FOREWORD Book 5

by Jeff Allen

 "Sea Kayaking: A Journey of Purpose and Legacy"

Sea kayaking means many things to many people. For me, it has always been a vehicle of exploration - one of the noblest of sea-going craft. A sea kayak cuts no groove and leaves no scar. It is powered by muscle and willpower and navigated by skill and knowledge. It travels through one of the most dynamic environments on earth - where the power of the ocean meets the resistance of the land. Journeying through this environment in such a small craft is vastly under-recognized in the world of adventure - and no one has done it with more success than Freya Hoffmeister.

In my opinion, Freya deserves a place in history as the most accomplished expedition sea kayaker to have ever lived - and she is still around to tell her story.

Remarkably, Germany - a country with relatively little exposed coastline - has been at the forefront of modern sea kayaking achievements. It has produced four of the most incredible feats of kayaking endurance:

- Franz Romer crossed 1928 the Atlantic in a skin-on-frame Klepper kayak, paddling and sailing from Lisbon to the Virgin Islands via Las Palmas.

- Oskar Speck spent seven years paddling from Germany to northern Australia, arrived in Darwin just as World War II broke out.

- Dr. Hans Lindemann completed his transatlantic crossing in 1956, once again in a folding Klepper kayak, from the Canary Islands to Saint Martin.

- And, of course, Freya Hoffmeister, who may have paddled farther than anyone else - dead or alive.

I first met Freya in 2005, just after Hadas Feldman and I had completed our circumnavigation of Japan. "And where have you already been paddling?" I was asking her. "Until now, only on my doorstep, on the Baltic and the North Sea. But I love to do more!" At the time, she had only recently taken up sea kayaking. Still, she was already making waves in the paddling community gathered at the Anglesey Sea Kayak Symposium. 

A few months later, we crossed paths again at the Storm Gathering in Scotland. Over the years, we kept bumping into each other at various events. Each time, she had just completed another grueling challenge - first Iceland, then New Zealand's South Island, and then Australia. With each meeting, I was more astonished than on the last.

I remember flying back to Europe after the San Francisco symposium - we happened to be on the same flight. We chatted intensely throughout the entire journey. I asked her many questions: why, how, what? Her answers were full of clarity, purpose, and humility - a side of Freya that had not revealed itself so clearly during her recent presentation at the symposium. I commented on this, and she explained that she felt she needed to entertain and excite like an actor at such events.

So, how do you measure success in expedition sea kayaking? After all, we each embark on these journeys for different reasons. Some paddle to connect with nature, to escape the nine-to-five grind that modern life imposes. For others, it is about the adventure - the challenge of the journey itself.

Circumnavigations provide a clear objective: return to where you started. It is a tangible goal. But failing to complete such a journey does not make one a failure - it simply means the original target was not achieved. The journey still holds immense value.

For many years, paddling around islands like Great Britain, Iceland, or New Zealand represented the pinnacle of long-distance sea kayaking. Then Paul Caffyn paddled around Australia, raising the bar to a whole new level.

The word expedition means ‘a journey with a purpose,’ - and when it comes to Freya, I believe that, by hook or by crook, she will always complete her purpose - or die trying. In all my years of sea kayaking, I have never encountered anyone with as much drive and determination.

When you first meet Freya Hoffmeister, you might be struck by her calm presence - until you realize it is the same kind of calm the sea has just before it flips your kayak upside down and reminds you who is really in charge.

Freya is not just a world-class sea kayaker – she is a force of nature with a paddle. Over the years, I have had the immense pleasure of calling her both a friend and a colleague. I have watched her chase horizons most of us only dream about and then paddle straight through them with the kind of grit, grace, and stubborn joy that makes you believe in the impossible.

Freya's story is one of courage, curiosity, and the kind of stubborn optimism that keeps you going when your arms feel like soggy noodles and the next safe landing is still miles away.

What has fuelled Freya's extraordinary journeys? To truly understand, I would encourage you to read her books.

Freya writes like she paddles - with clarity, purpose, and a little smirk. Her stories will make you laugh, make you think, and might even make you want to challenge yourself. If you are lucky, they will also remind you that the best journeys are the ones that push you - gently or not - out of your comfort zone and into something more profound.

So tighten up your PFD and set your eyes on the horizon, for you are in for one hell of a ride.