Dave Cornthwaite

A regular Friday Guest Blog from the Swim1000 Bloggette Queen Miss Em Bell

From the days of Santa and chicken outfits, the Missouri 1000 team now prepare for 2 months as a bunch of fish…

I’m definitely the dweeby type. Aside from wishing I was born a boy and loving rare burgers, I am a total sucker for happy endings. I believed in Santa Claus until I was inappropriately old, I built dens until an even more inappropriate age and I always cry t the Carphone Warhouse advert. You know the one where the little mobile phone gets forgotten in the gutter, while his owner hangs out with his cool new phone. Psk. The tears.

Basically I’m corny. I love the spontaneity of following your dreams and after quitting my job in 2009, I’ve never looked back. Sleeping on train patterned mattresses next to my parents and getting paid £2 an hour to sell balloons in a chicken outfit are all part of the adventure. That’s what happens when you quit your job for something different in search of something you love. It’s not always easy but boy do I love the ride. I love the uncertainty.

So after settling into my dream job writing for Pomp Magazine and moving in with one of my best mates, I thought I might just be getting old.  Well six months in, I spent two hours with Dave Cornthwaite and I handed in my notice on my flat, I was given a two month sabbatical at work and I was officially the ‘Queen’ (self proclaimed title) blogger on one cracking adventure. I mean how could I say no to standup paddle boarding 1000 miles down the Missouri River in a support team filled with other spectacular oddballs as the ginger nut swims the whole thing. I mean, who could say no.

So it all began in 2009, when I decided to quit my job in head hunting. And it ends with lunch in Green Park on a long board with a ginger eating a salad. Preparing for the ride of a lifetime. Well it doesn’t really end here. This is the just the beginning.

See I told you I was corny.

If you talk to the birds nicely Dave, maybe they will carry you?

Staying connected on my expeditions is a big part of how I choose to travel. Sharing stories from the river, ocean or road means keeping batteries, laptops, phones and cameras charged far away from the nearest town.

Luckily, Powertraveller have the answer. I’ve tried out a bunch of solar panels and portable batteries but I haven’t found anything to beat the combination of Solar Gorilla and Powergorilla, which accompanied me the entire length of the Murray River in 2009 on my first source to sea expedition.

At times I’m on a journey where I’ll arrive at a town (and therefore a standard power source) every couple of days, and the Powergorilla is the perfect pack to ensure that my phone, iPod and Macbook (via a MagSafe connector) keep user-ready in the interim.

On more remote stretches, like on the Murray and Mississippi Rivers, I’ll take along the Solar Gorilla to grab some rays and charge up the Powergorilla when it’s running low.

With a GPS, Smart Phone and other small gadgets demanding constant use, I keep a bank of AA batteries charged up using the super-compact Powermonkey, which plugs into a USB slot (either on my Macbook Pro, or straight into the Powergorilla).

I haven’t yet run out of juice on an expedition, and with my 1000-mile swim down the Missouri River fast approaching it’s great peace of mind to know that our slow progress (I am swimming while towing a raft, after all!) and few opportunities to stop into urban areas won’t impact on the journey’s connectivity.

(Dave is not sponsored by Powertraveller, he just likes their stuff a lot and thinks you will, too)

> Follow the Swim1000 Missouri Expedition through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
> Say hello to Powertraveller 

The time has come again to dress up as Oliver and hold out a bowl of hope to people, organisations and companies who might be able to offer up a small segment of an expedition puzzle that I’m currently piecing together at ExpeditionHQ (read: Kitchen Table, Stockwell, South London).

In 2005 and 2006 I sent out over 1700 emails to companies big and small asking for support, cash, product and anything they could offer to aid my dream of skateboarding further than anyone ever had. Most didn’t reply, even with a no. A couple responded saying ‘nope, but good luck.’ One said there was no way in hell they’d support an idea that was destined to fail. And a very small handful (a Simpsons handful) gave the thumbs up.

That’s all it took. It was a start.

Since I made it the length of Britain and across Australia on my board I’ve learned some lessons. I’ve done a couple more expeditions that required support from sponsors. I’ve done a couple more that didn’t require a single sponsor letter: either I used kit I’d obtained previously, or funded them myself. Soul food journeys, those ones.

