Verlen Kruger
Verlen Kruger (June 30, 1922 in Pulaski County, Indiana – August 2, 2004) was an American canoe enthusiast who paddled over 100,000 mi (160,000 km) in his lifetime.
Biography
[edit | edit source]Kruger was born in 1922 in Pulaski County, Indiana.[1] When he as 14 years old, he dropped out of high school to help provide for his family during the Great Depression.[2] During World War II, Kruger got drafted into the Army, where he was enlisted to be a tank driver. He graduated from the Army Air Force Flight Training School, and became a pilot, and eventually a flight instructor.[2] Upon his exit from the Army, he moved to DeWitt, Michigan and started in business as a plumbing contractor.[2]
Paddling
[edit | edit source]Over the course of his life, Verlen Kruger paddled the most miles (over 100,000 miles) of any single competitor in the sport.[3] Kruger started his paddling career at age 41.[4] Of particular note are the 29,341 km (18,232 mi) Two Continent Canoe Expedition[5] and the 45,130 km (28,040 mi) Ultimate Canoe Challenge, the longest canoe journey ever.[6][7]
Legacy
[edit | edit source]During his lifetime of canoeing, he earned 11 Guinness World Records, and was the first canoeist to paddle up the Grand Canyon.[2] A bronze statue of Kruger was erected on the banks of the Grand River in Portland, Michigan by family and friends in 2010.[8][9]
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]Books
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Video
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See also
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References
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Further reading
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Verlen Kruger at Find a GraveLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Expedition Icon: Verlen Kruger at Paddling Magazine
- Two Men's Master Stroke: The 28,000-Mile Canoe Trip at The Washington Post