It's Takes A Team And All Day

17 hours 56 minutes after starting on Kodomari Cape on the main Japanese island of Honshu, Team Ocean-navi's 4-person relay finished on Shirakami Misaki on the northern island of Hokkaido.

It was a long haul, but Hiroko Minami (南浩子), Toshihiro Katsumata (勝亦俊弘), Michiko Ito (伊藤美智子), and Masaru Suzuki (鈴木優) battled the Tsugaru Current and finished to become this season's second successful wetsuit team across the Tsugaru Channel.

Patiently following one another hour after hour, the quartet never lost confidence that they would finish. It was only a matter of time given the generally calm conditions. Slowly but surely they made their way across the tricky channel, sometimes caught in eddies and pushed in unexpected directions.

Starting out before the sun rose, it took all day. And it was well worth the effort.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Eric Johnson And Sheryl Slater Win Sheko Challenge

The 9th annual Sheko Challenge and Trisolothon continues to grow with 185 athletes of all ages and abilities taking part.

The 2.2 km Sheko Challenge brought together Hong Kong’s top swimmers, triathletes, and adventure racers for a point-to-point swim from Big Wave Bay in Sheko to the Back Beach.

Eric Johnson, a fabulously fit 50-some-year-old throwing back the hands of time, stood on top of the podium when it was all over. The results of the top 10 men and women are as follows:

1. Eric Johnson 29:58
2. Mark Cummings 30:06
3. Craig Andrew Nortje 30:34
4. Doug Woo 31:31
5. Timothy Wang 31:34
6. Colin Hannah 32:14
7. Steve Taylor 32:15
8. Philip Sohmen 32:17
9. Doug Woodring 32:19
10. Stuart Tait 32:25

1. Sheryl Slater 35:28 (17th overall)
2. Jane Kelsey 35:36 (19th)
3. Ruth Barnes 36:49 (21st)
4. Sally Gentle 38:36 (30th)
5. Christine Niox-Chateau 41:21 (52nd)
6. Kathryn Alexander 42:18 (57th)
7. Olivia June Alfheim 42:23 (58th)
8. Nat Kwan 42:45 (61st)
9. Rachel Jackson 42:51 (64th)
10. Mandy Tik 44:30 (68th)

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

It's Huge. The Big Richard Redux

Marathon runners describe the Badwater Ultramarathon as the world's toughest foot race. Triathletes talk reverently about the Ironman Hawaii. Marathon swimmers put themselves on the map with a crossing of the English Channel.

Badwater, Ironman, English Channel: they are all hard and can beat down even the best-trained athlete down to size.

And so can the Big Richard.

Ultra-marathoners, triathletes, and channel swimmers may not know about the endurance test along the Southern California coast, the world's longest beach run + ocean swim is one tough amigo.

This 20-mile (32 km) soft sand run + 7-mile (11.2 km) rough water ocean swim is one hard-core biathlon. Run and swim and run and swim, and do it all over again is taxing both mentally and physically. Running in the soft sand is relentlessly difficult as the sun beats down on the shoulders and the thighs burn while trudging through the sand. Between the lactic acid build-up and perspiration, there is nothing easy. But once you thrown in multiple ocean legs through surf and currents, the perspiration turns to shivering as the limbs freeze up and get stiff in the cold upwellings during the swim legs in the Pacific Ocean.

The brutal coastal biathlon is fashioned after the Mega and is organized by Long Beach waterman Matty Mitchell. It starts at the surf-pounding Wedge in Newport Beach and finishes in Long Beach.

Between Newport Beach and Long Beach, the participants in the Big Richard must tackle 20 miles (32 km) total of soft sand running interspersed with a total of 7 miles (11.2 km) of rough water ocean swimming through massive surf breaks around 5 piers, 8 rock jetties, 3 rivers and 2 inlets. Just pure guts and lots of stamina as the athletes trudge through surf and sand along the coasts of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Bolsa Chica, Sunset Beach, Seal Beach, and Long Beach.

Named after the legendary Coach Big Richard Ghettwood, the athletes take only their swimsuit, cap and goggles. No shoes, no fins, no escorts, no towels, no wetsuits, no mercy.

In the first year, three watermen Matty Mitchell, Jon McMullen, and Peter Joseph took 7 hours 56 minutes to complete the full biathlon. And they are back training as the Big Richard Year II begins on September 17th at the crack of dawn.

Course map is here.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Flying From Bridge To Bridge In The Bay

Back in 1997, a quartet of fast swimmers from the Olympic Club - Corinna Seibt, Jim Murray, Mike Cooley, and Stephen Grant - flew from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge in San Francisco Bay.

As they navigated the tricky tidal flows of the Bay as they swum parallel to the escort boat of Captain Mike Yost and his First Mate Nicole Yost, the swimmers traversed 9 miles across the bay in 2 hours 47 minutes.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Swimming Before The Crack Of Dawn

He woke up before the crack of dawn and started to sweat. Every time, he woke up, he started to sweat. What he was about to embark on was always risky. Illegal and risky.

But he had to swim in the Charles River, a slow-moving meandering river that emptied out into the Boston Harbor, for various reasons.

His summer racing plans demanded that he train like never before. With 5 marathon races scheduled over a 6-week period, he needed to get in the optimal physical and mental shape. The 36.2 km Around the Island Swim in Atlantic City, the 32 km Traverseé international du lac St-Jean in Roberval, the 34 km Traverseé internationale du lac Memphrémagog in Magog, the 38.6 km Cabo San Lucas International Swim in Mexico, and the 45.8 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim was as packed a summer schedule as he could possibly devise.

First and foremost, he needed massive amounts of open water training. Just swimming back and forth at the 50m Blodgett Pool on the Harvard campus was not sufficient. He needed to practice and push himself in difficult situations in order to perform well in those five races. He needed to train in water without walls. He needed to think in hours, not meters, when he swam.

Secondly, he had crossed the Charles River for four straight years from his dormitory on one part of the Harvard campus to the athletic facilities on the other side of campus. Thousands of times, back and forth over the bridge, he stared at the Charles River wondering what it would be like to swim in the forbidden river. The Charles took on various characteristics throughout the year. It ranged from a winding river framed by the colorful leaves of autumn to a white frozen mass in winter. In spring, the speed of its current seem to speed up with the melting of the snow while in summer, things seemed to slow down as the heat and humidity became oppressive and seemed to press down on the river’s surface.

