DETROIT (WWJ) - It's dangerous, but three northern Michigan men are taking off on their fourth trip across one of the Great Lakes on stand-up paddleboards.
The men -- Joe Lorenz, Kwin Morris and Jeff Guy -- plan to paddleboard across Lake Erie, traversing international waters, rough waves and dodging toxic algae blooms, all in an effort to raise awareness of Great Lakes environmental issues.
They'll begin their adventure at Belle Isle State Park and end it at Sandusky, Ohio. The 80-mile trip is expected to take about 24 hours. Due to weather, the guys have planned a window of June 15-22 for their trip.
Each paddle boarder carries all of his supplies on his own paddleboard: food, extra clothes and straws that filter drinking water from the lake. There are many dangers they'll face, aside from hypothermia and fatigue. High winds can crop up, leading to big waves, and they will pass through shipping lanes in the dark.
Morris, of Elk Rapids, said their families are nervous about the trip -- even though they're well prepared.
"They thought we were crazy. They were kind of mad, you know, it's not something to mess with -- the Great Lakes," Morris told WWJ's Beth Fisher. "But when they saw that we have a team and we're doing it for the right reasons and we do it safely, we have meteorologists and we have EMTs and we have a safety boat. So after those three, I think they feel more comfortable."
The trio has successfully paddled across three of the five Great Lakes. Their first crossing was Lake Michigan in 2015, a 60 mile and just under 25-hour journey in 38-degree water. They raised $10,000 for the Great Lakes Alliance. In June 2017 they crossed Lake Huron and raised $7,000 for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Their 90-mile paddle journey took over 28 hours to complete. Last summer they paddled across Lake Superior in 21 hours. Their 60-mile trip began at Sinclair Cove, Ontario and ended at Whitefish Point, Michigan and raised $15,000 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. This trip, the men are raising money for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, a non-profit housed in the University of Michigan that focuses on algae bloom research. Algae blooms, usually caused by runoff pollution, can impact both marine and human health, and are an annual threat to more than 11 million people through their drinking water and recreational boating, fishing and swimming.
The paddleboarders hope to raise $10,000. For more information or to make a donation, visit StandUpForGreatLakes.com.
