Man paddles 2,500 miles from California to Hawaii

Antonio de la Rosa turned 50 years old in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, as he paddled his way from California to Hawaii.

It took him 76 days to make the journey, leaving in June and arriving in Honolulu on Saturday. The Valladolid, Spain, resident used a 21-foot-long paddleboat, which had a tiny cabin for him to sleep in and was equipped with solar panels. His arms were his motors, de la Rosa told The Associated Press, and he spent eight to 10 hours a day paddling. He didn't get much sleep, as he got up every hour to make sure everything on the vessel was functioning.

There were some dramatic events along the way, like when Hurricane Flossie passed within 60 miles of de la Rosa. He also saw things that bothered him, including an abundance of discarded fishing lines and nets. A longtime adventurer — de la Rosa has also circumnavigated the Iberian Peninsula coastline on a paddle board and completed the Iditarod route on a special bicycle with snow tires — he told AP why he goes on these adventures: "I like it because it's hard." Catherine Garcia

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