The Charles seemed to call him, inviting him to challenge himself swimming upstream and then enjoy the speed of a downstream return.

But the Charles was off limits. It was illegal to swim in the Charles. But more than illegal, it was unthinkable due to the pollution and his fear of Master Heimert, the authoritative administrator who ruled Eliot House, his dormitory.

And that was a powerful motivation for his plans. Because swimming in the Charles could not be done, it had to be done. Because it was wrong according to local laws, it seemed so right as an adventure. He wanted to transform a no-you-can't to a yes-I-did.

But there were far greater risks than getting arrested by the Cambridge police. There was Master Heimert. If he crossed Master Heimert, then he could get kicked out of the university. Getting kicked out of school was worse than being arrested. An arrest would be a social stigma, but after all those tests, homework, papers, and hours of study, he could not face being expelled. And Heimert was the master of his academic universe.

Which made it enticing. Really alluring. In a twisted mind of a marathon swimmer desperate to train, he reveled in facing the risks of arrest and academic suicide...and getting away with it.

So he made a plan. And he told no one: not his roommates, not his teammates. Nary a word to his parents and not a peep to any classmates. His swim would be completely confidential. A total blackout of information. The risk of telling anyone was too high. The last thing he could afford was for anyone to leak the information.

On the first day, he easily woke up before the crack of dawn. He could hardly sleep through the night as he began to question his own sanity and carefully mull over the risks. But he used the cloak of darkness to maintain confidentiality. Night swimming was his means to an end. The collegiate rowers would be out early on the Charles, but not that early. They needed the light of the early morning to row safely. To avoid being caught, he would simply swim before the sun rose. He would rather face darkness than the Cambridge police or Master Heimert.

He had scouted the Charles for the perfect rendezvous. He selected a location where he could hide his clothes and enter the river without anyone noticing. He planned to jump in on a moonlit night and just start swimming parallel to shore no more than 10 meters off the shoreline. Swimming out in the middle of the river was too risky to be seen and would require time for him to escape if he were seen A few runners might be out, but the last thing they would expect was a student swimming in the Charles. Even the splashing of his arm strokes should not attract attention for the sounds of arm strokes would be completely out of place in a darkened river. The sound, so foreign, would be totally unexpected and most probably ignored by runners.

So he wiped his eyes, munched on a banana, and grabbed a clear pair of goggles and a black swim cap. He changed into his shoes and running shorts. He would disguise himself as a jogger along the river banks and then dart into the Charles like a Navy SEAL. As he left his dorm room with his slumbering roommates completely unaware of his plans, the Charles environs were eerily quiet with the dawn’s light hours away.

He took less than 10 minutes to run to his predetermined secret location. It was an easy jog, but he started to sweat profusely while his heart raced. Fortunately, no one was around the jogging paths that line the Charles. There some light traffic along the streets, but no one was looking for a college student training for a marathon swim. No one could possibly imagine – or approve – what he was up to.

When he stopped by the hedge of bushes near the banks, his skin was clammy and cold to the touch. He slowly stripped down to his swimsuit, swiveling his head at every sound. He looked around constantly, more worried about the specter of facing Master Heimert than the risks of swimming in a polluted river. He put on his black swim cap and adjusted his goggles. A black swim cap was his way to convince himself that he was now stealth. He figured all that was missing was camouflage paint. If there was ever a time to jump in, now was the time.

He skulked in the water as quietly as possible and was surprised to find the water warmer than he expected. He knew where he wanted to swim, but he didn't want to create ripples or a wake. But it was too late to go back now. Now it was time to execute his plan.

It was dark with only a bit of light from the city and street lights reaching the Charles. But he had picked a good night to swim. The moonlight created silhouettes out of the trees and shrubs along the shoreline. This would help with his navigation even with the blackness. Tonight was unlike any other. Normally darkness was a hindrance to a swimmer, but the cloak of darkness was now an enabler.

He dropped his shoulders to the water’s surface, took one last look around, and then took off upstream. He felt free, but he also felt scared. But as the Charles contours meandered through Cambridge, so did he. He swam parallel to the banks as best he could. He swam and swam, planning to train for an hour on that first night. He was occasionally surprised by a floating branch that popped up in his path, but the swim was completely stealth. It was only him and the Charles, like two long-lost friends who finally met. After 30 minutes, he decided not to push his luck and risk being caught. So he turned around and swam back. He knew exactly where he stashed his clothes and got out safely while evading capture.

And he did it over and over again. Quietly and confidentially.

Dial forward some 30 years later. Open water swimming is now an Olympic sport and tens of thousands of open water swimming event take place including the Charles River Swim. The former swimmer with a long-repressed relationship with the Charles read newspaper accounts that the river is now open to the public for time since the 1950's.

Less than 500 meters from the Longfellow Bridge where he secretly swam way back when, contemporary swimmers can now freely frolick in the Charles. It brought a smile to his face. No more hiding, no more secret swims, no more swimming under the cloak of darkness. Over the weekend, the Charles River Conservancy hosted the first public swim in the Charles River in 50 years. Renata von Tscharner, the founder of the Charles River Conservancy, was happy to join so many locals in the roped-off area near the shoreline.

From sneaking into the Charles in the pre-dawn mornings to publicly enjoying the river in the light of day in front of the media, the environment sure has changed for the better. A swimmable Charles: surely a time for celebration.

For more information on the Charles River Conservancy, visit here.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Sing Their Praises. Team Is Defined By FTD

Even Morrison of the Marathon Swimmers Forum reported on the unprecedented and successful 6-way crossing of the Catalina Channel by Team FTD.

For 61 hours 7 minutes, the team of Tina Neill, Kent Nicholas, Emily Evans, Forrest Nelson, Becky Jackman-Beeler, and Mike Mitchell took advantage of the relatively pleasant swimming conditions from Wednesday evening to Saturday morning this week.

6 swimmers, 61 hours, 6 legs.

Incredible. Unprecedented. Courageous.

