in the wild
Jul 19, 2016
How did two guys with no ocean kayaking experience outlast seven teams of well-trained paddlers to complete the first official Cuba-to-Florida kayak crossing? Well, the answer is simple, Brent Rose and Frank Sedlar of the self-proclaimed Team Underdog persevered and took the slow, steady route of the proverbial tortoise. We have the GoPro footage to prove it.
As a tech and adventure journalist, Rose has done some pretty cool things for pubs like Gizmodo, Outside Magazine, Wired, and many more-the dude even drove around the US in a pimped-out van searching for awesome things to write about. However, crossing international borders by kayak might be the boldest move we've seen him make.
The whole voyage came about as a sign of international outreach to commemorate a new relationship with Cuba hosted outdoor-gear company Cotopaxi. The company, including CEO Davis Smith, sponsored a 113-mile kayaking expedition from Cuba to Florida. Cotopaxi hired the current world record holder in distance kayaking to coach teams and even enlisted an Olympic gold medalist as one of the paddlers. Despite zero oceanic kayaking experience, Brent was invited to document the trip and paired up with the equally unprepared Frank for the journey. Equipped with his GoPro, a balanced pre-workout meal of Cuban rum and a bright blue plastic kayak they cleverly named Fidel Fastro, Team Undergdog set off to see what would happen.
While Brent originally planned on simply documenting the experience, in a sick twist of fate, the favored teams fell victim to the rough ocean conditions within 10 hours of launch and were eliminated, leaving Brent and Frank in the lead. We were a couple of yahoos from the press in a plastic kayak. This was their trip. Despite their inexperience, Brent and Frank agreed to keep the expedition going and continued toward the Sunshine State.
Thankfully, Brent pre-arranged to strap his GoPro to the deck of the kayak to journal the entire experience. "In one of my first updates, Frank and I are laughing about being novice kayakers and being dumb enough and inexperienced enough not to be so afraid of this.
Ignorance may have been bliss, but their journey was anything but easy. Moving at an averaged 3 to 4 miles per hour, Brent and Frank battled blistering hands, the scorching Caribbean heat and some not-so-pretty indigestion problems during their 34-hour paddling expedition. Frank and I had been awake for more than 24 hours, and we'd been paddling for more than 18. Neither of us was an ultramarathoner, so we had no idea what we were in for.
With the help of some impromptu 90s hip-hop karaoke sessions, Brent and Frank jammed to Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang as they defied the odds and made it back to the mainland. With about 20 miles to go, Davis McCay, CEO of Cotopaxi, congratulated the duo on being the the first. We were perplexed. The first what?' I asked. Davis looked exasperated. Nobody's ever done this in a kayak before,' he said.
Wait what? Yes- these two reporters became the first people to kayak from Cuba to Florida by complete accident.
You'd think that that would be a critical bit of information to impart to the journalists you'd invited along to chronicle your undertaking. That's the kind of tidbit that gets stories sold.
So there you have it-the secret to completing the impossible? Not knowing it's impossible. Kudos to Brent and Frank for pushing their limits and fearlessly paddling on.
Check out Brent's full Deadspin story here and watch the journey on video above.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
in the wild 
