Florida man fails latest attempt to run to New York or Bermuda in self-made floating bubble thing
Reza Baluchi has made headlines in the past for his other attempts to run places in a big plastic ball
Reza “Ray” Baluchi is an inveterate dreamer. For years now, the Florida ultramarathon runner and inventor has been trying to combine his passions by getting into a floating hamster ball contraption and running across the water from his home state to Bermuda or New York. In each case, he hasn’t made it very far.
His latest attempt involved freaking out people who were trying to enjoy a day at the beach on Florida’s east coast last Saturday; he drifted ashore after a failed attempt to run to either New York or Bermuda. The Guardian reports that Baluchi was brought back to land after he realized “that some of his safety and navigation equipment had been stolen” and the coast guard were notified of his floating balloon thing’s progress. In his attempt to head North, Baluchi made it only 30 miles south of his starting point.
Over on his YouTube channel, Baluchi advertised his planned trip to Bermuda last September with an early ‘00s-style video. In it, spy movie graphics and dramatic military music are overlaid on clips of him running in his floating hamster ball, a rotating view of the Earth from space, and snippets of text like, “Run With Reza,” “Greatest Guinness World Records Most Dangerous Place In World,” “It’s Happen Soon Travel To Bermuda,” and “Lorem Ipsum Has Been The Industry’s Standard Dummy Text Ever Since The 1500s.”
Before then, Vice filmed a short documentary about Baluchi that helps provide some more insight into his bubble-hopes and bubble-dreams. He explains that a trip to Bermuda on his strange craft—something he first attempted in 2014—would let him see what’s really happening in the Triangle and, we guess, get him some attention, too.
“If you drive a boat, nobody cares,” he says. “Bubble, nobody did before.”
The video also shows what it looks like when the authorities interrupt his journey and features a retired coast guard captain all but smacking his forehead as he describes how they’ve tried to stop him in the past. The coast guard captain, who seems to hate Baluchi for his ambitions, says his latest bubble trip from 2016 cost American taxpayers “approximately $144,000.”
In The Guardian’s article, Baluchi is quoted as telling the press that his trip North was meant to “raise money for homeless people, raise money for the coast guard, raise money for the police department, raise money for the fire department” and that he’ll try again “once the weather improves.” He also said that his bubble-running is supposed to be inspirational. “I will show people anything you want to do, do it,” he said. “Don’t listen to anyone. Chase your dreams.”
Never give up, Baluchi. But, even as your dreams remain lofty, please try to keep your feet on solid ground while trying to achieve them.
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