# Grand Speed Record May B Shattered Today



## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi All, 

At this minute, Ben Orkin has been paddling an 18 foot sea kayak through Grand Canyon since early Saturday morning. Ben is attempting to break the Grand Canyon speed record set just last week by Matt Kelma.

In 1983, three men in a wooden boat on a flow over 45,000 cfs took 36 hours 38 minutes to make the run. in 1993, three men in a small motor boat took 35 hours 43 minutes. Last Wednesday, the muscle powered speed record was shattered when Matt Kelma finished the run in 35 hours and 5 minutes. 

At this rate, if Ben Orkin keeps up the 8.375 MPH speed he has averaged in 24 hours since his launch at 2:00 am yesterday, he will reach the 277 mile mark in just over 33 hours. Ben Orkin is still on track at 5 am, having been paddling for the last 27 hours. 

Orkin ran Lava Falls around 11:00 pm local time last night.

The flows the dam is releasing run from a low of 11,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to a high of 17,000 cfs. At the low of 11,000 cfs, the river is moving about 4 miles per hour and at the high of 17,000 cfs the river's speed increases to about 5 miles per hour. 

Ben has, for the last 24 hours, almost doubled his speed against the river speed. The analogy is running from the caboose to the front of a slow moving train. Except he is paddling an 18 foot long sea kayak, and the "train" included rapids he would have run in the dark, including Lava Falls.

Here is another interesting fact about this... at the South Rim, sunrise is at 7:35 am and sunset 5:47 pm. or just a little over 10 hours of sunlight. Of course, in a mile deep canyon, actual sunlight is much less. What this means is that the majority of this speed run through Grand Canyon was done in the dark, while the 1983 and 1993 records were done in the summer, when the time between sunrise and sunset was closer to 14 hours. So, Orkin is racing through Paradise in the dark.

You can follow Orkin right now at this link: 
https://share.delorme.com/GCSpeedRecord

I wish Ben Orkin All the best, tom


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

*Just above 240 mile...*

Wow! Orkin has just cleared the lower granite gorge rapids and looks to be at the Bridge Canyon Damsite. It's the home stretch now!


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## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

Awesome!!! I was following the excitement, along with you, last night on Facebook.


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Past Separation now... if Ben has it in him to get up to 10 MPH once the light comes on, he could really crank it. He has one more challenge... in another hour or so he will be at Sandbar Alley... Hope he clears that bit just fine!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

*Passing Surprise now*

Ben should be passing Surprise Canyon now. At his last check in about ten minutes ago he had stopped paddling and was just traveling at river speed of 4 MPH. Near 248 mile. He has to go to 277. About three hours to go...


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Exciting stuff, unless you're the guy whose record stands for a mere week. That would be kind of a drag. 

I've been thinking for a while that this record should be quite breakable in a long boat, (by people there than me!)

Next guy or team to break it will need long boat and big water.

What was Matt paddling?

The link above just opens an In-reach map with some way points that are all labeled dec 5. 

I don't see anything that gives pertinent info for this adventure, though surely I'm just not seeing the right spot to click.

Anyway big props to all the guys who can go full out for 30+ hours. That is real athletic prowess. I have little interest in running Lava at night, in a sea kayak while burning from the previous multi hour push!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi Dave, right you are... set the record on Wednesday, re-set it four days later! If you zoom in on the Delorme page, you will see his blue line, not the red one. https://share.delorme.com/GCSpeedRecord
Ben just pinged in past 250 mile. Going 7 miles an hour...


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

*flow is 12K cfs to 17K cfs*

not the 11K cfs to 17Kcfs I had posted. Yours, tom


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Closing in on Devil's slide!


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## scapmando (Apr 4, 2011)

Does anyone know if Ben knows of the new record time he has to beat?


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## greenwater780 (May 31, 2007)

This is just incredible stuff. I simply can't imagine running Lava at night, in the winter, in an 18' boat after you have been paddling as hard as you can for almost 24 hours. Mind blowing.


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Ben is on the final lap, with only ten miles to go!!


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## farmervanny (Apr 22, 2005)

Word was that Ben more than likely does not know of the new record, although from what I heard Matt and his bro tried to let Ben know before hand as they were un running shuttle.


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Here is a youtube of Ben running Lava in his sea kayak. He makes it look easy. He just did that by moon light... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGoMGJO3VXc


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

33 hours and 7 miles to go!!! Ben is back up to 8 miles an hour after his last check in at under 4 when he may have been resting and floating in the water.... so far so excellent!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Here is his latest time stamp.


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## wsmckinney (Jun 21, 2010)

*Team Beer*

Team Beer for life


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Closing in on Columbine Falls... ALMOST there!!!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

If Ben kept his speed, he has done it!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Ben just turned his tracking device off at 12:12. I believe a new record has been set, but we will have to wait to be certain!


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## Sorkin (Aug 22, 2008)

Tom Martin said:


> Ben just turned his tracking device off at 12:12. I believe a new record has been set, but we will have to wait to be certain!



This is Ben's Brother Sam. He did not turn the device off, it mostly ran out of power after being on for so long. Once i have an update from my parents on the boat ramp i will let everyone know!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

*Thank you Sam!*

That makes sense Sam! Please give Ben Congratulations from the Buzz and all the other social media groups covering this!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

*Ben Has Done It!*

Ben's Brother Sam says Ben just arrived at Pearce!


