Interview with West Hansen - Amazon Express

West Hansen is going to be the first person to solo paddle the entire length of the world’s longest river – and he’s going to do it faster than anyone else has ever paddled the 4225 miles.

A seasoned ultra distance kayak racer, with numerous speed records and paddling marathon titles under his belt, West sought a new challenge and outlet for his intense desire to paddle many, many miles. The remote and rugged Amazon River offered the challenge he was looking for.

The expedition, named Amazon Express, is set for the summer of 2012, and will cover the entire Amazon River – the world’s longest and largest – in a source-to-sea attempt to establish the solo speed record AND the fastest time of anyone to complete the course. This is similar to combining the Tour de France and an Everest ascent into one treacherous challenge. West plans to traverse the distance from the river’s source to the Atlantic Ocean, 4225 miles (6,800 km) away, in 40 – 60 days. Previous expeditions have finished the journey in 140+ days.

West was able to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us about his historic adventure:

How long have you been into long distance kayaking? What is the draw for you?

I’ve been racing ultra endurance canoe/kayak races since 1992 (20 years). Prior to that I spent 10 years in white water kayaks. The draw came when I transferred my passion for running marathons onto the water. I saw some guys in USCA boats racing the Texas Water Safari and was instantly hooked. From then on, I’ve come to treasure the solitude and camaraderie of the races, along with the idea of pushing the edge of endurance.

You have a full resume of ultra-distance races under your belt; is the Amazon Express your first focus on expedition kayaking?

Yes. I was invited to join a team that included Carter Johnson, David Kelly and Mike Scales in 2008 to race the Great River Amazon Raft Race in Iquitos, Peru. We spent one afternoon building a balsa raft, then the next three days racing it 87 miles. David lent me the story of the first source-to-sea Amazon expedition (successful, that is), “Running the Amazon”, and I figured I might be able to do the same, but a tad faster.

Why did you choose the Amazon?

Once our team, Living Easy, was actually on the Amazon River, I was amazed by it’s immensity and power, plus the fact that it has never been dammed or had a bridge cross it. It’s wild and I hope will always be such.

What is more difficult for you right now: the physical training for the actual kayaking, or the logistical juggernaut of planning such a bold endeavor?

Easy answer: the logistical training and constant concern about fundraising. I’m very comfortable on any water and equally uncomfortable asking for finances.

What is your training regimen like? How much mileage do you put in per week?

I haven’t altered my training much from my usual ultra-distance regimen, which consists of an hour of intervals, twice a week on Town Lake in Austin, then one or two long runs on the Colorado or San Marcos Rivers. The longest I’ll ever paddle on a weekend run is 36 miles – the distance between Gonzales and Hochheim on the Guadalupe River. Races are much longer, but I haven’t found much benefit to ultra long training runs, since the recovery time takes so long.

What is most intimidating about the expedition to you? Are there any sections that are particularly difficult and/or dangerous?

Most intimidating? Approaching a potential sponsor. As for dangers on the expedition, the Acobamba Abyss is the second deepest canyon in the world; twice deeper than the Grand Canyon and, at times, as narrow as 100 yards across, with rocks constantly falling down around you as you paddle Class V+ rapids. I’ll cover this 60ish miles section immediately before the flat water. I’m also very concerned about petty pirates in the cloudforest region of Peru, on the lower Apurimac, Ene and Tambo rivers, which feed the Amazon. More pirates are in store throughout the Brazilian section of the route. I’m also a bit concerned about authorities looking for a kickback or a reason to confiscate my gear.

Will you always have your support team nearby? Or are there sections where you guys could be out of touch?

With the right funding, I’ll have a support team shadowing me the entire way, but I’m going regardless. The plan is to have four additional kayakers accompany me throughout the white water sections and a land crew meet us at crossings over the initial 300 miles. Following that, in ideal conditions, the support crew will shadow me in a small motorboat all the way to the Atlantic.

You chose the Epic 18X Expedition for your boat, from Epic Kayaks. Why did you settle on this model?

No brainer: It’s light, fast and proven. Freya Hoffmeister has put the 18x through the toughest tests and it’s survived plenty of abuse. I plan on putting it through even more testing and have great confidence in its balance of speed and stability. I’m used to racing surf skis, however I’ve found that after being awake for 36 or so hours, my stability decreases. I can’t risk dumping over in the middle of the Amazon, which gets to 20 miles wide in some places.

Did you have to do any customization for the rigors of your trip?

I’ll add some seat padding, bow light and attach padlocks to the hatches to prevent thievery, which is rampant in the towns and villages along the way. Other than that, it’s a stock boat, ready for battle. I really like the rudder.

What other sponsorships and supporters have come on board?

Thus far, I only have SPIZ high calorie energy drink, Epic Kayaks and 5.10 footwear, who is supplying hiking and water shoes. I just returned from the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City where I was offered a substantial number of “product only” sponsorships. I’ll follow up with many of them, and work to secure additional financial sponsorships in order to assure the success of the expedition. Additionally, I’ll also contact a handful of water-based suppliers (Kokatat, Confluence, etc…) that were not at the winter show to secure “product only” sponsorships. I’ve been communicating with Jackson Kayaks, however they want the team to use the Rogue, which isn’t suitable for the more extreme white water, therefore this partnership may not work out. Any contacts or influence with white water kayak companies or gear would be greatly appreciated.

What is the most exciting part of this whole adventure for you? And have you started thinking beyond the Amazon trip yet?

The most exciting part will be the first and last moments. The second most exciting part will be all the moments in between. Beyond the Amazon River is a bit difficult to imagine, though from now on, beyond my first 50 years, I believe I’ll do something thrilling each year. Freya’s got some good ideas. Perhaps I’ll circumnavigate Antarctica. That hasn’t happened yet. :)

Click here to learn more about the Amazon Express expedition