Local ultradistance paddlers Josh Friedman and Julie Kirk have done it again. On July 11, the Moyie Springs duo earned their second Guinness World Record in as many years, completing a grueling 51-hour, 371-mile dragon boat expedition on the Missouri River.

They now hold records for both the longest distance covered in a dragon boat in 24 hours and the longest non-stop voyage in a dragon boat.

In 2023, Friedman and Kirk were part of a 16-member endurance team hand-selected by paddle racing legend Rod Price — a world record holder, author, and dragon boat coach. Dubbed the “Pan Am Express,” the team set out to take a craft traditionally used for short sprints and push it to its extreme: paddling over 300 miles without stopping.

“Not one person on that team was a dragon boat paddler,” sai

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