TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Swiss national Geza Scholtz said Wednesday that he became the first individual to kitesurf across the Taiwan Strait.

Schlotz said the 10-hour journey involved great physical discomfort as strong winds and huge waves made it difficult to steer his kite on the 165 km crossing. He mentioned two years of training for this endeavor, as well as coordination work from his support team that trailed him in a boat. 

He set out from Matsu's Dongju Island on Wednesday at 5 a.m. and reached a coastline near Taoyuan's Yongan Fishing Port late in the afternoon. In an interview with CNA, he said he felt unwell and vomited shortly after starting, but ideal wind speed and wave height allowed him to make good progress.

According to Schlotz, wind speed increased at noon, reaching a maximum of 28 knots (52 kph), and the waves also grew higher. Such conditions slowed his progress as his speed dropped to 15 kph.

Stronger winds also required a route correction, from an original 150 km to 165 km. This lengthened his travel time from nine hours to 10 hours.

Scholtz said that when the wind was strongest, he considered giving up. Compounding his troubles was pain in his legs, which began to affect him in the last two hours. However, the likelihood of accomplishing his feat led him to persevere to the end.

Upon arriving ashore in Taoyuan, Scholtz said he was both hungry and thirsty. Then he contacted his family back home in Zurich, Switzerland.

Scholtz said he continues to think about future expeditions. He hopes his accomplishment can inspire young people to pursue life beyond the computer screens, giving them the courage to realize their dreams.