & Greg are in their 24 hour distances.

But we all know Brandon's record will hold!

<del>http://www.pedalvspaddle.com</del>

Beau Whitehead

**Brandon Nelson** \\
08/23/13 #14778

Carter emailed me about this event on Wednesday just a couple hours after I finished. He asked if I wanted to join in or even take his place. I'm sure you can imagine, as I lay here still a couple hours from being discharged from the hospital, it is the last thing I would want to do right now. I also don't have any attachment or concern about how long this record may last. I won't lie, I sincerely hope Guinness certifies this latest effort. But its just a snapshot in time. It will then be broken by someone and then broken again and broken again.

What we did on Tuesday and Wednesday as a paddling community can never be erased from history, and will be one of my most treasured memories for the rest of my life.

**lori & beau whitehead** \\
08/23/13 #14779

Brandon, even if your record only holds for 1 minute or 2 months or 2 years, you still did it. You set a goal years ago, and you met that goal. Period. It was an achievement like few others I've ever witnessed. Watching you, plus watching the way the paddling community came together to support the effort… Very, very cool.

**Carter Johnson**

08/26/13 #14792

I have to say, I am super stoked for what Brandon and the Bellingham community accomplished last week. Both amazing and inspiring.

Greg K. (The Pedal boat / Bullet bike guy) has been asking me since 2007 to do Pedal vs. Paddle race with him to generate hype and support for his Charity. Focused on other events I have put him off for years. About 3 months ago he asked me again. I replied that after so many months off with back/shoulder injury, surgeries, I was super hungry for it, but needed to wait to see how the body would hold up. The day after surfski champs, feeling good enough, I contacted Greg and committed to the “showdown”. Both Greg and I just learned of the successful effort up north hours after it finished when a friend of mine sent me the link from the Bellingham times. I cannot help but feel that Brandon and Myself must have some supernatural connection to again 7 years later unknown to each other arrive at this intersection once more. It’s nothing short of crazy.

The miles Greg K. and Brandon now have on the books are also wild. Because of slight course differences I would wager they are within 100 feet of each other’s on the GPS track vs. what hit the books. Shows that at speeds over the sweet glide spots on these boats for long durations the additional boat drag seems to hit a solid wall of additional power vs. speed gains that are sustainable. Would love to see the real math here. Its mind blowing.

Greg and I are both looking forward to beating each other up in early October but the reality of it is all a big unknown. It is just as likely that either one of us, or neither of us are physically capable of the task at hand and come in short or throw a rod with the head to head action and break all together as it is we can even beat our old efforts yet alone the awesome bar that was just reset. To paraphrase a conversation I had with Dawid some years back that really hit home, it is the path leading up to these events and energy they deliver for us and our communities that matter, not the outcome. So we all are stoked no matter how it unfolds. The real winner will always be anybody who is inspired to get off the couch and get out there and the charities who are benefiting from the publicity and funds.

As always, looking forward to seeing everybody on the water sometime soon and make sure you hit me up if in the bay area and looking for some downwinds or a crash pad on the houseboats.

Paddles up

Carter
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