Now I’m hunting again. Swimming 1000 miles down the Missouri with a team of six people means the approach to this expedition can’t be a quiet one. I’m ready for a big challenge, not only tackling the endurance, psychological and logistical challenges of a big swim, but the marketing bit too. Bloomin’ love it.

I’m driven by sharing stories from my journeys, and even without much imagination there’s an obvious and rather short hop between creating expedition content and providing sponsors with the stuff they need to justify their support. It’s a social media world out there, I’m only writing to companies who know how to Facebook and Tweet and YouTube, otherwise they’ll be no good to me, nor me to them.

And here’s the cool thing, it’s not 2005 any more, I have experience now. I’ve got six big expeditions - thankfully all a success - behind me. When I write to a sponsor it’s because I’ve handpicked them and because they have both the attitude and the gear I think can work with my expedition. And I stress that if they’re interested I want them to be interested in the How and Why, as opposed to the £ Result. 

I don’t want a sponsor for just one expedition. The vast majority of companies I’ve worked with have stuck with me through the years. We’re friends, and that’s how I like it.

So today I’ve been looking into canoes, camping, and clothes (just happens to be a C-day). As opposed to 2005 I know now that I have something to offer, rather than just believing that I do. I love this process. Some won’t reply but most will, and I’m kinda excited about going big on this one alongside a new friend or two.

So, who’s in?!

@Swim1000 @DaveCorn www.facebook.com/expedition1000 YouTube

I’m heading off in mid July and won’t be returning to the UK for quite a while. It seems silly to keep a bunch of stuff in a cupboard so I’m having a little sale, both to help fund expeditions and keep storage costs/ debt down! Roll up roll up! Drop me a line on dave@davecornthwaite.co.uk if you’re interested in any of these items…may consider offers on some items…

iMac 21.5-inch
2.5GHz 2.5GHz
Quad-Core Intel Core i5
1920 x 1080 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
500GB hard drive
1AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB
Bluetooth Magic Mouse + Bluetooth Keyboard
1 year-old, used rarely 
Price: £800 (comes in box)

 

JVC-HM100 Semi Professional Compact Video Camera
Nearly new camera. Used on one expedition. Excellent Condition
2 x Batteries + charger 
Price RRP: £1800 - Selling for £1000 

 

Xbox360 + Games + 2 x controllers
Price: £150 all in 

1 x rollsrolls longboard carbon kevlar deck

Exact replicas of the board I took across the UK and Australia I have one brand new deck, white / customisable, along with Holey Trucks, risers and bearings. Only thing missing are wheels. 
Prices:
Deck: RRP £240 - Selling for £100 each 
Holeys: £45 for a pair
Will consider offers 

 

Balance Board
Ideal for working out your core while watching the Olympics on the Telly, good fun too! Price: £50

Date in paperback
My second book, DATE, seems to have bred copiously in the past three months. As a consequence, I’m putting it on sale for a little while.
1 copy: £5 (buy here)
One box of 24: £50 (yes, a little money-making opportunity here, or perfect for a year’s worth of presents. Can sign each copy!) 

Meet the team involved in the Swim1000 Missouri River Expedition this Summer.

This is no ordinary expedition, everyone involved will be paddling 1000 miles alongside Dave as he swims the Lower Missouri, towing and pushing his gear on a raft. 

Follow the journey through Facebook, Twitter and on the official website.
 

