U.S. Team Conquers Amazon Race In Raft
West Hansen (from right), Carter Johnson, Mike Scales and David Kelly are on the raft on which they won the Great River Amazon Raft Race. Their team was the first non-Peruvian team to win the race. Courtesy of West Hansen hide caption
A team of U.S. paddlers rowed their way to victory in the Amazon last week, becoming the first non-Peruvian team to win the Great River Amazon Raft Race and setting the course record in the process.
They built their own raft and then rowed 85 miles down the Amazon in three days.
Ultramarathon canoe racer West Hansen of Austin, Texas, was on the winning team, which comprised Carter Johnson, Mike Scales and David Kelly. He says though he had done many canoe races, this was his first raft race.