When your son asks you if it is possible to jetski from Finland to Africa, most fathers would laugh it off with a smile or dismiss the suggestion as an unrealistic dream.
However one father literally took his son’s idea and tested it out for himself in a bid to find out if it was indeed possible to jetski the epic journey.
Now Risto Piispa has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest open ocean journey by jetski.
Travelling 1,910 miles, Risto left the Finnish capital city of Helsinki and arrived forty days later at the Spanish city of Ceuta, situated on the tip of the North African coast.
Riding on his Sea-Doo RXT 260, he documented his special journey so friends and family could see how he was progressing.
As well as doing the adventure for fun, Mr Piispa was also fundraising for a children’s hospital back in his native Helsinki. All the money will go towards helping to refurbish the hospital and provide much needed medical equipment.
‘The idea for this charity fundraising and trying to break the record started when my son asked me ‘is it possible to drive a jetski from Finland to Africa?’ I wanted to try and see if it could be done.’
Risto was also inspired by his own personal experience of being diagnosed with a brain tumour back in 2008.
Recalling the terrifying diagnosis, the Guinness World Record holder said: ‘This changed my life…. I was only 28 years old and doctors told me I might live another seven years.
‘I decided you should always try to fulfil your dreams because one day it might be too late,’ he said.
Despite his health battles, nothing was going to stop Risto with his memorable water quest. The only assistance he received was a campervan which followed him by land so he could refuel and rest regularly on his journey.
Using a navigation system, Mr Piispa travelled from Finland to Estonia before winding down the European coast past Latvia and Lithuania, eventually reaching Poland.
On the way, he recorded the people he met, and captured several of the times he fell off his much loved jetski.
After racing past Poland and Germany, he hit the open sea and follows the Spanish coast line towards his final destination, Ceuta.
The previous record was held by Portuguese national Frederico Rezende, who embarked on a 963.04 km journey between Lisbon and Madeira in 2013.
The record longest ever journey on a jetski is 10,729 miles, completed by South African duo Adrian Marais and Marinus du Plessis.
They broke the record whilst following the west coast of North America south to the Panama Canal.