Dave Cornthwaite - The Guy in the Water 
Dave has tried his hand at many an endurance activity in the past but before deciding on this expedition the furthest distance he had ever swum was from one end of a pool to the other. A 25m pool. Dave will be managing the expedition as well as swimming 1000 miles and is most excited about seeing the world from two inches above the surface for 50 days.
> Meet Dave - Follow him on Twitter

David Zaple - Medical Chief 
On the verge of becoming a registered paramedic David can cook to an edible standard and threatens a sense of humour even cornier than the other Dave’s. With a good background in travel David’s experience in both endurance and fundraising events compliment his chosen profession. As the team’s medical specialist his tent will almost certainly bear a red cross.  
> Meet David - Follow him on Twitter
 

Vanessa - Social Media Guru
Well travelled, creative and ready to escape the city, Ness will be heavily involved in marketing, social media, PR and stills photography on the Missouri. A strong background in charitable fundraising and developing sustainable business models for entrepreneurs means she’ll be involved in pulling together the project from all angles. 
> Meet Ness - Follow her on Twitter
 

Ben -  Trainer and Nutrition Chief
Just qualified as a personal trainer and with a background in bodybuilding and sports nutrition, Ben’s skills are fastened together by experience in an endurance expedition of his own. In 2008 Ben broke Dave C’s length of Britain skateboarding record at the age of 18. No doubt he’ll be swimming the Missouri in 49 days soon after this expedition!  
> Meet Ben

Annabel - Mrs Motivator
Eternally positive, Annabel - or you can call her Annie, Bella (don’t even think about it), or ‘that one’ - is the sense of humour department in the team. Next year she’s planning on rowing across the Pacific Ocean so 1000 miles of paddling will be super practice for her, as will being an integral part of the day-to-day running of the expedition.
> Meet Annabel - Follow her on Twitter
 

Sarah - Fundraising Boss
If life were a bull Sarah would be holding its horns and riding the blimmin’ thing like you wouldn’t believe. Having spent two years of her early thirties kicking breast cancer out of the park Sarah will be implementing the Expedition’s fundraising strategy, ensuring we raise as much money as possible for breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!
> Meet Sarah  - Follow her on Twitter
 

Louisa Currie - Mrs Media
Lou will be joining us for the second half of the expedition and will use her experience as a journalist for the BBC to maximise the media coverage an expedition like this deserves. She’s done a bit of filming, too, so keep an eye out for the video blogs!
> Meet Louisa - Follow her on Twitter
 

Em Bell - Blog Queen
Last but not least is Ms Bell. She was born during an earthquake on a beach in Chile and has barely sat down since. A professional journalist and blogger, you’ll love Em’s writing throughout the journey.
> Meet Em - Follow her on Twitter

And finally, how did Dave convince this merry bank of soon-to-be paddlers to join him? Well, it took one video…

For the first time in European Championship history a match is suspended due to poor weather. The power of nature was evident as rain poured in torrents between the stands and lightning forked directly above the stadium, the Ukrainian and French players being ushered off the pitch by a very calm referee. But this isn’t the first time that bad weather had impacted a sporting event.

Windstorm hits South African Match
Straight-line winds have been known to pluck a small patch of enormous trees right out of a forest without touching the surrounding vegetation. Ships have been lost at sea. Buildings demolished in a second. In this case advertising hoardings are swept into the air and onto the pitch during an Orlando Pirates vs Black Leopards game.

Lightning Strikes Pitch
Another South African football match is interrupted by lightning striking the pitch, causing confusion and injury to players.

Bees attack footballers
This is nothing less than funny. Exactly what it says on the tin.

Tornado interrupts kid’s game
This is possibly the most incredible story on this page. Only children playing an amateur game, but I’d imagine this was most unexpected.

Whether you’ve read DATE yet or not come on down to Kaff Brixton on Thursday 21st June at  7pm to join me for a book reading, general dating discussion and a bit of subsequent revelry.

Kaff is just a short walk from Brixton Tube (Atlantic Road) in London and has a great selection of drinks, comfy sofas and , most importantly – a fine pile of cakes to choose from. 

If you have any questions or favorite parts of the book that you want me to read from – tweet me @davecorn or leave a message on our Facebook page

The book of DATE, plus a beer and cake – what more could anyone ask for on a Thursday night?

See you there!

http://www.kaff-bar.co.uk/

64-68 Atlantic Road, Brixton, London, SW9 8PY

To find out more about Date, visit www.thebookofdate.com

This is the Real Relay - an attempt to follow the entire route of the official Olympic Torch but running every step of the way non-stop 24hrs a day. The idea was conceived at Endurancelife HQ one lunchtime 10 days ago. It seemed impossible but we do like a challenge so we gave it a go, set up a Facebook app and a website and launched the Real Relay on the Great British public.

