Thursday, March 28, 2024

Talma stands tall

Date:

Share post:

THE Stand Up Paddling (SUP) race, the daring round-the-island water sport adventure, has once again been conquered by Brian Talma.

 “DeAction Man” Talma, told SUNSPORT he had to be mentally tough to stand up to the rigours of Thursday’s Last Waterman Standing event that took him 16 hours to complete.

Talma, 49, a former world-ranked windsurfer, said conditions were very demanding, as he had to endure the effects of flash flooding and thunder.

“The hardest part for me was the northern stretch. I have done this ride several times before but I have never been faced with this kind of lightning and thunder. I was really concerned because I feared being struck by lightning.

“Deep in the north, somewhere around North Point, that is a desolate area [which] has an eerie feeling – it is choppy and there is plenty of waves. It is tough.

“You are out there for a very long time and I had take along plenty of water and food, said Talma, who feasted on chocolates, oranges and energy drinks.

“The first time I did this around-the-island ride was in 2008 and back then I wasn’t even sure it was possible. This is the fourth time I have made it around, but probably the toughest.

“A lot of people who have done this race have not even come back. It’s a real challenge.

“One of the biggest things for me as a professional athlete is to windsurf Jaws, which is one of the largest rides of a wave. That is in Hawaii and the wave is about 50 feet and this comes second because you never know if you are going to make it.”

Talma started out on the seas just off his DeAction beach shop in Silver Sands on Thursday at 6 a.m. and finished on the same spot at 10 p.m.

The record for the event is just over 15 hours, but the adventurer said he was not worried about not breaking his own record.

“What I have done this year, is that I have documented it. That is why I didn’t beat my own record. I was stopping and filming every now and then and that would have slowed me down.

“The average man has not seen Barbados from where I was, so my goal is to showcase Barbados from a different angle and distribute it internationally,” he said.

Talma said he had a cameraman follow him for the entire ride, and he plans to show a 26-minute documentary of the trek.

He added the show will be televised on Channel 8, and distributed via social media.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related articles

BDF to conduct simulation exercise on April 2 & 3

The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) will conduct a Mass Casualty Simulation Exercise from Tuesday, April 2, to Wednesday,...

Barbadians reminded to file taxes online as filing season starts

The Barbados Revenue Authority (the BRA) is advising that tax filing season for 2023 begins on April 1 this...

Minister Abrahams’ statement on Ismail Patel’s passing

Below is the full statement by Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Wilfred Abrahams: I was saddened to...

Water bills for March to include February charges

A few weeks ago, the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) informed customers in parts of Christ Church and St....