"His goal: to traverse the open ocean to San Pedro, just south of Los Angeles, some 26.4 miles away. But upon a closer look, Shoemaker's kayak was no ordinary kayak. Brown-ish yellow and bumpy in texture, it had been made or rather, grown entirely from mushrooms. His journey, if successful, would mark the world's longest open-water journey in a kayak built from this unique material."
"With his phone, GoPro camera, walkie talkie, and a compass affixed to his life vest, Shoemaker left shortly before 6am in order to avoid the worst of the swells in the forecast. But three hours in and powering through his ninth mile, the coastline still out of sight, Shoemaker began feeling seasick. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a large animal breaching the waters. To his left, a fin whale flashed its glistening tail, then trailed slowly behind him."
"As the 50-ft creature followed him for three more miles, Shoemaker found the strength to finish out the maiden voyage. It was just like a psychedelic experience, he says of the crossing, which took him 12 hours. As he stumbled onto shore with his mushroom kayak still intact, the artist and mycologist embraced his friends and family. All of them hoped this voyage would usher in a new wave of curiosity about the unconventional fungus material."
Sam Shoemaker launched a kayak grown entirely from mushrooms from Catalina Island aiming for San Pedro, a 26.4-mile open-ocean crossing. He departed shortly before 6am equipped with a phone, GoPro, walkie-talkie, and a compass to avoid forecast swells. Three hours in and nearing his ninth mile, seasickness set in, and a fin whale breached nearby and trailed him for several miles, helping him finish the voyage. The crossing took 12 hours and the mushroom-built kayak remained intact on landing. Supporters hope the trip will spur interest in fungal materials as greener alternatives to plastics. Shoemaker began his career creating sculptures from propagated mushrooms and exhibited work after returning to Los Angeles following an MFA in 2020.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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