Thor Heyerhahl: the spirit of adventure | Cover Story

Thor Heyerdahl is often referred to as the man who introduced Norway to the world. Born in in 1914, his life is an amazing story of adventure, science and travel. He undertook some of the most astounding expeditions in the history of Norway.

Perhaps the most well known is the Kon Tiki Expedition. The idea behind this was to prove that the boats built in the ancient South American were in fact capable of crossing vast seas and travelilng long distances in the ocean, making it possible for South Americans to migrate over seas in ancient times. In 1947, his six man crew built a boat in the ancient South American style, of paying attention to every minor detail, including the materials and methods used to build it. The crew then travelled 4300 miles, from Callao (Peru) to the island of Raroia (Polynesia), which took them 101 days. The documentary filmed by the crew won an Oscar in 1951. The book on the expedition has been translated into 66 different languages.

Thor Heyerdahl's journeys have not always been succesful at the first attempt. In 1969 the Ra I ran into trouble after sailing 3000 miles across the Atlantic. The problem with the vessel's stern forced the crew to abandon the ship.

In 1970 Heyerdahl and his team crossed the Atlantic from Morocco to the West Indies on the reed boat Ra II to show that ancient Egyptians might have got to America long before the Vikings and Columbus. Their journey lasted 57 days.

Thor Heyerdhel conducted many expeditions and historical and archeological projects all his life. A musuem in Bygdoy, Norway is devoted entirely to Thor Heyerdahl expeditions. The Kon-Tiki museum exhibits the original RA II and Kon-Tiki ships as well as artifacts and data collected during Heyerdahl's many voyages. A small theatre on the premises screens the award winning documentary at regular intervals. This great adventurer died earlier this year at the age of 88. His life continues to be a source of inspiration for the adventurer in all of us.