And their support team was equally strong, committed, and relentless. The Catalina Channel Swimming Federation observers were Carol Sing, Don Van Cleve, and Adam Moine. Not merely observing Team FTD, but doing everything possible to help achieve this unimaginable feat, the trio went above and beyond the call of observer duty. Day and night, morning and afternoon, hour by hour, the observers were non-stop busy sleeping in shifts in order to maintain their sanity and appropriate levels of safety. Food preparation, safety lookouts, drink mixers, condition documentarists, strategists, motivators, the observer team was the epitome of support.

All in the comfort of the Team FTD escort boat, the Outrider captained by John Pittman. "The team started at Cabrillo Beach on the California mainland, traversed the Catalina Channel to Moonstone Beach on Catalina Island, then to Royal Palms on the mainland, back to Empire Landing on Catalina, then to Portuguese Bend on the mainland and to Doctor's Cove on Catalina and finally to Terranea Cove on the mainland," reported Nelson.

"The team is essentially a reunion of the relay which swam last summer from San Clemente Island to the mainland, though Becky was the newest edition."

The relay's success was never guaranteed despite the pedigree of the swimmers. It required teamwork that was epitomized by everyone involved. "It was a great adventure. [There was] a lot of heart, thought, and energy from every person on the boat," described Neill of Team FTD.

Note: Photo above is of the Outrider on a separate Catalina Channel crossing.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

No Ferries On The Return From Peaks to Portland

At yesterday's 32nd annual Peaks to Portland Swim, 375 swimmers took to the 2.4-mile swim from Peaks Island to Portland, Maine under sunny skies.

23 of the swimmers braved the water without wetsuits with most of the participants guided by an escort kayaker. In a nod to safety, the Cumberland County YMCA-organized event had race director Terry Swain as the designated last swimmer in the 65ºF (18ºC) Atlantic Ocean at the entrance of Casco Bay.

With the start at slack tide, the swimmers zipped around Fort Gorges before the incoming tide occurred later in the race.

Defending champion Michael Leake of Vermont won the naked (non-wetsuit) division in 59:09.5 while Carla Dropo of Massachusetts won the women's division in 1:04:33. Scott Yeomans of Pennsylvania also defended his title by winning the neoprene-clad division in 48:30.1 with Kirsten Read of Maine winning the women's side in 55:08.9. Miyuki Fujita of Japan, the only person to complete a three-way crossing of the Tsugaru Channel, received special recognition for traveling such a long distance to compete in Maine.

Report courtesy of Pat Gallant-Charette.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Don't Push It, Save It For Another Day

Although there is occasionally peer pressure among hardened open water swimmers to swim further, swim in increasingly colder bodies of water, and swim in turbulent seas, it is best to keep your own counsel and know your limits.

There is no need to swim in situations where you are uncomfortable or unsure of yourself. There is simply too much inherent risk in the open water when extreme temperatures or conditions exist. Everyone is different.

For some, ice swimming is within their range of abilities. For others, heavy surf is not an issue. But every situation is not for everyone. Notice the male swimmer in the green swim cap in the photo at the Newport Pier-2-Pier Swim above.

So it is with utmost respect when we see swimmers who face the elements and then wisely turn their back on the opportunity to push themselves past their level of comfort. For tomorrow is another day. Mind over matter does not always take into account the physiological limitations when Man faces Nature.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

The Brilliance Of Blue In Turks & Caicos

Is it any wonder that someone as passionate about open water swimming like Ben Stubenberg moved to Turks & Caicos?

The California native is the Co-Race Director together with Chloe Zimmerman of the Race For The Conch Eco-SeaSwim.

He serves as the Turks & Caicos Islands Swim Federation president and was instrumental in creating the world's first exclusive open water swimming zone in an ocean in Turks & Caicos.

Aerial photography of the Race For The Conch Eco-SeaSwim above is courtesy of Gabriel Kulcsar, a web designer of Adventurescape. He took this photo hovering from a parasail just outside the swim zone.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Swim Angels Make Everything Better

Drury Gallagher of Swim Free first popularized the name Swim Free Angel™ and swim angels in 2009. While the term had been used on and off previously in the 20th century, the use and identification of swim angels has really exploded in myriad events over the last several years from Africa to America.

A swim angel is an experienced swimmer or lifeguard who provides support shore-side or in the water at open water swimming events. They are especially useful for individuals who are nervous, newbies or inexperienced about swimming in open bodies of water.

Swim angels are individuals who volunteer their time and talents to help other swimmers less capable and confident in their abilities in open bodies of water. Sometimes, they start out by assisting others in the pool or standing nearby on the shore. Sometimes, they swim the entire distance with their partner or just stand guard in the first part of the swim until the swimmer gains his confidence.

Swim angels can also be volunteers with the Swim Free Angel™, an initiative by Swim Free, a New York-based non-profit organization. Under the Swim Free Angel™ program, newcomers of all ages and backgrounds are comforted by the swim angels in and around the water; they offer encouragement and coping mechanisms. The Swim Free Angels™ provide a smile and a shoulder in the shallows and in the depths at open water swimming events and triathlons.

Photo shows Julie Hilson with swim angel Pam Lazzarotto at the end of their successful Swim Across America Nantasket Beach Swim.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

You Better Be Strong In Newport

Newport Beach, home of The Wedge, the renowned body surfing spot in Southern California, had some pretty decent surf.

And so it was today was no different.

The organizers of the Newport Pier-2-Pier delayed the start a bit in order for the surf to calm a bit, but it was still a challenge when 6-8 foot face swells came headlong to the starting point.

The Newport Pier-2-Pier is a 2-mile summer classic founded by Buddy Belshe, a legendary Newport Beach, California lifeguard, in 1976. The Newport Pier-2-Pier Swim is part of the Newport Beach Ocean Swims that include the Don Burns Scholarship Swim.

"Today, you just had to be aggressive and safe," said women's winner Lexie Kelly.

"And of course, timing had so much to do with getting out beyond the crashing surf. When the biggest wave came, I dove under like everyone else around me. I just hung onto the sand at the bottom of the ocean and felt this huge, powerful mass of water pass over me. I lost about 45 seconds getting pummeled in the first two waves. I hit them at the complete wrong time and took a horrible line in way too close.