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## Sorkin (Aug 22, 2008)

BREAKING NEWS! Just heard from Ben at the Pierce Ferry Boat Ramp within 35 hours of his start time! With a time just over 34 hours setting a new record for fastest person ever down the Grand Canyon!


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

*What was the final time?*

Hi Sam, did Ben say what his final time was? It looks like he could easily have beeten Matt Kelma's record (set last Wednesday) by one whole hour! That would be a remarkable feat! Thank you, tom


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## Sorkin (Aug 22, 2008)

Ben's official time was 34 hours and two minutes from Lee's Ferry to Grand Wash, and 35 hours from Lee's Ferry to Pierce Ferry Boat Ramp; he just floated from Grand Wash to Pierce Ferry. Ben has a back up GPS device confirming these times. All times on the Delorme tracking device are in Mountain Standard Time.


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

*AWESOME!!!*

Congratulations Ben! Shaving an hour off this record is a phenomenal (meaning very difficult) achievement!


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## SueCherry (Aug 21, 2006)

Here's a good article about both record breaking trips.

Grand Canyon Speed Record Falls (AGAIN) | Canoe & Kayak Magazine


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## Learch (Jul 12, 2010)

What an incredible story! Excellent Job! Wow! Just wow!


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## jmacn (Nov 20, 2010)

A swim at Lava? Unreal! Congratulations Ben!! As a fellow GC soloist I have the utmost respect for your achievement. Large props to Team Beer also for their success in besting the record in classic style! 


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## shoenfeld13 (Aug 18, 2009)

Congratulations Ben. A major accomplishment accomplished after much hard work. I went on a GC trip with your parents last year and they told us in some detail about your training. Well deserved.


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## buckmanriver (Apr 2, 2008)

Great job to all of you! Strong work. 

I wonder if the solo speed trip will continue? 

Just think if Ben O. did not swim in lava he might have finished in 33 hours. Based on that I think the recored could drop even further.


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## lawoftheriver (Mar 6, 2013)

I've read the Emerald Mile, so I understand the difficulty of this accomplishment - but does anyone see the irony in attempting to "speed" through what many people would view as the trip of a lifetime? I haven't been lucky enough to do a trip down the Grand yet, but I think if they let me try I'd rather set the record for the longest trip rather than the shortest. 

Again - I get the idea of challenging yourself to do something hard that no-one has done before. Congrats to this fellow on his accomplishment. 


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## benR (Aug 5, 2014)

There's a reason he's doing this in January not April or September... I don't have stats but winter permits are not nearly as difficult to draw on and some probably go unclaimed after the first lottery round... 

He had a permit last year and this year and is going through the same lottery as everyone. 

if you wanted to run the grand every December or January, with a small group of applicants you could probably make it happen.


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## buckmanriver (Apr 2, 2008)

lawoftheriver,

I know a kayaker and long time grand canyon raft guide and from his perception he does not understand why anyone would ever consider a kayak self support trip when rafts are an option with all there gear carrying capacity. Ironic right? 

Furthermore, it seems that the grand canyon kayak self supporter will always be a minority in contrast to the raft community. As is such they will likely challenge the perception of what is considered an ideal trip for the average non commercial or commercial river runner. The solo / group speed kayak self supporter even more so. 

I am actually surprised that you are the first writer in this post to question what occurred with the speed kayak events based on your perception of the ideal trip. 

I do not think it takes luck to run the grand canyon. It takes money / vacation time and / or skill. Even the lay person can book a seat on a commercial trip yearly. Most folks choose not to though. 

Thanks,

~ B


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## lawoftheriver (Mar 6, 2013)

What if the most beautiful person on the planet gave you the privilege of knowing their "pleasures" once or twice every year? Would you want to experience that in record time or would you want to race other people to see how fast you could take your turn? 

Mic dropped. 


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## benR (Aug 5, 2014)

lawoftheriver said:


> What if the most beautiful person on the planet gave you the privilege of knowing their "pleasures" once or twice every year? Would you want to experience that in record time or would you want to race other people to see how fast you could take your turn?
> 
> Mic dropped.
> 
> ...



If the most beautiful person in the world gave me that opportunity, at that frequency, I do not think I would have much choice but to finish in record time, every time.


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## lawoftheriver (Mar 6, 2013)

Me too! 😀

I really do think this is a great personal achievement. Not trying to piss in anyone's corn flakes.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

One of the articles talking about this quoted one of the guys who is an experienced guide of 12 years on the Grand Canyon that “It was amazing just to experience the whole canyon in one fell swoop”. There is something to be said for not only achieving something like this record, but also partaking of a new and relatively unique perspective that not just anyone has experienced.

I'll be the first to admit I would never desire to try for this record or experience the river that way, but I don't fault them at all for doing this.


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## mattman (Jan 30, 2015)

And after setting the speed record... they will all way's feel like they have plenty of time for there grand trip( or at least closer to enough time)


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## mattman (Jan 30, 2015)

lawoftheriver said:


> Me too! 😀
> 
> I really do think this is a great personal achievement. Not trying to piss in anyone's corn flakes.
> 
> ...


If you pissed in my corn flakes, I would slap you


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