It Is An Accident Waiting To Happen

Trent Grimsey is one of the professional marathon swimming community's most humble, competitive and willing competitors. He is a wonderful ambassador and supports the sport by doing short ocean swims in his native Australia and long marathon swims on five continents. He never fails to smile and wave to the crowd and lets them know their support is appreciated. He is knowledgeable about swimming in oceans and lakes and is unfailingly polite and grateful for the efforts of race directors, volunteers and fans.

As a competitor, he is willing to race in water temperatures ranging from 11°C to 32°C. As a gentleman, Trent shakes the hands of victors if he loses and he spends time with the media and fans without fail.

But not all is rosy in the races where Trent travels and traverses. Trent writes about his latest marathon adventures in his blog here.

What is striking are his following comments and decision:

"...Unfortunately the water safety in both these FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix races were non-existent. There was no one making sure the escort boats or spectator boats kept a safe distance from the swimmers during...the races. At times boats were running into swimmers and nothing was done about it. This is why unless big changes are made I can’t see myself going back. It’s not worth risking my life and safety doing these races for very little reward..."

Often, Trent is the only representative from Oceania in some of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix races and losing representation from an entire continent is not a positive trend in the sport of marathon swimming. Especially when marathon swimming is growing by leaps and bounds measured by every other parameter.

Accidents happen. That cannot be avoided. But keeping boats with propellers away from teenagers and young adults in the water must be among the highest priorities in every open water swimming competition. While mistakes like a misplaced buoy or timing miscues will occur, these mistakes are not life-threatening. When circumstances in any open water swimming race is life-threatening, all attention and resources must be directed to make immediate changes.

When pressed on his perspective as one of the most prolific and experienced open water swimmers around, Trent explained, "It's hard to understand...It's an accident waiting to happen."

The professional marathon swimming circuit brings hundreds of high-quality, dedicated athletes to its races in Argentina, Italy, Canada, Serbia and Macedonia. They race in front of collectively hundreds of thousands of fans and their exploits are televised in many locations. They are shining examples of role models in the sport - dedicated, humble, intelligent individuals who love their sport and respect their colleagues.

These pro marathon swimmers deserve the highest standards of competition and their pleas and concerns for safety should be impetus for improvement.

Photo above shows Trent Grimsey's back after his 25K race in 32°C water at the 2011 World Swimming Championships in Shanghai.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

XBoss - XTRM Baleares Open Water Swim Services

XBOSS is a marathon swimming service provider in Spain. Teresa Planas and her colleagues enable and help train open water swimmers who want to challenge themselves across some marathon swims in the beautiful waters of Spain.

Among several different endurance activities, XBOSS - XTRM organizes two marathon solo and group swims: the 42K Cruce a Nado Mallorca Menorca and the 25K Cruce a Nado Mallorca Cabrera.

"XBOSS gives you the opportunity and ability cross the 25K channel between Mallorca and Cabrera or the 42K between across Mallorca to Menorca," explains Teresa in English and her native Spanish. "XBOSS es el nuevo servicio de XTRM destinado a aquellos nadadores que quieren realizar un bonito y duro reto de natación en aguas abiertas. XBOSS te ofrece la posibilidad de realizar el cruce a nado de Mallorca a Cabrera (25 Km) o el cruce a nado de Mallorca a Menorca (42Km)."

In the Cruce a Nado Mallorca Cabrera, XBOSS presents a significant challenge in a beautiful setting: the Cabrera National Park and the southern coast of the island of Mallorca. The crossing that can vary from 16K to 25K and can be done solo or with a group.

The first group crossing took place in August 2011 when 68 swimmers took to the crystal-clear waters in Cabrera. With 50 volunteers and numerous government agencies helping, the 13 women and 55 men left in two groups at 7:45 am with a flotilla of 17 escort boats (guiding a 2.5K per hour group and a 3K per hour group).

Depite the 8-knot winds, the swimmers enjoyed the journey and had the time of their lives despite currents and turbulence. Only 8 of the 68 swimmers did not complete the swim. 7 hours 45 minutes after the start, the 3K per hour group finished on Sa Rápita beach where more than 300 people met their with smiles, cheers and hugs. The 2K per hour group completed their journey in 9 hours 45 minutes over the 24.99K course.

Teresa knows what she teaches as she and Miquel Suñer are the two record holders of the Menorca to Mallorca Channel. Teresa completed the crossing in 12 hours 18 minutes in September 2011 while Miquel completed it in July 19 in 12 hours 19 minutes.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Swimming Is A Medley Of Strokes

The colors of open water swimming ranges from sea greens and light baby blues in the tropics to deep royal blues in lakes and deep seas to murky browns in urban areas and copper-colored dams and reservoirs. But what if the different swimming strokes were defined as colors?

Freestyle could be defined as blue while butterfly would be red, backstroke yellow and breaststroke green.