The idea is that real runners from around Britain can sign up to run one of the stages of the route (approx. 10 miles) - all they have to do is donate £10 to our official charity CHICKS. Since setting out from Land’s End at midnight last Monday, the Real Relay baton has travelled over 700 miles, carried by over 70 different runners and is currently making it’s way through Wales having crossed the border in the early hours of this morning. Our aim is to catch up with and overtake the official torch and beat it to London.

If you like the sound of this challenge we’d be grateful if you could spread the word via your contacts in whatever way you can. You can catch up with all the latest Real Relay news via our Endurancelife Facebook page www.facebook.com/endurancelife Visit the Real Relay website for more info. and to sign up for a stage at www.endurancelife.com/realrelay

At the moment we have only published the Real Relay route as far as Liverpool. We need to fill some missing gaps in Wales this week before publishing the next stages. After Wales, and Liverpool we’ll be hopping across to the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and Scotland before travelling back down south to complete the rest of England. We got our first bit of national coverage courtesy of Telegraph online last week but are hoping to make more inroads into the national news agenda - this is vital if we are to keep up the momentum, spread the word further afield and recruit enough runners to keep the Real Relay going. If you can help in any way with promoting the Real Relay to media contacts, we’d love to hear from you.

Very best wishes, The Endurance Life Team

Priscilla, 4 wheels, several thousands miles under the hood (pedals), well-travelled, very friendly, makes a great city runaround and is very much a head-turner! Needs good home.

Currently available for viewing in Coconut Grove, Miami. 

Size: 5 foot 7 wide x 8 foot long

Price: will listen to any offers

Comes complete and ready to pedal for one or two people. Tools. 2 x deckchairs. Cooler box. Cushions. Groundsheet for tent. Other bits and bobs.

History: British Adventure and Author Dave Cornthwaite has just completed a 1000-mile journey on Priscilla the Bikecar between Memphis, TN and Miami, FL, adding another expedition to Priscilla’s history with Paul Everitt, who built the Bikecar and took her across Europe and Canada.

If interested please contact dave@davecornthwaite.co.uk or call 760-453-3059

Videos of Priscilla’s ride to Miami can be seen on www.davecornthwaite.com

It’s a novelty writing this from within a solid structure in Miami, Florida. Bar the odd night here and there with strangers who saw fit to welcome a 4-wheeling sweaty, tired and British man into their homes I have spent many of April and May’s night snuggled up tight in my Sky Tent.

If you didn’t see my post and video about the Hammock Bliss Sky Tent written during last year’s Mississippi River SUP Expedition, here’s an update on the product and a variety of images showing just how versatile I find it on my expeditions.

In summary, the Sky Tent itself is a rainfly with a mosquito net sewn into it, effectively a cosy, spacious bug-protected cocoon. Primarily designed to allow a hammock to hang inside, now and then when trees don’t make themselves available I fling aside the hammock and set the Sky Tent up as a tent. Particularly in hot, humid climates, the mosquito net rather than canvas walls allows a more comfortable night.

I was delighted to hear from Hammock Bliss that my regular use of the Sky Tent on the ground means that they’ve developed an upgraded model with durable ripstop nylon on the underside rather than parachute. There’s also a new adjustable ridge line and two new openings allowing a second hammock to hang inside.

Over the past seven weeks the Sky Tent has protected me through freezing nights on the sandbanks of Tennessee’s Wolf River, in violent storms ripping through Florida, windy nights in Mississippi, heavy dewfall in Alabama and a bunch of other conditions, mainly involving the words hot, muggy and a humid. I’ve rigged it up mainly as a tent in parking lots, swamps, forest, roadside ditches, river sandbars, campsites, muddy banks and even on a gravel road just off a highway. 

Riding a 4-wheeled Bikecar across America always meant I had at least one fastening point, therefore I just needed one more to set up camp for the night. Perfect!

> Visit the Hammock Bliss website to find out more including the brand new Sky Tent 2

> Find out more about the Bikecar expedition