This time last year, Risto Piispa from Finland was in the middle of an exciting record attempt for the Longest open ocean journey by aquabike (jetski) - unsupported, during which he travelled all the way from Helsinki in Finland to Ceuta in Spain, stopping at many other countries along the way.
He earned his record title for the 3,074 km (1,659.8 nautical miles; 1,910 miles) that he travelled unsupported in the open ocean - but he also journeyed 1,746 km (1,084 miles; 942.6 nautical miles) on inland waters through mainland Europe, which did not count towards the final mileage count for the record. The inspiration for the adventure came when Risto was asked a question asked by his son.
"The idea for this charity fundraising and trying to break the record started when my son asked me 'Is it possible to drive a jetski from Finland to Africa?' I wanted to try and see if it could be done."
Complete with a navigation system and camera, Risto recorded the places he went, the people he met, and even the times he fell off his jetski - watch the highlights of his epic journey in the video below.
"The idea for this charity fundraising and trying to break the record started when my son asked me 'Is it possible to drive a jetski from Finland to Africa?' I wanted to try and see if it could be done."
Complete with a navigation system and camera, Risto recorded the places he went, the people he met, and even the times he fell off his jetski - watch the highlights of his epic journey in the video below.
On his Sea-Doo RXT 260, Risto covered a total of 4,820 km (2,602.5 nautical miles; 2,995 miles) and returned with the nickname 'Sea-Doo Man'. The previous record was held by Frederico Rezende (Portugal) who embarked on a 963.04 km journey between Lison and Madeira in 2013.
The record-breaker told SURinEnglish that he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008: “This changed my life…I decided you should always try to fulfill your dreams because one day it might be too late.” Thankfully, doctors are now optimistic that Risto will live a long, healthy life as the tumour has not grown.
Risto, who is also a keen motorcyclist, embarked on this long, tiring pioneering journey to raise vital funds for a Finnish children’s hospital in Helsinki that was in need of refurbishment and new medical equipment. He kept his followers regularly updated with progress via his Facebook page.
The jet-skier completed the incredible open ocean journey entirely by himself, but a camper van followed him on the roads to give Risto a chance to refuel his aquabike and get some much needed food and rest – though he also stopped at a club in Spain along the way, before returning to his home in the Costa del Sol.
The longest ever journey on an aquabike is 17,266.69 km (10,729 miles), by Adriaan Marais and Marinus du Plessis (both South Africa), who followed the west coast of North America south to the Panama Canal.