Since open water swimmers use freestyle and the color of water is blue, it makes sense that freestyle would be blue. Blue can represent the human emotion of sadness (when swimming against the currents, tides or waves or in cold water), but it also represents happiness and optimism that clearly most swimmers feel on most days when they are swimming.

The more difficult stroke of butterfly could definitely be red, although purple could be an alternative. Whether it is swimming 100 meters in a pool or in the open water, red (i.e., butterfly) symbolizes courage, sacrifice, fear and dread. Yet when butterfly is done well, there is passion and, often, a reddish color to one's shoulder.

Backstroke, a gentle stroke done backwards, evokes a bit of caution as does the color yellow. Breaststroke, a similarly mellow stroke, evokes newness, freshness and growth, something that reminds us of the first swimming style used by many, whether children or adults.

Along those lines, if swimming strokes were vegetables, breaststroke would either be cauliflower or broccoli, while backstroke would be squash, butterfly would be a yam or eggplant, and freestyle would be your standard potato, lettuce or carrot (your basic standard veggies).

On the other hand, if swimming strokes were fruits, breaststroke would definitely be a pear or avocado, while backstroke would be a banana, butterfly would either by a strawberry or star fruit and freestyle an apple.

Of course, if swimming were vehicles, breaststroke would be a Volkswagen bug or Mini Cooper, backstroke would be a station wagon, butterfly would be a Viper and freestyle would be a Mercedes Benz.

And if individual medley (IM) were a color, it would be tie-dye. If IM were a vegetable, it would be an artichoke. If IM were a fruit, it would be kiwi. If it were a car, it would be a Hummer.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Maidstone Mile Celebrates The Olympic Year

In celebration of the passing through the town of the Olympic Torch, Team Outrageous announced the Maidstone Mile on July 20th. This is the latest of a series of sporting events to be held in and around Maidstone, England to promote the Olympic ideals and bring sporting events to the town.

The event will be a mile swim in the River Medway that runs through the town centre. During the event, there will be live music from Debbie Haze, a local professional singer and open water swimmer herself. The town will be packed with an estimated 4,000 people the swim event and a fun run for all ages.

The swim is an out-and-back course that can be followed by spectators on the paved river bank. The river is very clean and will be traffic free. Proceeds go to The Heart of Kent Hospice, the charity of the Kent Messenger Newspaper.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Nothing Great Is Easy Or Inexpensive In The Oceans Seven

Chasing the elusive goal of the Oceans Seven around the world from Scotland, Ireland (North Channel), Spain, Morocco (Strait of Gibraltar), England, France (English Channel), Hawaii (Molokai Channel), New Zealand (Cook Strait), USA (Catalina Channel) to Japan (Tsugaru Channel) is not easy or inexpensive.

It requires talents that range from the athletic to the operational. It requires a bit of luck and the ability to pay for or fund raise. Few know that like Stephen Redmond who is within 44 miles of his goal.

He has 26 miles to go in the Molokai Channel between the islands of Molokai and Oahu and another 18 miles in the Tsugaru Channel from Kodomari Cape on Honshu Island to Hokkaido’s Cape Shirakami in June.

His supporters have created an online fund-raising page where interested individuals can financially help the popular and stoic Irishman become the first person to complete the Oceans Seven. With so many talented marathon swimmers around the world, it is a credit to Stephen's passion and drive for him to be in this position. This man who takes to the sea day in and day out, year round, is now turning the pages of marathon swimming annals ... and has an opportunity to write the first chapter of the Oceans Seven.

You can help him here at Oceans Seven.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Marathon Swims Take A Long Time

The Catalina Channel Swimming Federation (CCSF) updated its archives after a rigorous review of evidence that proved channel crossings over 50 years ago.

In its February 2012 newsletter, Forrest Nelson and his colleagues on the CCSF board of directors announced their recent research met the exacting criteria of Catalina Channel crossings that the CCSF requires of every swim.

"The CCSF is pleased to announce four 'new' swims to the list of our legitimate crossings," writes the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, bringing the total number of Catalina Channel swimmers to 227.

• Leo Vigil of Cuba, July 22nd 1957 in 17 hours 14 minutes
• Stewart Evans, August 26th, 1959 in 20 hours 55 minutes
• Greta Andersen, October 16th 1959 in 11 hours 7 minutes
• Isaac Papke, June 30th 1963 in 12 hours 45 minutes

Leo, Stewart, Greta and Isaac had all proven their abilities to swim marathon distances in both warm and cold waters and with marine life ... and their exploits in the Catalina Channel are well-deservedly recognized by the official governing body.

Interestingly enough, each had swum with sharks in their marathon swimming careers: Stewart and Isaac in their Farallon Islands swims, Greta in her Molokai Channel attempt, and Leo with his teammates in a 1950 attempt across the Florida Straits.

