Why should we know of Bhavik Gandhi?

From his site:

Bhavik is attempting to row 3000 miles (5000 km) across the Atlantic Ocean From Spain To Antigua. He will row solo and unsupported, in a 23ft rowing boat, spending an estimated 90 days at sea.

If he succeeds, he will;

• be the first Asian to ever complete a solo ocean crossing
• break the existing record set by Emmanuel Coindre of France
• be the 32nd person to ever achieve a solo Atlantic crossing

Sadly, the Indian media has been completely ignoring Bhavik Gandhi. A quick google news search yields no results.

Debi Taylor from Australia emails me:

I was Googling around to see if I could find out some more information about a great Indian sportsman, Bhavik Gandhi who is currently rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and I believe is the very FIRST Indian EVER to do so! However, I found it disappointing that I have not see any articles on and Indian news wesbites or on blogs and was wondering why this is?

The Indian fans have shown inelastic demand for cricket in the past and no matter what happens, they follow cricket. The Indian media, as a result of it, keeps tracking cricket. So, the cricket team is hyped before the World Cup and even after a poor performance, it hogs the limelight with focus on Chappell one day, Tendulkar on the other. Despite being a huge sports fan and despite following sports news items, I didn’t even know regarding Bhavik Gandhi’s pursuit before Debi emailed me.

The Indian fan has to show an inclination to other sports and the viewership has to drop in the upcoming Indian cricket team’s tour of Bangladesh. Side by side, the media should try to make most of some thing like this.

The best site right now to follow Gandhi’s progress is Humanedgetech. Hopefully, we will hear more from the media on this in the near future and the Indian fan will show that he can think beyond cricket.

An Australian couple in their 40’s have set the world base jumping record. [Via Sakshi]

SMH reports:

After an epic 22-day climb up a near-vertical Himalayan peak, an Australian couple in their 40s took just two minutes to “fly” back to base camp and smash the world record for the highest BASE jump in history…

The leap broke Singleman’s own BASE jumping record of 6258 metres, which he set with Nic Feteris at the Great Trango Tower in Pakistan in 1992.Singleman, a medical doctor, and Swan, a former businesswoman who overcame her fear of heights to take up BASE jumping, had tried to break the 1992 record seven years ago but were foiled by bad weather.

Base jumping is widely referred to as the riskiest sport in the world. You don’t suffer a knee injury or a broken bone like in football at worst. You can die. This possibility does not fill these guys with fear. It pumps up the adrenaline for all the more excitement.

How fast did these guys fall? Statistically, it was 6604-metres in two minutes. You do the math! Don’t want to? Look at it from another angle then. It was faster than the Indian sensex fall.

Action isn’t stopping at the Everest it seems. After the Mark Inglis controversy a few days back, comes the news of Australian climber Lincoln Hall reviving from death. [Via Laura] Read of one of the most remarkable rescues.

There has been action in more ways than one. A stripper has stripped at the Everest the first time ever and as with all firsts, this creates news as well. [Via India Uncut]

Reuters reports:

The head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association urged the government on Saturday to take action against a sherpa who reportedly stripped off on top of Mount Everest.

The Himalayan Times had reported on Friday that the Nepali climbing guide, whose name it gave as Lakpa Tharke, stood naked for three minutes in freezing conditions on the 8,850-metre (29,035-ft) summit of the world’s highest peak.

If confirmed, he would be the first person known to have stripped atop Everest, considered by Nepali Buddhists as a god…

“But if he did it, it is very shocking because Sagarmatha is the goddess mother,” he said, using the mountain’s Nepali name.

Time has passed since the first people climbed the great peak. Nothing fascinates like Everest still.

Mark Inglis was a hero a couple of days back. He was getting praise from every one.

Now, he is facing severe criticism from a lot of people for leaving David Sharp to die. Edmund Hillary has been severe and said that he would never do such a thing. Some bloggers speaking on the issue - People blogging on the talking point - Vent, Saakshi Juneja, Chris Brazendale and Aparna Ray.

Inglis has tried to avoid the blame saying it was expedition leader Russell Brice’s decision. While it is true that Inglis should not get all the blame for the incident (there were 40 people out there and an Inglis should not be made target), he cannot avoid the spotlight because of his achievement. So Inglis gets picked on most. Also, he loses out the most as the sheen over his accomplishment is lost. Years of hardwork get washed in two days thus.

The difficult questions which should be asked - would any other present day climber react differently in a similar situation and go against the team? Would such a decision make sense at all as it would mean being in a life threatening situation for the climber who does decide to isolate from the team? So should individual team members be blamed for not risking their lives and possibly commiting suicide in standing alone? Who should actually be blamed - the team captain or each member?

No sporting glory is more valuable than saving a human life. Risking lives happens while pursuing sporting glory but that is obviously different. From the way I look at it - the mission should have been aborted, no matter how much effort had gone into it and try to save a life if even the bleakest chance for it existed.

How old were you when you accomplished some thing news worthy? How old are you while you still haven’t accomplished some thing news worthy?

Braxton Bilbrey is just 7.

Steve Fossett has broken the record set by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager for the longest non-stop continuous flight despite power failure by flying 26,389.3 miles.

As BBC reports:

Generator failure as he descended to Kent prompted him to make a mayday call and divert to Bournemouth. On landing with limited visibility, two tyres burst, but Fossett was unhurt. He had planned to end his journey at Kent International Airport… He eclipsed the distance record set by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, who logged 40,212km (24,987 miles) during a non-stop, non-refuelled trip around the globe in their Voyager aircraft in 1986.

BBC further informs that Fossett already has 109 records to his name! Adventurers like these who stretch boundaries have to be admired, appreciated and reverred.

Bravo Fossett!

Steve Fossett is attempting the world’s longest flight - 26,000 miles. Keep track of it here. BBC talks about the initial phase of the adventure and the records Fossett can break in the process.