Rebecca [Soni] came down with my and my friend Kat. We were doing somersaults under the surf. But after I popped up after the waves passed, it was really nice and smooth out there. Until the finish, of course."

"Yeah, it was great," echoed Simon Millar, a business executive from New Zealand (shown above before the 2-mile race from the Balboa Pier to the Newport Beach Pier). "The Newport lifeguards set us off on the start between sets so that was good, but I had a rough start. I got pummeled and my goggles feel off. But I love that swim. The sun always begins to shine halfway through and you end up on a beautiful sunny sandy beach."

And the end was gnarly with awkward depths caused by the pounding surf. But multi Olympic gold medalist and great body surfer Aaron Peirsol was totally in his element and body surfed in to finish fourth.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Pam Lazzarotto, A Swim Angel In Disguise

"As a swim angel, we buddy up with a swimmer who either hasn't swum a race before or who needs someone there for support," explains Pam Lazzarotto from Long Beach, California.

"We swim along beside them sighting and cheering them on. It is so enjoyable and fulfilling to see someone complete their first ocean swim."

Lazzarotto served as a swim angel at today's Nantasket Beach Swim that was held under unseasonably rough conditions. "I swam with Julie Hilson, a cancer survivor. She was a bit apprehensive at first, but once we got passed the first turn buoy the choppy water subsided. She cruised along quite easily to the finish," said Lazzarotto (shown on left) of the charity swim organized by Swim Across America this morning.

Under the leadership of Kitty Tretreault the longer (1-mile) event was cancelled due to safety reasons. But the swimmers and donors generated over US$82,000 in donations for cancer research. .

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Team Ocean-navi Sets Relay Record In Tsugaru Channel

The first team up on the blocks for the 2013 Tsugaru Channel season, Team Ocean-navi, set the wetsuit record for a single relay crossing during yesterday's collective effort.

The Tsugaru Channel Swimming Association confirmed the time of the rapid relay in 6 hours 44 minutes under the steady helm of Captain Mizushima.

Coached by Masayuki Moriya of Tokyo's Ocean-navi, the relay went more smoothly than expected between Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan. The team took nearly the straightest shot on record from their start on Kodomari Cape to their finish on Shirakami Misaki.

"It was incredible," said coach Moriya. "The conditions were good. The team shot across the Tsugaru Channel like no other relay before. Everyone swam well and they all did a great job."

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

John Szum Gives It His All

Year in and year out, John Szum shows up like clockwork at the Nantasket Beach Swim, a charity swim organized by Swim Across America this morning in Hull, Massachusetts.

Szum participates annually in the Nantasket Beach Swim with a passion and a smile. After losing his wife to cancer, Szum has raised the most amount of money to support Swim Across America's continued programs to support cancer research, prevention and treatment.

Organized by Kitty Tretreault (shown with Szum), the short (1/2-mile) and long (1-mile) courses traverse along the shores of Nantasket Beach. With college swim teams, club teams, recreational and masters swimmers and people who feel like having fun and doing some good including Olympians Heather Petri and Kristy Kowal, the event continues to grow year after year...thanks to dedicated people like Szum.

The swimmers collected and donated over US$82,000 in this year's event with Szum leading the way.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Inspirational Story, Far From The Open Water

What Do Pro Swimmers Do At A Pro Race?

FINA sanctions two different open water swimming professional circuits: the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup and the longer FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix.

Swimmers head to Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong, Macedonia, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and China to compete in the most competitive open water races on the planet.

Suntanned and smiling, trained and trim, the friendly group of 20-something-year-olds are bright-eyed, extroverted ambassadors of the sport. In Canada, they are hosted by local families who take extraordinarily good care of them. At each stop on the pro circuit, they meet fans and families, spectators and media. They give interview, sign autographs, and take pictures with the local amateurs. They readily explain their sport and showcase their talents over 2-hour races on the World Cup circuit and over 3-10 hour races on the Grand Prix circuit.

"My host families in Québec are such wonderful people," said Trent Grimsey. "They do so much for us and they are so motivated to make our stay a wonderful experience."

The swimmers' schedule at the 35th edition of the Traversée Internationale du lac Memphrémagog in lac Memphrémagog is typical of what the athletes do before and after a pro marathon race:

July 31st: Welcome reception and dinner with coaches, host families, sponsors, friends and race organizers

August 1st: Press conference, official photo-taking, and meeting and Q&A with the fans (translation in French, English, Spanish and Italian) followed by medical check and the 2 km Sprint race, meal, awards ceremony, and formal public presentation of the swimmers

August 2nd: Technical meeting for the 34 km Traversée Internationale du lac Memphrémagog

August 3rd: 8:00 am start of the Traversée, 4:00 pm awards ceremony, cocktails for swimmers and host families, and public presentation of the swimmers

August 4th: Depart for the next training session and next race on the pro circuit.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Ocean Recovery Alliance Hosts 9th Sheko Challenge

Given Hong Kong’s current waste crisis, the 9th annual Sheko Challenge, and world’s only Trisolothon, will continue to be one of the only sports event in Hong Kong where zero plastic water bottles are used for the athletes.

Under the leadership of race director Doug Woodring, this mindset and initiative directly help reduce the waste output at the event. "It reminds people of the importance of protecting the ocean from litter. Filtered water is supplied by Life Solutions, and new fold-able, re-useable cups from Fold-n-Fold in Taiwan were used."

Participants get cold, fresh drinking water without leaving waste plastic behind. "This is groundbreaking for a sports event in Asia and something any event around the world can mimic," Woodring explains.

The Sheko Challenge is a 2.2 km point-to-point race where some of Hong Kong’s top swimmers, triathletes, adventure racers and water lovers swim from Big Wave Bay in Sheko to the Back Beach. In the fourth annual Trisolothon, some of Hong Kong’s top athletes will compete. Swimmers will team up with a runner and a paddler (on a surf ski or outrigger canoe). All the teammates start at the same time from different locations, and converge on the same finish line together.

