Rowing heroes win in Hawaii: Swiss world record triumphs in the frenzy of the Pacific

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Hanalei Beach in Hawaii is lit only by torchlight as a rowboat appears on the horizon, four men disembark and embrace their loved ones on land.

It is the Swiss rowing team Kiwi Fondue who crosses the virtual finish line outside the bay and wins the Pacific Challenge. Rowing 4444 km from California to Hawaii, the Bernese brothers Lorenz and Alex Gammeter, British-born Bernese Alex Brooker and British-born New Zealander Rich Henderson win the Pacific Madness in world record time.

Seeing the kids again after a month

At local time on Tuesday evening, the rowing quartet arrives at the finish line after 29 days, 17 hours and 29 minutes. But of course all the children of the rowing heroes are still awake despite the late hour. Except for Alex Gammeter, all rowers have children who provide an emotional welcome after a month at sea.

“Now we need a cold beer,” says Brooker, who set up the team and works in Switzerland as a fitness coach for NHL star Nico Hischier and skier Joana Hählen.

In the live stream of the race organizers’ winner, Brooker added: “We never thought we could win so clearly. We made a mistake one time and lost the lead for a moment. But then we really stepped on the gas.”

No rowing experience

None of the four adventurers had rowing experience before the start of the crazy project. But a lot of muscle and enormous stamina.

Exhausted but happy like all his teammates, Alex Gammeter yells into the microphone in Bern German: “Thank you so much for cheering!”

Landlocked Switzerland is increasingly becoming a stronghold for marathon rowing competitions. Only a year ago, “Swiss Raw” won the Atlantic Challenge, a distance of 4723 km from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean.

Source : Blick