[HAMR] Tarzan (Kurt Searvogel)

[TimC]

I too was slightly surprised given how driven Kurt and Alicia appear to be. Perhaps we underestimate how close to the edge both physically and mentally riders have to go to have a chance at the record.

Looks like the drive's back for today - and as usual it's Alicia doing the driving. Her influence on this effort is astonishing; as a team effort this has to be one of the best I've ever seen. Incredibly well done by both of them!

[Kim]

I too was slightly surprised given how driven Kurt and Alicia appear to be. Perhaps we underestimate how close to the edge both physically and mentally riders have to go to have a chance at the record.

Or perhaps we misunderstand the nature of their drive?

[Hummers]

Perhaps we underestimate how close to the edge both physically and mentally riders have to go to have a chance at the record.

Indeed.

Easy for we armchair enthusiasts to pontificate. Meanwhile, those riders are doing amazing things we can only wonder at.

When this all started rolling in 2014 it was (and still is) a mind boggling challenge taken up by some bloke in the US, with an unlikely name,  who seemed to have thought "Yeah, I reckon I'll have a go at that".

Fascinating to follow and I am really excited for him, now that he has broken the record and aghast at the commitment Alicia has given to the challenge.

Well done, both of you.

H

[Aunt Maud]

So he's away. Tracker fires up for the last time for Kurt.

Wooo!!

[Sio2111]

All the best to Kurt and Alicia for their last day of HAM'R. They've been an excellent team and it has been fun following their exploits. Chapeau for being so audacious! I hope you now get to enjoy some rest and celebrate your monumental achievements.

[L CC]

*joins Basil at roadside*

*gets carried away with cowbells and foam fingers*

*more applause*

*some jumping up & down*

*looks around embarrassed, comes over all British, sits on folding chair clapping genteel-ly*

Jolly good show, Kurt & Alicia.

[woollypigs]

*grabs cowbells and foam fingers*

Continues making a fool of myself, because I'm not British

*Thinks, he is taking his jolly time with this, are we on the right road side, have we missed it*

*time to go to the pub*

*hurrah, jolly well done ... mines an ale*

[αdαmsκι]

I've had a brilliant time following, via Facebook & SPOT, Kurt's year. The videos have allowed me to get an idea of what he's experiencing and my geography of the USA has undoubted improved, especially Florida! It's been a hell of a team effort and I'm so happy they've broken the record. I hope he manages the distance today so he ups the record by 1,000 miles. I wonder how many miles the van has done this year?

I'll now await the final total and the book Alicia hinted at in a Facebook post. Oh, and this photo is great:

[Wowbagger]

I"M not that surprised he has eased off. 75000 stood for 75 years. 76000 should, logically, stand for 76 years.

[Von Broad]

I see Kurt's been bombing up the west coast road past Indian Palm Beach, South Beach etc towards Cap[e Canaveral since I've been out today [so far]. Talk about a world apart from grinding it out in little Olde Rainy England. He's virtually been on the same long wide road all day. What a country it is. Amazing difference in scale.
Better be doing the miles today Boy, keep that whip away from your ass!

[mattc]

I certainly don't blame him for easing off. He's had a big year

Any rider (especially a RAAM veteran) who REALLY cared about putting 1000miles onto the total would have spent a lot less time in bed over the last week.

[Pale Rider]

I certainly don't blame him for easing off. He's had a big year

Any rider (especially a RAAM veteran) who REALLY cared about putting 1000miles onto the total would have spent a lot less time in bed over the last week.

Plenty of time for Kurt to sleep.

He's done a hundred plus miles in six hours.

Same pace for the next six or seven hours will put the 1,000 miles on the record and see him finished by about 8pm local time.

Compare that with Steve, who is going to have to ride past midnight to get 200+ miles.

[mattc]

He could have hit this target with a day to spare, or if you prefer, had a day of contingency (for illness/incident).
That's why I said "really cared"; in reality the priority was the Godwin record, anything on top was just gold-plating, and not worth really thrashing the horse(s) for.

(and that's got nothing to do with Steve.)

[Pale Rider]

(and that's got nothing to do with Steve.)

I agree, a thousand miles either way for Kurt is irrelevant to Steve - more's the pity.

[Jacamo]

In 1776– "American Revolution: United States Declaration of Independence. The United States officially declares independence from the British Empire."
Alicia

[Exit Stage Left]

Florida of course was purchased from the Spanish in the 1820s, Arkansas from the French in 1803. I do wonder if Kurt rode in any of the 13 Colonies, Georgia perhaps?

[Canardly]

What can we burn and put into a little casket? (not sausages Steve).

[Kim]

Tea?

[SoreTween]

A copy of unbreakable?  A drunk mopedist?

[bryn]

On this his last day, Kurt has already put in about 10 more miles today than Steve, despite starting later.  Hmmmm.

[SoreTween]

By an awful long way the wrong day to make that comparison IMO

[Pale Rider]

By an awful long way the wrong day to make that comparison IMO

Well, he can't make the comparison tomorrow, so the opportunities for 'right day' comparisons are very limited.

[Mr Larrington]

Florida of course was purchased from the Spanish in the 1820s, Arkansas from the French in 1803. I do wonder if Kurt rode in any of the 13 Colonies, Georgia perhaps?

Florida was BRITISH in 1776, coz we robbed it off the French and Spanish in 1763 after the Seven Years' War.  Unfortunately the Beastly Spaniards took advantage of our being otherwise engaged and nabbed it back around 1783. 

[Exit Stage Left]

Florida was BRITISH in 1776,

And remained loyal.

Florida declined to send delegates to the Continental Congress. The majority of Floridians were Loyalists, grateful to the Crown, that remained loyal to Britain. Many actually helped lead raids on the American South. One disastrous attempt on the part of the American Forces to invade East Florida occurred in Nassau County. It was led on May 17, 1777. American Colonel John Baker surrendered to the British.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Florida#British_rule_.281763.E2.80.931783.29

The USA bought it off the Spaniards in return for renouncing all claims to Texas. Some complicated stuff ensued, involving the Alamo.

Anyway, congratulations to Kurt and Alicia on making it through the year. It takes effort to keep things going in the right direction over 365 days. It proves that it can still be done.

[La Tortue]

Florida of course was purchased from the Spanish in the 1820s, Arkansas from the French in 1803. I do wonder if Kurt rode in any of the 13 Colonies, Georgia perhaps?

Kurt never made it to Georgia or any of the original 13 Colonies.