For the first time, ocean water polo will also be played after the races, and spectators are encouraged to participate. "This year will be hot, like the past, but we have the biggest amount of pre-registered participants ever. This shows that people love the outdoor beauty and challenge that this sports event offers. It continues to be a pillar of the open water swim schedule in Hong Kong," said Woodring. "We are pleased to be a showcase of how sports events can reduce their plastic footprint and waste-creation during events. We hope that other organizers can follow suit. We already have events in the United States that are also adopting a reduced plastic and waste strategy, and it is great to see Hong Kong leading the way particularly given the pressure on our landfills and the marine environment. As users of the ocean and the environment, athletes cherish clean places to train and compete in their sports, and we hope that they will carry this ambassadorial role with them to their friends, families and other races as they continue their love of sport."

Since 2004, the Sheko Challenge has been a fundraising event to support the Ocean Recovery Alliance with their global efforts and WWF with their local efforts to improve the ocean environment. For more information visit Open Water Asia.

Ocean Recovery Alliance is a non-profit organization in Hong Kong and California. It was established in 2010 in order to bring new technologies, innovations, creativity and collaborations to solve issues that face the health of the ocean today. One of the main focuses is on plastic pollution, and the group has made two commitments related to the reduction and prevention of global plastic pollution at the Clinton Global Initiative. The group’s unique plastic reduction programs are now being adopted by UNEP and the World Bank for their ocean programs.

Life Solutions was founded in Hong Kong in order to provide high quality water filtration solutions for the provision of clean and healthy drinking water. One of the main objectives is to reduce the reliance on the use of bottled water so prevalent in modern society. Life Solutions has become the market leader in providing filtered water to offices, homes and the hospitality industry in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China.

Photos from last year’s event are here.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

When You Are Out On The Channel And Need Warm Food

Try the Baro Cook, a portable system from Korea where you only need water to cook food and eat warm meals.

The system comes in rectangular containers or drinking tumblers and uses heating agents to automatically heat up the water and quickly prepare warm food. The system is especially useful where there is no electricity, gas, or flames from a fire.

You can prepare hard-boiled eggs, pasta, stew, soup, and noodles on demand.

The innovative Korean product is sold under different brand names around the world.



Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Alecia Keys Her Own Tattoo

Alecia Kelly just got inked with a colorful tattoo that signifies her personal feelings about being both empowered and humbled by her experiences in the open water world.

"The swimming community makes the world seem both smaller on the one hand, because of the camaraderie and having friends all over," says the California swimmer. "The open water is a humbling thing to experience after you leave the pool and start swimming in the open water - even in calmer bodies like lakes - due to the vast, dynamic power of nature and all the things that are beyond our human control.

Regardless of these phenomena, I am also simultaneously taken aback by the deep serenity and profound peacefulness that the water and ocean can bring to those who venture in it. I am so grateful that my family is connected to the swimming community and hope my son will feel the same one day."

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Harpoon Harper Sitting Clean

Young Harper of Redwood City in northern California is ready for the open water and all its marine life that he may encounter along the way.

His mother digs nautical haircuts and open water swimming styles. "We practice different looks in the bath. We laugh and have fun with it," says mom Alecia Kelly who was a competitive swimmer in her younger days.

And little Harper especially loves his blonde locks styled like a sleek, smooth stingray. But sometimes he gets in a mood and likes changing it up. He can spike his 'do like a menacing jellyfish.

"It's clear Harper loves the water and all its creatures. The more he is into it, the more we have fun with it."

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Samantha Cowen Gasping And Swimming To Success

Samantha Cowen is not only an open water swimming newbie, but a true beginner to the world of aquatics. The popular Johannesburg DJ trains with Roger Finch who is helping her and her friend Caren Strydom train for Robben Island swim.

"I swim with them at Wits University pool which is an outdoor 50 meter pool three times a week," describes Finch. "As the temperature drops, they are doing well 4.5 km in 15ºC each session at the moment."

This is Cowen's story and her first-hand description of her training and her fears:

"My knuckles are white on the steering wheel on the drive to the pool. All the way to the pool. That’s a long way to be tense. That’s nearly 15 kilometres on a national highway. The temperature gauge in the car assures me that outside it is a balmy 12.5ºC but without the sun and with a nasty, vindictive little wind whipping the leaves on the grass verge up into random frenzies, I think it’s much colder. In fact I know it is.

Inside the car is lovely and warm. I’ve got hot air blowing in every direction possible, warming my feet, my legs, my face. I’m dressed in three layers of clothes. But I don’t really feel the heat deep inside. All I can think about is how cold it’s going to be when I get to the pool. How very cold and dark and overcast it will be. While I’m still fully dressed. On the side of the pool.

There’s a lump in my throat. I am very close to tears. As I take the Joe Slovo Drive offramp that brings me closer to my destination. My heart starts beating faster and faster. I try to talk myself out of it, out of the fear. I tell myself I wanted to do this. I say it’s a journey and each step brings me closer to the goal. I try and imagine swimming in the sea off Robben Island, that freezing scream-it-to-the-heavens blue sea that looks so inviting. In the sun. Everything is better when the sun is out. And today, it isn’t.

And also today I am training with Roger. Roger who hasn’t swum for a week. Roger who is going to watch every stroke. Roger who will pick up on every lazy arm, on every time my arm doesn’t reach as far forward as possible and follow all the way back through the water until my thumb grazes my thigh. He will see when I’m not kicking or when my right arm crosses the midline. And he will correct it. And I will be in the water and he won’t.

I drive into the university. I’m not 100% sure Roger is coming though, I think, daring to hope. I mean, I told him I was going to be there at 1, but he’s been sick and he might not make it. And the covers might be on the pool and I don’t know how to take them off by myself. And I don’t have a key to the complex so I might not even be able to get in and then I won’t be able to swim. And it won’t be my fault. It won’t be because I am scared and cold and slightly panicky about it being only me in the water, the slowest, the newest, the least likely to succeed on the wet road to Robben Island. It will be because of circumstances beyond my control. And then I can drive away, warm and smug in the knowledge that I didn’t bunk a session. I was Getting A Sign From The Universe that I should not swim today.

Roger’s bakkie is in the carpark.

I can see through the railings of the pool enclosure that the covers are off.

The door is open.

There’s no escape.

