From 2018 to 2019, Brit Jono Dunnett surfed all the way around Europe. Now he's in the starting blocks for his next big adventure. Within a year, he wants to surf once around Japan - alone, over almost 6000 kilometres.
Jono, you surfed once around Europe before the pandemic and spent almost two years travelling. How did you find your way back to a normal life afterwards?
Phew, that was difficult at times I have to admit. It feels like it was so long ago. When I started the Round Europe in Norway, I met Helena. After the end of my trip, we had some cool adventures together. Long paddling trips and in 2022 we sailed around Ireland in a small boat.
So your girlfriend is as extreme as you are?
No, she couldn't sail at all and had never done anything like that before. The route on the Atlantic side was pretty wild, so she suffered and maybe I should have taken it a bit easier. But she forgave me (laughs).
What fascinates me about touring surfing is that you never know what's going to happen next
Now it's time for your next big adventure - a trip around Japan. Why Japan?
I had been planning to go travelling again for a while. One day I got a message from a surfer who wanted to see my bay. In the Balance about my trip around Europe. He said: "If you're planning something again, come to Japan." I did some research and immediately found the idea interesting. The Japanese people I had met so far were all very friendly - Japanese culture makes you feel immediately welcome and safe. If travelling by sea is going to be dangerous, I at least want to be in good hands on land.
Sounds like the people on your trip fascinate you more than the landscape or the surfing conditions...
The people are a big factor. I'm an adventurer, but I don't want to feel completely lost somewhere. Japan will be out of my comfort zone - but only a little.
When does it start?
I'm still here at home in Clacton-On-Sea, but on 23 May I'm flying to Tokyo with the material and a few days later I'll be leaving.
Flying around the world on a 380-centimetre raceboard? How many airline employees did you have to bribe to do that?
(Laughs) Yes, that was indeed a mission. I tried for a long time to register it as baggage, without success. Then I got a personal contact, whose name I don't want to mention, at an airline, whose name I also don't want to mention, and then it worked (laughs) ...
I see. Keyword material: Are you using your equipment from the last trip again?
I'm using a Unifibre Proteus Raceboard, which cuts through the waves better and I'm hoping to have fewer catapults on deep space wind courses. I'm also using a Loftsails Switchblade 8.5, and of course I've got my waterproof barrel with me again to store my luggage. I've made a few adjustments to the attachment on the board to make it a bit easier to stand, but apart from that little has changed. I also have my GPS tracker and an emergency transmitter with me again. And lots of porridge (laughs).
How do you rate the route? What will be the biggest challenges?
Of course, I've had a good look at the route. Essentially, it will depend on being in the right area at the right time. I start from Tokyo along the Pacific coast. The Pacific swells and the regular sea fog are likely to be the biggest obstacles here. I surf north first, because you can only round the north in summer. In winter there's pack ice, which would be too hard. I can't say what the wind is like up there, I'll let myself be surprised. I imagine the landscape up there to be like the fjords in Norway. But you don't want to get up there too late, otherwise you'll have wind from the north, onshore and arse cold (laughs). Then I surf back down on the west side in the Sea of Japan.
You've already spent nights in Norway under a snow-covered sail...
Yes, that's right. But I'll try to avoid that this time (laughs). I shouldn't arrive too late in the south of Japan either, because it's tropically hot here and the typhoon season starts in summer. The good thing about Japan is that it's quite densely populated, so it should be easy to find shelter somewhere.
How long is the journey likely to take?
It will be about twice as long as once round the UK. That was just over 3000 kilometres of surfing, which I completed in around 100 days. Japan will probably be around 6000 to 6500 kilometres to surf and I estimate that it will take about nine months. The conditions will certainly be challenging and I will also have to be patient. After all, I'm not getting any younger (laughs).
