Australian athlete Damien Rider had planned to skateboard the length of Route 66 in 66 days. Instead, he completed it in 56 days — more than 42 miles a day.
The total journey was 3,795 kilometers, which is 2,358 miles.
According to Rider’s Facebook posts, he logged 140 miles in a single day and nearly 100 in another near the end of his journey. Most of his days weren’t that good; he endured hills, searing heat, driving rain and a variety of injuries from spills.
Here’s Rider’s Facebook live post from the Santa Monica Pier at 3:04 p.m. Sunday:
According to an Australian television station, Rider wore out four pairs of shoes during his trek.
Here’s what Rider wrote about his trek through the Mojave Desert:
Spent most of the day climbing mountains after mountains with little to no downhills (but means downhills today). The heat was nothing like I’ve ever experienced to where anytime I’d sit in the car to cool down for a Sec I’d pass out cold for 10 mins. My eyes felt like they were bleeding from the hot, dry, strong head winds even through the wrap around sunnies. My throat was burning through my cover. Every Time I’d pick up my board it would burn my hands from the heat coming off the road. At one stage I travelled 15km in 4 hours which is usually average in an hour. Once I could see the sun was about to set though I smashed a coffee shot drink, energy gel and ripped my top off and got rocking, smashing it out. Haha then the weird full moon, night desert started with suss things going on with a parked over a bush van, chased / stalked by something through the shrubs while bombing a hill (told it would’ve been a coyote), watching out for rocks and bits of truck tires with my not so bright headlamp and watching trucks flying by and my support driver freaked out by a dude while waiting at my next check point.
Rider did Route 66 to raise awareness and money for The Rider Foundation to combat child abuse and post-traumatic stress syndrome. Rider is a survivor of child abuse and PTSD.
Rider brought along a film crew during his Route 66 trek for a National Geographic special that eventually will air worldwide.
(Image of Damien Rider at the Santa Monica Pier via Facebook)
Congrats, mate. Looking forward to seeing the special!