Dutch Soccer Fanatic Drives From San Francisco To Brazil For World Cup
(CBS SF) Few fans are as dedicated as the Dutch soccer enthusiast who drove almost 13,000 miles from San Francisco to Brazil to watch his team play in this year's World Cup.
52-year-old Ben Oude Kamphuis began his trip on Jan. 15, crossing two continents and more than a dozen countries in his decorated 1995 Chevy Truck to see his beloved Netherlands play in its opener against Spain in Salvador on June 13.
It's well over 6,000 miles on a direct line from San Francisco to Salvador, and rather than taking a direct route, Kamphuis navigated down the western side of central America and South American countries, racking up another 7,000 miles.
Sports Illustrated reported that although he started the trip in mid-January, by early June, he still hadn't reached his final destination after more than four months of travel. That was partly due to the stops he made along the way to volunteer and speak at schools about using the sport to stop racism and discrimination, according to SI, but much of it has to do with the uneven terrain and bumpy roads.
The 53-year-old from the Dutch town of Twente has been living in the US for 28 years and in San Francisco for the last 23 years.