I open the boot of the car and sit down on the edge. I will not cry. I. Will. Not. Cry. I wanted to do this and I will do this. The Robben Island crossing will not swim itself. And I’m being a baby. It’s one day. One cold miserable day. And next week Caren will be back and Graham will be better and Swimming Barbie will actually arrive and the focus will be spilt. And Roger won’t get another opportunity to see exactly how little progress I’ve made and how slow and how new and how frightened I am. The spotlight will be off. So if I can fake it today, I’ll be winning. So with that less than convincing pep talk echoing in my head, I take my bags, and try to ignore the wind that’s come up again and walk into the building.

It’s almost as cold inside as out. The only difference is that there is no breeze. I walk through the womens’ change rooms to the pool outside. I should stop and take my clothes off, I know that not to do so is just prolonging the agony, but it is SO cold. And I am SO tempted to run away. So I keep walking.

Outside the sun is making a halfhearted attempt to peer through the clouds. It’s like an old lady behind lace curtains, twitching at them apathetically to see what the neighbours are doing. At the end of the pool is Roger, pulling up the thermometer. The thermometer that could, by half a degree either way, wither my already fragile resolve.

"How cold is it?" I ask him. My voice is very strong. It’s not scared. The rest of me is but it is not.

He smiles. He can. He’s not getting in.

"16 degrees."

16ºC. It’s 16. When we swam on Thursday, Graham and I, it was about 17ºC. But it was warm outside. It was 21ºC and the sun was there in full force, the life and soul of that pool party. The whole day was bathed in warmth. And every length and every stroke was loved by the sun. The cold water never had a chance to curl its icy fingers around our sense of purpose and pull us under. Today those fingers are much stronger, I can see them. There are little ripples on the water. It’s waiting for me.

"So, what are we doing today?"

He smiles.

"Go and get changed and I’ll tell you."

So now it’s really happening. I am really going to get into that icy pool. I don’t remember the last time I felt this sorry for myself. Every piece of warm, cozy clothing seems determined to hug me. I get caught in the sleeves of my pullover, I trip while I’m taking off my leggings. My Ugg boots have to be pulled off. All of them conspiring to keep me warm. And all of them have to go. Eventually I’m shivering in a costume. My fingertips are numb, my feet are already starting to go yellow. I wrap my arms around myself, cap in hand and goggles over one arm, and run outside.

Roger eyes me disparagingly. "Don’t tense your arms. You’ll only have to warm them up more."

Thanks Roger, Thanks for that. "So, what are we doing?"

I am determined to be cheerful. If I look cheerful I might actually be cheerful. And Roger is a gentle dictator but a dictator nonetheless. As long as we’re doing it his way, he’s the nicest man alive. But there’s no questioning the process or suggesting shortcuts. Any of those have to come from him. I hope today that some come from him.

"I think we’ll do Tuesday’s program."

Oh great. I don’t know Tuesday’s program. What the f**k is Tuesday’s program? Why would I know this? I just do what I’m told on this journey of cold and misery. Robben Island seems very far away today.

"Well, we’ll start with a 500 metre warm up, then 400 hard, then 100 metres moderate, then 600 metres hard, then 100 metres moderate, then 800 metres hard and then 100 metres moderate..."

It’s like directions. I’ve never been good at taking directions. After the third instruction I’m blank. I’ve got you for take the first right, the second left, go around the circle...but start telling me to turn left at the big tree and I’m long gone. Just like here. All I can hear is HARD and MODERATE and bigger and bigger numbers. I keep smiling and nodding. Roger hasn’t worked out yet that I’m not smiling anymore. My face cannot move. It is frozen into place. For a brief moment I regret the botox in my forehead. I am physically incapable of wrinkling it to show how worried I am. I’m going to look relaxed no matter what he suggests.

"So that’s supposed to be about 4 but we’ll see, that might be too long in the pool."

4. 4. That’s 4 kilometres. That’s 2 thirds of the way to my son’s school. In a warm car. And a tiny mean little voice in my head says, yes Sam, and it’s only halfway across from Robben Island so if you can’t do it now...

I go to the side of the pool. I won’t put my foot in, I’ll just get in. I’ll get in straight away. I’ll be really brave. That’s what I’ll be. Really brave and proactive and...

"GET IN."

Good old Roger. He doesn’t mince his words. And as if his voice was a magic flute, that breeze snakes round to lick the back of my knees with an icy tongue.

"I am. I will."

And I will. Very soon. Just after hell freezes over. Which should be very soon judging by the water temperature.

Roger isn’t fooled. OR amused. "You have a beautiful day here. You’re really lucky."

"How," I ask hotly (that is the only hot thing), "am I lucky? It’s overcast, it’s cold and there’s a wind."

He shakes his head. "There’s no wind."

There IS a wind. I can see the pool rippling. I tell him this.

"It could be worse."

"HOW could it be worse?"

He looks me straight in the eye. "You could be wearing a lycra cap."

He’s right it could be worse. It could be torture. I had no idea the difference a silicone cap makes. The sessions we did with Lycra caps make my head ache in memory. He shakes his head again. "Get in."

I get in. The cold hits me like fist to the stomach. It knocks all the breath out of me. My bellybutton makes contact with my spine and stays there. I try to breathe out and can’t. I look up at Roger. He’s standing next to the diving block above me.

"Get going."

I can’t even think about it. The cold has a vice grip on my toes, and my calves and thighs are burning. I think I had some buttocks once, but I can’t feel them now. I may have frozen my ass right off. I babble to Roger. "Just give me a minute, just a minute, I won’t be long, I won’t need more, just a second to get used to it, just a few seconds..." He says nothing. Just extends an arm and points down the pool. And now there is no more respite.

I take one breath. One long deep breath and drop down. Caren [Strydom] and Graham push off from the wall, but I don’t do that. I drop, straight down, let that cold pull me under for a second and then I fight back. I extend my legs and push backwards as hard as I can. I feel my left calf threaten to lock and I ignore it. I’m in the water. I’m under. And I’m going through with it.

