Message on a Bottle

Most Sons of Norway members have heard of Thor Heyerdahl and his 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition, but have you heard of the Plastiki? The catamaran, made from 12,500 recycled plastic drink bottles, made the news lately when its crew successfully completed a 128-day voyage across the Pacific Ocean, leaving San Francisco on March 22 and arriving in Sydney, Australia, on July 26. Its mission? To raise awareness about ocean pollution. Among the vessel’s six-person crew is Norway’s Olav Heyerdahl, grandson of Thor Heyerdahl. I bet his grandfather would be proud.

You can read more about Thor Heyerdahl, plus nine more of Norway’s most influential explorers, scientists and researchers, in the October issue of Viking. It’s part three of our Notable Norwegians series by Sarah Asp Olson.

Creative Commons image by Flickr user mokwai

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in
Northfield, Minnesota, where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585. Amy is a Nordic folk music enthusiast, and when she’s not working or parenting, she can often be found making music with friends.