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Our expedition down the Hudson River in October of '07 was done in tribute to the "Fallen Heroes of 9/11". I can think of very few causes as worthy as the FDNY, NYPD and other real-life heroes who gave all on that fateful day.
While contemplating expeditions in other geographic areas, I had considered some possible causes, but never the Boy Scouts. The folks at Tucker and Associates contacted me with the idea of doing expeditions in locations in and around Texas. When I found out that we would be rowing to honor the Boy Scouts of America, I practically jumped in the air.
You see, scouting has played a major role in my family for generations. My grandfather was the Scoutmaster of my dad's troop, and my dad was the Scoutmaster of the troop that my brother, my cousin and I, and many of our friends grew up in. I am an Eagle Scout. I'd love to take full credit for it, but it was my father who really got behind me and pushed for the last five yards or so. I was carrying the ball, but he, and many others were pushing me into the end-zone. I saved three lives before the age of 18 because of the first-aid training I'd learned in scouts (sure, two of those rescues were performed on scouts, during scout trips, but that's another story). Scouting taught me to plan, prepare, and most of all, to "go for it". If anything I've done in my life is labeled a success - I feel that it's only fair to point towards God, my parents, and scouting.
So it is with great honor that we row with the scout logo on our gondola. Scouting has made a difference in the lives of so many young men. Whenever I get the chance, I encourage parents of "energetic boys" to get them in a troop. It certainly helped this "energetic boy". God only knows the trouble I might have gotten into had it not been for Troop 658 at the Rolling Hills Covenant Church in Rolling Hills Estates, California.
While I'm sure that Venetians explored in centuries past, and at least a few times they probably did it by gondola, the most recent incarnation of "expedition rowing by gondola" can be credited to Vittorio Orio. Starting in 1994, Vittorio is responsible for a dozen expeditions in and around Italy. One of his most notable exploits was the crossing of the English Channel in 2001 with Enzo Liszka rowing in front. I became a fan of Vittorio after that row and endeavored not only to meet the man, but to some day row with him in a similar manner. I met Vittorio in 2006 while in Venice, and with the translation help form Nereo Zane, we began to plan an expedition here in the US. 
Hudson River Expedition 2007 On a clear, crisp morning in late September of last year, I shook hands with Vittorio once again - this time in Albany, New York. As I supervised the unloading of a Venetian gondola from the back of a moving van, I also met Enzo Liszka and Bepi Suste for the first time. These two gentlemen had flown out with Vittorio to take part in a history-making adventure. Later that night, we were joined by gondola operator John Kerschbaum from Minnesota, and Chris Harrison, who is my senior gondolier in Irving, Texas. On October 1st, we embarked on a six day, 150 mile row from the state capitol of Albany, down the Hudson River to Ground Zero in Manhattan. The expedition was a tribute-row in honor of the "fallen heroes of 9-11", and we received amazing support from the everyday working heroes at FDNY and NYPD, along with hospitable folks in many cities and towns all along the river. Publicity was expertly provided by the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau in Irving, Texas. After the rowing was complete, the gondola was hauled out on her trailer and towed behind an FDNY truck in the Columbus Day Parade down 5th Avenue. 
Houston Gondola Expedition
With the support of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau in Irving, Texas, I planned a one-day expedition in the city of Houston, Texas. After extensive research, I chose the Buffalo Bayou, an historic waterway that winds all the way up into the downtown area of the city. I spoke with a number of locals who all said the same thing: "the bayou doesn't really move, maybe a half a knot, but watch out when it rains!" When my rowing partner, Chris Harrison and I left our hotel on the morning of the row, it was raining, and had been raining all night. Our trip down this "slow moving bayou" was an exciting, high-speed ride which brought us to our turnaround point well ahead of schedule. Once we'd turned around, we not only faced a current, but an unexpected wind shift as well. It was a challenging row that took us twice as long as was expected. We worked hard, learned a lot about ourselves and about rowing, and arrived successfully at our designated destination. The Houston Gondola Expedition was held to honor the Boy Scouts of America. We met with a number of Scouts, many of them Eagles, at the starting point of our row. The day after the expedition, the gondola was brought on-trailer into the Reliant Arena and displayed at the Sam Houston Area Council scouting convention.
OKC Gondola Expedition
Report pending
