Crossing the Atlantic on a Stand-Up Paddleboard: Gebrüder Weiss Supports World Record Attempt

At the end of September, Kiel-based water sports enthusiast and environmental activist Michael Walther will embark on an extraordinary mission: to become the first European to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo and unsupported on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP). While he’ll be alone on the water, he won’t be alone on land – logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss is supporting the journey as the project’s official logistics partner.

The logistics specialists at Gebrüder Weiss’s Hamburg branch are managing the complex transportation needs for this custom-built SUP board. The board will first travel overland from Kiel to Lagos in Portugal, where Walther’s Atlantic crossing will begin. From there, he will paddle past the Canary and Cape Verde Islands before reaching his final destination in French Guiana. Once he lands in the port of Cayenne, Gebrüder Weiss will ship the board back to Kiel via sea freight using a certified climate-neutral process, made possible through verified insetting within the logistics chain.

“Michael Walther is drawing attention to marine conservation through an unconventional form of mobility – and we are proud to support this mission as his logistics partner,” says Robert Stahlschmidt, Country Manager Air & Sea Germany at Gebrüder Weiss.

Collecting Scientific Data for the Alfred Wegener Institute
Walther expects the crossing to take around three months. He deliberately chose not to use a support vessel or receive any external assistance. During the journey, he’ll deploy a hydrophone to record the sounds of marine life. These audio recordings will be shared with the Alfred Wegener Institute, one of Germany’s leading marine research institutions, to support ongoing climate impact studies on ocean ecosystems.

This isn’t Walther’s first bold move for climate action. Since 2008, he has undertaken high-profile expeditions to raise awareness of climate and environmental issues. Past projects include paddling across Germany by river and traveling through Iceland to document glacial melt.

GWcycles: A Shared Commitment to Clean Oceans
Gebrüder Weiss is also actively engaged in another initiative to protect the world’s oceans. Through the global cycling campaign GWcycles – Cycling for the Seas, the company is inviting participants around the world to log their bike mileage in support of ocean health. For every 100,000 kilometers cycled, Gebrüder Weiss funds the removal of one metric ton of ocean plastic. Since the campaign’s launch in April 2025, six tons of marine debris have already been collected. Walther is a dedicated supporter of the initiative, helping amplify public awareness around the shared mission to protect our seas.

More information about Gebrüder Weiss’s sustainability efforts can be found at https://www.gw-world.com/future-of-mobility and on the company’s social media channels. Since 2021, Gebrüder Weiss has been actively supporting innovation projects in sustainable transportation, collaborating with universities, research institutions, and startups.