I don’t breathe for the first 25 metres. I gasp. I flail. The cold tightens itself around my forehead and squeezes. It tries to get under my cap. Little icy fingers push at the sides of my head, gaining entrance where the hair is creating a pocket. But only a little. And not too far. The front of my face is a triangle of pain, from the top of my goggles to the seal of the cap. The whole stretch can’t be more than 5 by 3 centimetres. But it can hurt twenty times that.

I get a rhythym going by 50 metres. It’s a mantra I repeat over and over: reach, pull, sweep. Reach, pull, sweep. Each time my arm comes out of the water it tingles. All the blood in my body is being pulled to the skin’s surface. By the time I turn again to get to 150 metres I feel more alive than I ever have. It’s an endorphin rush second to none. There aren’t enough Christmases and birthdays and lottery wins to make me tremble like this and still lunge forward. Reach, pull, sweep. My triceps are burning, my thighs feel hot as my thumbs graze past them but they can’t be hot. Can they?

I’m warmed up now. 500 metres and I’m ready for anything. Roger is sitting on the block, wrapped up warmly in a blue bomber jacket. He smiles at me. I smile too because I am so relieved .It’s fine. It’s ok. I’m warm. Well, I’m warm while I’m moving. So let’s move.

"You were right," I say. "I am lucky."

He breaks into a grin. "400 hard."

And I launch myself off the wall to do 400 hard. And for about 200, it’s all wonderful and fantastic and I’m the fastest, happiest little dolphin in the sea. And then...I’m cold.

The cold sneaks up on you. You don’t realize it’s coming. That initial endorphin rush will carry you quite far. Well it will carry me quite far. And when the sun is out, quite far can be miles. But it’s not out. And the dark cold water is winning. Suddenly that arm that was flying out of the water, needs a push. That swift head turn to the left or the right isn’t swift enough not to take in mouthfuls of water.

I try to swim faster, but the power isn’t there. Cold makes me tired. I force it though. I tell myself that if I can’t do this, what can I do? If I don’t have the mental strength to stay in a F**KING POOL for less than 30 F**KING MINUTES, what kind of a useless waste of DNA am I actually? What kind of time waster am I? That a man like Roger Finch who has swum every important stretch of water in the entire world, by himself and after a broken pelvis, who has dragged himself out of bed where he has been sick for a whole week, has the time, energy and heart to stand in the cold and watch me, who am I not to swim? BAD SAM.

This takes me to the end of the HARD 400 and the 100 metre recovery. Self loathing is an easy default position for me. Maybe too easy. I’ve had years of practice. But I haven’t had years of practice in the pool. After the 100 metres I cannot form words. Well, not so as anyone would understand. Roger laughs.

"Just relax," he says. "You’re doing well." He’s such a nice man. Such a nice, kind man.

I clasp my hands together. "DON’T DO THAT! You’ll tense your muscles!" Bastard. He is such a bastard.

Now it’s 600 HARD. And this is the lowest point in the pool I can remember. When Caren is alongside me, even though she is so fast and so good, I can feel her in the water. I can feel that energy, coming off another person, who is on the same path and has the same needs. And I can feed off it. I do it with Graham too, I can be in their wake and swim through the shine and it sticks to me and warms me up and makes me faster and happier.

It is not there today. Today it is lonely and dark. I start to tear up in the water. In the cold, dark water. Every now and again the wind comes back up and slaps my arms or the backs of my legs again. And it all conspires to say, you’re not even halfway through the session. You’ve not even done two kilometres and you’re wasted. You’re finished. Your tank was never big enough to travel this distance. I want to get out. I start trying to distract myself by counting lengths. 600 metres is 12 lengths. If I am on 4 then that’s a third. 2 more makes it half. 2 more makes it 2 thirds. Then 2 more brings the total into double figures. Then two more and you’re done. You’re done. Then 100 slow. And I think about how I am going to tell Graham about this swim. How I am going to couch it so I am not lying but I don’t scare him or put him off. Because he is so much stronger than me, but he doesn’t know that yet. And telling him might make him pause and second guess finding this out for himself.

I don’t let myself think about the 800 metres. It’s a length at a time. 50 metres at a time. I look at the floor of the pool, so clean and clear. I count the lines in the bottom. First line across, I’m halfway, second, the start of the slope to the deep end, third line, the deep end.

I finish the 600. I’m exhausted. Physically and mentally. I’m going to say something. I’ve done 1.7 kilometres. It’s not even half. If I feel this way before I’m halfway, I’m not ready to do this. The whole thing. Robben Island, all of it. Any of it.

And then the sun comes out. It bursts through the clouds with determination and force. It’s suddenly so present and so strong, I wonder if it was waiting for a cue. I wonder, in my slightly warmth-deprived state, if it was waiting for me to hit rock bottom before it stepped in. Sort of like a parent watching a child learn to walk and standing on the sidelines waiting until a real fall is on the cards, and then swooping in to attend to any major bruises.

Roger is nodding on the side. "You’re coming on nicely my girl."

And I love Roger again. I love him dearly because when he says that I know I can do this swim. This session. And I can do THIS swim. This Robben Island crossing. This thing I think about in bed and when I am alone with a few minutes to busy myself doing nothing. And I know that I can do this thing because HE knows that I can do this thing. And that one day I will be able to know it on my own. But right now, I need him to know it for me.

"800 hard?" I say it casually. He nods. I go.

And it’s glorious. It’s still cold but the sun is warm on my back. It pulls my hips up when they threaten to dip under and change my head turn. It pours warmth into the air that I breathe in as I reach, pull and sweep. It’s 16 lengths and I do count them but each one is another exercise in stroke correction, not in my arms but in my head. Reaching, Pulling and Sweeping the joy back in. Of being kind to myself. Of believing that I can do this. That I AM doing this. And I frightened. And I am human. And that is alright.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Riggs Was Ready And Able

John Riggs knew what he had to do. Stranded 2 miles from shore near Deal Island on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Riggs had to swim to safety.

It was most certainly a life-and-death situation for not only himself, but also for this 70-year-old father, sister, 9-year-old niece, and 3-year-old nephew.

