Outtakes from Kayden’s global wheelings,
from the snowy peaks of the Himalayas
T R to
A the
V E Sahara
L F O desert
R A and
PU
RPOSE
beyond.
a taste for
Adventure
PIONEERING EXPLORER RIAAN MANSER’S DEATH-DEFYING ADVENTURES
HAVE SEEN HIM ACHIEVE FOUR WORLD FIRSTS AND HOLD TWO GUINNESS
WORLD RECORDS. He’s circumnavigated Africa by bicycle (through some of
the deadliest-ranked countries on Earth), kayaked around Madagascar and
Iceland and rowed across the tumultuous Atlantic multiple times. So what
drives him to travel in this remarkable way? Sure Travel Journey finds out.
SURE TRAVEL JOURNEY: Did you
always have a sense of adventure?
RIAAN MANSER: Everybody has adventure
in them, but how it manifests differs. I
grew up in Richard’s Bay in KwaZulu-Natal,
in an area called uMhlathuze. When I first
started making my own way to school,
I would try to find the road that went
through the jungles. There was a lake in
Richard’s Bay called Lake Mzengazi that
was full-up with hippos and crocodiles.
Most of us were always told by parents
that no one was allowed to go near the
lake because peoples’ dogs would get
taken. They didn’t want their children
taken. But I was just that rebel who
convinced some of my friends to cycle
to school along that road. We saw many
crocodiles on those morning rides.
Were you a handful?
Yes, I was stubborn. But I think sometimes
this whole connotation related to
stubbornness is unfounded, because
stubborn people are often those who
excel in our society. Stubbornness is
perseverance. Stubbornness is getting the
job done. Stubbornness is the quality that
says, “I’m not going to give up”.
And after your school years?
I moved to Durban and then eventually
found work with a business called Prime
Cure in Cape Town in 1997. I’d studied
58 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
human resources management, so I
looked after their medical businesses in
the Western Cape area. That was probably
the last time I did the formal corporate
space, Monday to Friday, nine to five.
How did you get involved in
adventuring?
By mistake, more than anything. I decided
to climb on my bicycle and circumnavigate
Africa. A lot of people ridiculed me. Even
my wife – my girlfriend then – Vasti, said
to me, “This won’t work”. But I’m so glad
I made those decisions, and I encourage
young people to make tough decisions.
They’re the ones that reap rewards.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY RIAAN MANSER
How do you research and prepare
for trips?
It’s changed over time from those first
journeys. I’ve probably done about eight
big journeys now. Strangely enough, I’ve
learnt that the secret is not over-preparing.
In the space of adventure or exploration,
you can’t prepare for everything. But you
can prepare to change all your plans –
that’s the only thing you can prepare for.
All the best plans I’ve ever made changed
from the minute I left Cape Town.
How did Vasti end up accompanying
you on the ocean crossing from
Morocco to New York?
Vasti doesn’t appreciate being left behind,
and she didn’t want to be sitting at home
worrying about me – that was definitely
the case when I kayaked around Iceland
and Madagascar. That was more her
motivation. She’s an advocate by trade,
a member of the Cape Bar. The journeys
with me, she just didn’t want to leave me
out of her sight! So when I suggested an
ocean crossing, she was 100% on board.
We nearly got run over by a ship off the
coast of Maryland – we were probably 500
miles out to sea and a big oil tanker came,
like 20 metres past us, going at 20 knots
at 2:30 a.m. I was fuming. I was trying to
get this guy on the radio – it was a Russian