Posted in: 11-2009

Peter Frayne, Going Beyond the Call of Duty

30.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: History   |  (0) comments

According to the Channel Swimming Association, Peter Frayne was an observer on Florence Chadwick's swim and had to jump in the English Channel to guide her after the water pump on her escort boat failed within three miles of shore.

Prior to that call of duty, Peter was below decks on her escort boat pumping water out of the bilge.

Cold, tired and tough, Peter is certainly the epitome of a supportive crew member for any marathon swimmer, especially Florence (see here on American television).

Photo from the Channel Swimming Association archives.

Harry Huffaker - Tenacity and Toughness in the Hawaiian Islands

30.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Solo Challenges   |  (0) comments

Dr. Harry Huffaker, shown on left at the age of 50 after 18 hours in the channels in Hawaii, has had a remarkable open water swimming career where he has achieved an incredible numbers of successes, but nearly always after dramatically disappointing failures.

Throughout his career, Harry faced scary night swims, sharks, jellyfish, massive ocean swells and extremely strong currents during unprecedented swims in the tropical waters of Hawaii, but he always fought back and returned to conquer the major channels of the Hawaiian Islands.

During his 1967 Molokai Channel swim, Harry saw a large shark and was going to immediately get out, but when he looked for the support boat, the shark was between him and his boat, which was too far away for an easy escape. Fortunately, the shark swam away - as did Harry towards his goal which he finally reached after 16+ hours.

After the initial shark encounter as told by Julia Steele of Hana Hou Magazine, Harry ran into another unexpected issue. "Four hours into the swim, the support crew received a distress call from another boat going down in the channel. They were going to cancel the swim in order to render aid, but other boats in the area radioed they would help. Although no survivors from the sinking boat were found, a large shark that contained human remains was caught the next day."

But as Harry continued to grow his dental practice in Honolulu, he kept on swimming and planning his next adventure in the pre-GPS era.

Julia writes about Harry's first crossing of the 30-mile Alenuihaha Channel between the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui"

During a pre-swim dinner only hours before he was set to become the first person to swim from the Big Island of Hawaii to Maui, Harry recalls the time he had been told by his host that there was an annual shark hunt off of the very starting point of his 30-mile channel swim. The locals kill a cow, drag it out to sea, watch the sharks swarm in. The host brought out the video and showed Harry the shark frenzy.

Certainly blood and hungry sharks are ot exactly the type of imagery that most marathon swimmers want in the hours leading up to a night swim in shark-infested waters that had never been done before. But this was actually Harry's second attempt at the Alenuihaha Channel. His first attempt ended after 17 hours when strong currents off of Maui defeated him. But, true to his pattern of success, his second attempt ended as he walked upon the shores of Maui...this time after 20 hours.

Before his successful Oahu-to-Molokai crossing of the Molokai Channel in 1972, Harry failed in an earlier 20-hour attempt when he hit currents off of the islands. True to his nature, Harry tried again and again came up against two notorious obstacles in tropical waters - a huge brood of Portuguese Man o' War and a tiger shark. When he stung unmercifully and repeatedly by the Portuguese Man o' War, his throat ended up swelling and he had to swim without the benefit of his legs because the large influx of toxins temporarily paralyzed him below the waist.

Later, with only a mile to go, he saw a menacing tiger shark lurking below him. Circling, circling slowly. As he told Hana Hou Magazine, "It's either me or the shark and I’m not stopping." The shark circled a few more times only to disappear as Harry forged on to notch another channel under his belt.

With a slew of channel swims was behind him, Harry wasn't about to slow down as he hit the age of 50 in 1989. As a fundraiser for the Rotary Club, he decided on a triple-channel charity swim: from Lanai to Maui, then Maui to Molokai, then Molokai back to Lanai. After starting out in calm seas, he completed his first leg without problems. On his second leg, the winds came up and blew him off-course although he was able to struggle to the finish.

On his third and final leg, there were high surf advisories in effect and he had to call his swim off after spending 18 hours in the (literally) high seas. But donors poured in and Harry raised US$225,000 for college scholarships.

As Harry, an international representative of the Channel Swimming Association, enjoys his well-deserved retirement in Idaho, we salute his renowned channel swimming career, his spirit of adventure and his relentless tenacity to see through his marathon swimming goals:

1. Second person to cross the 42K (26-mile) Molokai Channel (Kaiwi Channel) in 1967 from Molokai to Oahu
2. First person to cross the Molokai Channel from Oahu to Molokai in 1972
3. Three times across the 8.8-mile Maui Channel (Auau Channel from the island of Lanai to Maui in 1987 and 1989
4. First person to cross the 9.3-mile Kalohi Channel in 1989 from Molokai to Lanai
5. The 8.5-mile Palilolo Channel from Maui to Molokai in 1989
6. First person to cross the 30-mile Alenuihaha Channel from the Big Island of Hawaii to Maui in 1970

Remarkably, it took another 39 years before Penny Palfrey and Linda Kaiser replicated Harry's feat in the Alenuihaha Channel, both in 2009.

As he was described from a young age, Harry is one tough kid.

And he has a lifetime of success to show for it as a pioneer of Hawaiian channel swimming.

Open Water - A Very Special Place To Be

30.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Training   |  (0) comments

Mike Spalding, an inductee in the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame for his seven channel swims in the islands who has been attacked by a shark on a channel swim, had a great answer when asked why does he do channel swims.

"In the ocean, you’re totally enveloped by Mother Earth. She’s around you, she’s hugging you, she’s in every pore of your body. That’s a very special place to be."

"God’s unspoiled creation. That’s our church."

Photo of Mike and fellow Molokai Channel swimmer Kelly Gleason from Hana Hou Magazine, the magazine of Hawaiian Airlines.

South American Beach Games Set to Begin in Uruguay

29.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Events   |  (0) comments

Last year, the first Asian Beach Games was celebrated by over 2,000 athletes competing in 12 events in Bali, Indonesia. The event was judged an overwhelming success with open water swimmer Mohammad Saleh voted as MVP. As a result, the second Asian Beach Games was announced for Muscat, Oman in December 2010.

Soon South America will celebrate its first Beach Games (Primeros Juegos Suramericanos de Playa) in Montevideo and Maldonado Punta del Este in Uruguay between December 2-13.

In Uruguay, beach handball, beach volleyball, a fitness competition, beach soccer, beach rugby, waterskiing, triathlon, sailing, surfing and open water swimming (5K and 10K races) will be contested with athletes coming from Netherland Antilles, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.

With five days to go before the first day of competition, this is bound to be a successful event with many sequels in the future.

Brasil Open Water Swimming Is Taking Off

29.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: History   |  (1) comments

Some countries are going bonkers over open water swimming. Great Britain, New Zealand and South Africa are three countries that immediately come to mine. Countries like Italy, the Czech Republic and Australia are also continuing on an upward trajectory. But action is really heating up in the Americas where the Cayman Islands, Mexico and Brazil will be making great strides in 2010 to capture the excitement of open water swimming along its coastlines.

Today, we'll highlight some of the activities in Brazil.

After the selection of Rio de Janeiro as the site of the 2016 Olympics, the Brazilian Swimming Federation is currently preparing its plans and budgets for 2010-2016 and beyond. This kind of long-term planning and vision towards the future will be instrumental in establishing a solid foundation for the sport.

Poliana Okimoto, the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup champion for 2009 and the current leading vote-getter for the World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year Award, was nominated for the Best Athlete of the Year ceremonies that will be broadcast live on Prêmio Brasil Olímpico on December, 21. The voting is done by sports authorities such federation officials and journalists and then opened up to the public in online voting. Poliana is competing against Natalia Falavignia from taekwando and Sarah Menezes from judo - an interesting observation on how combative sports (taekwando, judo and competitive open water swimming) in a country that loves soccer.

Based on the recently completed Brazilian Marathon Swimming Championships, which were won by Olympians Allan Do Carmo (shown above) and Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil has a strong group of young and hungry up-and-coming swimmers who are stretching Brazil's three Olympic 10K marathon swimmers (Poliana, Allan and Ana Marcela) to their limits.

Brazil will also send its best swimmers to Uruguay for the I Beach South American Games that will include a 5K race on December 11th and a 10K race on December 13th. Then, the 2010 FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup will kick off in Santos, Brazil on January 31st where FINA will also conduct a clinic for open water swimming officials.

But besides the focus and media attention on the Brazil's elite swimmers, there dozens of races along the coast that attract thousands of swimmers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. These competitors are the new backbone and foundation of the sport in Brazil.



Photos of Allan Do Carmo from the 2007 Pan American Games by Donald Miralle of Getty Images.

Eco-swimming

29.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Rules   |  (0) comments

Eco-tourism, adventure travel, sustainable tourism, responsible tourism, nature-based tourism, green tourism have entered our lexicon with multiple meanings and interpretation. As our world gets smaller (figuratively) and the world's population grows (literally), mankind's impact on the environment will continue - both for the good and the bad.

From the United Nations' designation of 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism to the Center for Responsible Travel's goal to transform the travel industry as a driver of positive change, eco-tourism has been a building awareness since the term was first used over 30 years.

But with our Earth covered over 70% with water, the global open water swimming community is quietly, steadily and increasingly doing its part on the grass-roots level in this global movement.

We call these efforts, eco-swimming.

The Open Water Swimming Dictionary defines eco-swimming as any open water swim, relay, stage swim, race or charity swim that (1) aims to protect, conserve or call attention to the environment or ecology, (2) improve or protect the welfare of marine life or the local or indigeous area, (3) incorporates education of the natural environment or ecology, (4) is conducted in an ecologically-sustainable or environmentally-friendly manner, (5) is held in areas that are under environmental protection or that protect marine life, (6) aims to create or enhance environmental or ecological awareness, (7) raises money or provides direct financial benefits for consevation, marine life or environmental protection, research and/or education, (8) builds awareness or provides education of a local community or culture, (9) lobbies local governments or officials for access to, protection of or a clean-up of a waterway, or (10) minimizes the impact of mankind on the environment.

The sport has hundreds of examples of admirable solo and community efforts: Lewis Pugh's upcoming 1K solo swim in a lake on Mount Everest calls attention to climate change while Aaron Piersol's televised Race for the Oceans in Florida calls attention to the conservation of ocean resources and the Bonaire EcoSwim founded by 2008 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Randy Nutt is the namesake of this movement.

Eco-swimming is done all over the world from the Clean Half 15K Marathon Swim in Hong Kong that features the carbon-neutral relay option (where outrigger canoes are used instead of motorized boats, see photo above) to a new multi-race swim in Acapulco that calls attention to the protection of the fragile coastlines of Mexico.

Eco-swims also include charity swims that collectively raise millions of dollars for a variety of causes, such as James Pittar's solo efforts on behalf of the Fred Hollows Foundation, the upcoming Great Barrier Reef Swim by Rob Hutching and Todd Cameron to protect the Australian fragile ecosystem and the efforts of the swimmers in the RCP Tiburon Mile who have raised money for Hospice care for the past decade.

We foresee the eco-swim trend not only continuing, but expanding expotentially as the sport grows with grass-roots efforts from the Baykeepers who help fight pollution in San Francisco Bay to the Dialog Across the Sea Project in North Africa become more numerous over time.

We tip our swim caps to those in our global open water swimming community who are doing their part to stay green and protect the environment which we all enjoy, utilize and share.

Sister Swims in Fiji and Great Britain

27.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Events   |  (0) comments

Pacific Swims, which runs the Fiji Ocean Swim Festival (1.5K, 3K and 10K races), the Vanuatu Ocean Swim (1.5K and 3.2K races), the 2.6K Espiritu Santo Aore Swim and Swim Safaris in the more remote areas of Fiji and Vanuatu, has partnered with the Great Swims Series in a mutually-beneficial sister-swim relationship.

One extremely lucky randomly-drawn winner will be heading to the Fiji Ocean Swim Festival in October following a Lucky Draw to be held at the Great North Swim in Lake Windemere, England in September.

From the cool fall season in England to the tropical warmth of Fiji, the one lucky swimmer will not need to take their wetsuit with them.

Nor would anyone need to have a wetsuit on Pacific Swims' 2010 Swim Safaris which include the following:

1. Fiji Swim Safari on Yasawa Islands between March 7-12
2. Vanuatu Swim Safari on Espiritu Santo, Tanna and Aniwa between June 16-22
3. Fiji Swim Safari on Yasawa Islands in June
4. Fiji Swim Safari on Yasawa Islands between July 4- 10
5. Fiji Swim Safari on Yasawa Islands between July 12-18
6. Fiji Swim Safari on Yasawa Islands between July 31-August 6
7. Vanuatu Swim Safari on Aniwa and Tanna between August 23-29
8. Fiji Swim Safari on Yasawa Islands between October 11-16
9. Fiji Swim Safari on Yasawa Islands between November 1-7.

No Walls, No Lanes, Just the Great Outdoors at the Great Swims

27.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Races   |  (0) comments

Colin Hill and Nova International have done it again - visually and dramatically as few others do in the open water world.

Today is the launch date of the new Great Swim Series website that has become one of the standard-bearers of open water online promotion and exposure.

In a fantastic new television commercial for the Great Swim Series (shown here), Colin beautifully explains through words and images how the Great Swim Series will take over the lakes, locks and docks of Great Britain on four days in 2010, including the British Gas Great East Swim on June 19th, the British Gas Great London Swim on July 3rd, the British Gas Great Scottish Swim on August 21st, and the British Gas Great North Swim on September 4-5th.

The 2009 races will be broadcast in the UK on the following dates and times:

British Gas Great London Swim on November 29th on Channel 4 at 8:00 am, the British Gas Great Scottish Swim on December 6th on Channel 4 at 8:00 am, the British Gas Great North Swim on December 13th on Channel 4 at 8:00 am, and the British Gas Great East Swim on January 3rd.

As English Channel swimmer Colin explains, "There are no walls, no lanes, no chlorine, just the great outdoors at the Great Swim Series."

The World Against Brazil in the King of the Sea Challenge

26.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Races   |  (0) comments

Alexander Studzinski of Germany (representing Europe), Daniel Katzir of Israel (representing Asia), Kane Radford (shown on left representing Oceania), Ivan Lopez of Mexico (representing the Americas) and Chad Ho of South Africa (representing Africa) will comprise of the Five Continent Team who will compete head-to-head against five top Brazilian swimmers in the new 10K Sea King Challenge.

The Sea King Challenge will be held on the 2016 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim course in Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It will be quite a battle between the foreigners and the local Brazilians, televised on TV GLOBO and broadcast on the popular Esporte Espetacular program on Sunday, December 13th. After each 2K loop, the athletes will run up onto the sand in front of the TV cameras and then dive back into the beach in an open water criterium race.

Swimming on a Kona Day

26.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Technique   |  (0) comments

We spoke about winds on marathon swims yesterday.

So we asked channel swimmer Anne Cleveland and Triple Crown swimmer Michael Miller of Honolulu (English Channel + Molokai Channel + Catalina Channel + Manhattan Island) how they faced the winds, currents and tides on their marathon swims.

"I completely agree that surface conditions can destroy a channel crossing much more than tides, currents, up to a certain point. [But] swimming into a 4-knot current can also destroy a swim, and being pushed out of direction by a current can also destroy a swim," said Michael.

"However, being pushed with a current, but swimming into waves or whitecaps is demoralizing. You are hit, over and over and over, and pretty soon, the fact you are with the current is totally irrelevant. Being smacked in the face thousands of times requires much more mental stamina."

"In 1979, Ian Emberson [founder of the Maui Channel Swim] and I successfully crossed the Molokai Channel. Ian had previously attempted the [26-mile] crossing [between the islands of Oahu and Molokai in Hawaii] twice before, but a moderate-to- heavy trade wind swell and chop took their toll and he came up short."

"We decided we would pay NO attention to tides, currents, but we [waited and] wanted a Kona day (glassy conditions) because we were in great shape and knew that we could swim a long time, even against challenging currents. BUT, we could not handle getting pounded by a heavy surface chop for 12-16 hours or more."

"The conditions [on our chosen day] were glassy, but at the onset at 2 am, we swam into a vicious current against us. But because it was dark, we didn't know and our crew didn't say anything to us. At sunrise, about 6 am, we could see Molokai right behind us - knowing we had gone maybe 2 miles in 4 hours. This didn't phase us because once the currents switched, we had very glassy conditions and swam right across."

Anne Cleveland, a five-time English and Catalina Channel swimmer, said a variety of factors present obstacles, "I have done all of my English Channel swims (one two-way and two one-way) on the spring tides. I was unable to tell the strength of the tides down in the water, however my escort pilots were very aware of the tidal flow as they charted my course. Several hours of being pounded by white caps does take its toll on a swimmer. Wind chop takes a lot of core strength to power through as I found out on my swims. [But] there is another factor which I have seen slow swimmers down: cold. Loss of fine motor control makes feeding difficult, which can lead to dehydration, often a precursor to hypothermia. I have seen swimmers deal with hours of wind chop, but once the cold sets in it is often the beginning of the end of the swim."

Winds, whitecaps, cold water, tides or currents. Marathon swimmers never get to pick their poison and sometimes have to deal with it all.

Poliana Okimoto and Thomas Lurz Grace Front Cover of FINA Aquatics World

26.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Swimmers   |  (0) comments

The November issue of FINA Aquatics World Magazine saluted Poliana Okimoto of Brazil and Thomas Lurz of Germany as the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup championships on its front cover.

Besides the cover story, pages of detailed open water swimming coverage follow inside.

We noticed a small tattoo on the inside arm of Thomas who explained, "I have the date from my father's birthday on my left arm. I got it after his death. The tattoo [on the other arm] we did 12 years ago on our swim team for the German team championships and it means 'Together we can do it' or 'We are strong together'. For example, my brother has the same tattoo on the same place because he also was on the team at this time as a swimmer. Now he is my coach, so it still fits good together. We were a good young team then."

The brotherly team really showed they could do it together again in 2009.

Photo by Ezra Shaw of Getty Images shows Thomas competing at the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

The Ties that Bind in the Open Water

26.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Swimmers   |  (0) comments

Hundreds of millions of people around the world regularly swim, bike, run, hike or exercise, either alone or together in groups.

While swimming in a pool is a great form of exercise, swimming in the open water can present unique challenges that prevent many from venturing beyond the surf or too far from the shoreline.

Cold water, rough water, surf, currents, tides, deep water and marine life (including fish) are all obstacles that open water swimmers know all too well.

But those that do take up the challenge share an extremely strong common bond. Put any two open water swimmers together on a flight from San Francisco to Sydney or from London to Lisbon and they will quickly form an amicable friendship and develop a healthy mutual respect. They will share non-stop stories that generates smiles, nods and laughter. They will discuss their nervousness before a race and their sense of accomplishment after. They will compare swims of different water temperatures, distances and conditions. They will talk about feeling too cold and too warm.

They can quickly understand leaking goggles and sore muscle. They know the sting of a jellyfish or the sting of cold water. They can appreciate the feeling of swimming fast, against the currents or getting disoriented in the water. They completely understand what their new-found friend is saying without being told all the details.

Like marathon runners, deep-sea divers, mountain climbers and triathletes, open water swimmers can colorfully imagine and immediately appreciate the experiences and feelings of a fellow swimmer.

Those common ties generate warm feelings and magnifies a heartfelt sense of accomplishment - because they are now part of a greater community.

When an open water swimmer mentions to another, "I did Waikiki Roughwater Swim (or the Rottnest Channel Swim or the Great North Swim or the Midmar Mile)," the listener, if he or she has also done it, can and will immediately conjur up emotions - both positive and negative - and images - both pleasant and surprising - of the race.

Even - or especially - when the swims are solo efforts like marathon swims in one of the Ocean's Seven (Irish Channel, Cook Strait, Moloka’i Channel, (4) English Channel, Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Channel and Strait of Gibraltar), the athletes will appreciate each other's preparations and accomplishments on an intangible level of profound proportions.


The collegial atmosphere at the elite levels in major international competitions is an example of these relationships. Even after the athletes come out of the water absolutely beat, punished into submission by their competitors and the elements with some barely able to stand and others nearly unable to talk, the athletes share looks, nods, winks, hugs and handshakes that tells volumes about their deep-felt mutual respect goes beyond being able to communicate via the spoken word.

Whether you jump in the ocean and swim past the surf or you swim across a lake, this sense of open water adventure crosses all cultures, ages, backgrounds and abilities. The challenge – and new friendships – make all the efforts worthwhile.

Swimming World Magazines Names Top Open Water Swimmers of 2009

25.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Swimmers   |  (0) comments

Swimming World Magazine named its top male and female open water swimmers for 2009 today.

Click here to find out the names and bios of this year's winners from England and Germany.

Rough Water in the Catalina Channel

25.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Products & Equipment   |  (0) comments

Over the years as we have escorted, paddled, kayaked and coached marathon swimmers across the Catalina Channel and other locations in the Pacific Ocean, we have always dreaded winds. Especially strong winds in the afternoon.

Those winds generate whitecaps and mean surface chop that unmercifully punishes marathon swimmers in the open ocean.

For those contemplating or training for a marathon swim in the Catalina Channel, there are several live online views available:

1. Here is a live webcam view from Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island.
2. Here is up-to-date information from the Catalina Isthmus.
3. Here is a live webcam view from the other direction: from Huntington Beach on the California mainland looking out towards Catalina Island.
4. Many Catalina-to-mainland swimmers usually end up finishing near Cabrillo Beach which can be seen here with up-to-date water and weather conditions.
5. They often finish near Point Fermin (photo above) which can be seen live here.

How's the water look today?

Cuba’s Master Cup on the World’s Most Beautiful Beach

25.Nov.09   |  posted by: steve munatones  |   filed under: Events   |  (1) comments

The Cuban Swimming Federation extends its warm invitation to all pool and open water swimmers its Swimming Master Cup at the beautiful Varadero Beach in the northern Cuban province of Matanzas between March 25-28, 2010. The Swimming Master Cup will include a 3K ocean swim on the last day.

Often referred to as the most beautiful beach in the world, Varadero Beach is a 36-kilometer stretch of powdery white sand, bordered by a tropical green on land and a multitude of lovely shades of clear Caribbean Sea blue water. Especially for those swimmers from colder climates, the venue could not be more spectacular.

Hotels of all types and price ranges cater to the whims of all swimmers who will visit for the pool and open water competitions. The hotel reservations, which include ground transportation to and from the airport, training facilities and competition venues and meal options, can be made through .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Age categories range from 25-29 to 100-104 years per standard FINA rules.