His family members, buoyed by their life jackets and hanging on to their capsized fishing boat, waited through the night on hope that Riggs would come through. And that he did after 5 hours of struggling in rough water and tidal flows when he stumbled onto the Maryland shore. "I just need to save my family," he reportedly told the first person he came in contact with. A rescue operation from the U.S. Coast Guard and the local Fire Department was immediately dispatched. Soon, everyone was saved without harm.

Truly a heroic effort. Open water swimmers know the feeling well when they look up and the turn buoys never seem to get closer. Swim and swim and swim, and the buoys seem to stay there. Riggs undoubtedly swam towards the lights on shore. Imagine how he felt as he was swimming at night, stroking for 5 hours towards the coastal illumination?

For more information, visit here.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

It Is A Swell Day For Secret Love In Boston

It is rocking and rolling aboard the two escort boats Mon Amour and Secret Love as the Swim Across America relays have now reached the halfway point of their 22-mile charity swim. Once past the 11-mile mark on the far edges of the Boston Harbor Islands, the ocean swells started to really shake the boats and the 80 swimmers of the Boston Harbor Swim. During the first half of the swim to benefit the MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center and the Perini Quality of Life Clinic at the Dana-Farber Hospital, the swimmers faced a relentless chop swimming into the wind.

But the second half was all downhill - sort of - as the swimmers rode the ocean swells back to downtown Boston. The swimmers tried to railroad down the swells, but the course got increasingly rocky and bumpy.

Smiles and laughs from the swimmers were punctuated by the aaahhs and ooohhhs of the ocean swells as the teams headed into the finish fighting the seas all the way.

"After the half-wayway turn, the yacht almost tipped because the chop turned to big rolling waves," recalls Pam Lazzarotto.

Kristy Kowal said, "The window was on the water." Dan Truesdale who has swum this event 23 times added, "I think the boat was at a 30 degree angle. The cooler on the top deck went tumbling into the water while everything in the boat was getting tossed around."

"I was in the water when all this havoc hit," described Lazzarotto. "The escort boat with the big orange buoy for sighting was gone. I thought they left me behind because the waves were so big I couldn't see anyone. Finally a few big waves over, I saw other swimmers.

The Zodiac came to pick us up and take us to our boat. When we finally boarded everyone on board cheered for us. We survived an extremely rough swim. And when we came into the finish, the fire boat presented us with a great welcome. It was a quite a day and a welcome culmination to celebrate open water swimming and the raising of over $350,000 for the MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center and the Dana-Farber Perini Quality of Life Clinic."

For more information, visit here with a tracking of their course here.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

The Wait Is Fun Around The Boston Harbor Islands

"The swim is great, the energy is up, and its been a great day so far," calls in Andrew Kitaeff of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center.

"Dr. Gregory Lauwers is representing Mass General Hospital and has been swimming well. The MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center is so happy to partner with Swim Across America."

"With the current running against the wind, this is a tough swim and the chop is not letting up," explains Pam Lazzarotto of Long Beach on her first East Coast swim.

"Thank goodness the water is warm. We have the current with us, but we are swimming into the wind. It is great being on the boat with everyone, waiting our turn to swim." The 80 swimmers - who raised over $350,000 - patiently wait their turn to alternatively swim up to 5 legs of the 22-mile charity swim around the Boston Harbor Islands that benefits the MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center on two yachts.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming

Why People Lie In The Open Water

The thing we greatly appreciate and respect about open water swimmers is their integrity. There is no wiggle room in the sport; there are no shortcuts. Swimmers face Mother Nature head-on. They traverse from one shore to the shore; they swim around the buoys; they cannot avoid oncoming currents or punishing waves.

Open water swimming is a simple sport that demands honesty and truthfulness. There is no gray areas. It is black and white. Did you finish the swim...or not? Did you attempt the swim...or not? It is plain and simple.

So when we hear of swimmers who fudge the truth or tout swims that they actually have never done, we wonder why? Why is it that swimmers announce to their friends and the media that they have done a swim, but they have not? Why do swimmers knowingly cut short a turn buoy and purposefully swim less than their competitors? Why do swimmers cheat or lie in various ways?

Fortunately, these swimmers are the rare exceptions that prove the truth about open water swimmers. The swimmers who proclaim they have crossed the English Channel or did a swim in a lake or swam a certain time or a certain distance, but who have not, are in the clear minority. They number only a small handful out of the estimated 8-10 million people around the world who participate in the sport of open water swimming.

These are not pirate swimmers who do not want to pay an entry fee but participate in open water swimming competitions. These are not rouge swimmers who purposefully avoid paying association fees to attempt a marathon or channel swim. These are not inexperienced swimmers with low navigational IQ who get lost on a race course and unknowingly miss a turn buoy.

No, these are swimmer who say they did a swim, but never actually finished the swim or, in some cases, even started the swim. A swimming con if you will.

A swimming con is an individual who claims to have completed an open water swim, a channel crossing, or a marathon swim, but never did in actuality. A swimming con either never finished the purported swim or never even started in the first place. Swimming cons also tend to exaggerate about their swims by lowering their official time, falsely stating a higher finish position, fabricating the total distance swum, purposefully cut short swimming around turn buoys, or misrepresenting the water temperature or conditions.

Why do these swimming cons have this need to participate in a sport where nearly everyone else are individuals with high integrity? Why do they swim and talk in a manner that is inconsistent with the values, principles, expectations, and outcomes of the rest of the community? In the words of Jack Nicholson in the movie A Few Good Men, why can't they handle the truth?

Possibly, they lie for some sort of personal gain, to look good to themselves or among others, or to gain financially in their careers or socially within certain circles. These swimming cons engage themselves in these falsehoods to manage how others perceive them as they occasionally even cannot separate the truth from fiction in their own minds. Or alternatively, if they feel that their self-esteem is an issue, they lie to cover something up or gain an actual or perceived advantage for themselves or over others.

Society holds certain positions to higher standards (e.g., policemen vs. politicians, physicians vs. publicity agents, lab technicians vs. lawyers). We expect more truth out of certain professions and instinctively trust some people more than others.

Fortunately, the trust and fundamental integrity of the global open water swimming community has been staunchly established over the decades. There is an unspoken and fundamental understanding that open water swimmers not only face the truth, but they always tell the truth. They hold each other's words sacred and support each other even when a swim is not always completed as planned.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming