3 men begin 104-km paddleboard journey from Toronto
Posted June 9, 2023 9:34 am.
Last Updated June 9, 2023 10:14 am.
Three men have begun their arduous journey to paddleboard across Lake Ontario to raise $25,000 for Great Lakes environmental issues.
Jeff Guy, Joe Lorenz and Kwin Morris left Toronto’s Humber Bay Park shores at 7 a.m. on Friday, making their way to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The round trip is just over 104 km.
Guy, Lorenz and Morris have successfully paddled Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior and Lake Erie, with Lake Ontario representing their final journey across all five Great Lakes.
The 65-mile round trip is expected to take about 24 hours, with all three men planning to return to Scarborough’s Bluffer’s Park Public Boat Launch.
“We’ll begin our adventure with the Toronto skyline in view and touch the shore near Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Niagara in New York and then paddle back to Toronto,” Morris said.
The journey has been delayed due to weather-related issues and strong winds. The trio had previously scheduled the trip last year, but the safety boat commitments dropped out.
“The weather is our biggest challenge,” Lorenz said.
“In this case, we had a decent tail wind forecasted for the Toronto to Niagara on the Lake leg, but the winds coming back were forecasted too strong. We can handle two to three-foot waves for a couple of hours, but we’d prefer five-knot tailwinds… both directions! Headwinds, chop and crosswinds are all elements we are accustomed to dealing with.”
Guy, Morris and Lorenz founded a non-profit called Stand Up for Great Lakes. They have raised more than $80,000 for various Great Lakes non-profit organizations.
Photo: Stand Up For Great Lakes/Facebook.