Courageous, daring, dashing exploits by heroes and heroines of marathon swimming's past.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

El Rey del Lago Ypacarai

The Ypacaraí Lake King Swim (El Rey del Lago Ypacarai) will be held on March 31st in La Rotonda Beach in San Bernardino, Paraguay.

The 9.2K swim is an out-and-back course and harks back to the colonial era when the first immigrants in the area competed for the title King of the Lake (Rey del Lago).

For more information, contact Casa Hassler via email here.



Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Another Australian Title For Melissa Gorman

Melissa Gorman once again proved her world-class status over the 10K distance with a scintillating performance at the 2012 Australian Open Water Swimming Championships in Perth.

One of the leading contenders for a podium finish in the Olympic Marathon Swimming 10km at the 2012 London Olympics, Melissa was pushed by Japan's Yumi Kida who, in her own right, is an emerging presence in the Pacific Rim marathon swimming circles.

The final results of the 5K and 10K races:

1. Melissa Gorman (Redcliffe League) 2:02:45.68
2. Yumi Kida (Japan) 2:03:20.74
3. Emily Seymour (Redcliffe League) 2:07:24.21
4. Tash Harrison (Lawnton) 2:07:35.72
5. Alice Whiley (South Coast) 2:07:35.75
6. Leah Cutting (Norwood) 2:07:57.57
7. Jessica Traficante (Telopea) 2:10:53.06
8. Hannah Tuohey (Surrey Park) 2:11:30.12
9. Heidi Gan (Malaysia) 2:13:09.31
10. Kaoru Yamanaka (Japan) 2:13:30.17

Other top times from swimmers under the age of 19:

Bonnie MacDonald (16 from Miami) 2:07:44.51
Jessica Bayliss (15 from Australian Crawl) 2:07:47.07
Kate Hofmeyer (16 from Burnside) 2:07:57.95
Sofia Jenson (16 from Blacktown City) 2:07:58.06
Brooke Wilson (18 from Perth) 2:09:23.25

19-year-old Leah Cutting took control in the vacuum left behind by the absence of Melissa Gorman in the 5K championships.

1. Leah Cutting (Norwood) 1:03:04.70
2. Tash Harrison (Lawnton) 1:03:08.85
3. Zoe Elkerton (Wests Illawarra) 1:03:11.68
4. Sofia Jenson (Blacktown City) 1:03:48.06
5. Sigrid De Vries (Perth) 1:03:50.28
6. Brooke Wilson (Perth) 1:03:52.18
7. Heidi Gan (Malaysia) 1:03:53.77
8. Melody Remnant (Onkaparinga) 1:03:59.26
9. Hannah Tuohey (Surrey Park) 1:04:07.42
10. Claire Nicholls (West Illawarra) 1:04:15.07

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Richard Weinberger On Top Down Under

At the 2012 Australian Open Water Swimming Championships in the Champion Lakes Regatta Centre in Perth this past Saturday, emerging Canadian star Richard Weinberger flew in for some good, stiff competition.

5K into the race, the young man with his eye on the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim steadily pulled away from a global field to win handily in 1 hour 53 minutes.

The men's results:

1. Richard Weinberger (Canada) 1:53:44.75
2. Rhys Mainstone (Australia) 1:54:26.27
3. Jarrod Poort (Australia) 1:54:39.35
4. Yasunari Hirai (Japan) 1:56:56.37
5. Chris Bryan (Ireland) 1:57:00.50
6. Simon Huitenga (Australia) 1:57:02.33
7. Sam Sheppard (Australia) 1:57:08.43
8. Yuto Kobayashi (Japan) 1:57:16.70
9. Michael Sheil (Australia) 1:58:36.07
10. Kenichi Doki (Japan) 1:58:58.79
11. Phillip Ryan (New Zealand) 1:59:09.36
12. Codie Grimsey (Australia) 2:00:37.39
13. Paul Laver (Australia) 2:00:56.20
14. Trent Grimsey (Australia) 2:01:42.68
15. Michael Dehaini (Australia) 2:03:28.85
16. Christopher Robinson (Australia) 2:03:42.47
17. Scott Jackson (Australia) 2:05:29.07
18. Max Halson (Australia) 2:05:31.41
19. Jake Matthews (Australia) 2:19:51.91

Others who cracked the 2-hour mark included:

David Parsonson (17 from Miami) 1:57:39.80
Joshua Richardson (18 from Albany Creek) 1:58:17.67
Chris Deegan (16 from Burnside) 1:59:13.02
Gene Williams (18 from Arena) 1:58:19.04
Thomas Wood (age 15 from Surrey Park) 1:59:50.72
Jack Burnham (17 from Mountain Creek) 1:59:50.93

19-year-old Jarrod Poort of Wests Illawarra followed up a good performance on Saturday with an outstanding one on Sunday when he won the 5K race in a showdown with Trent Grimsey who had flew in from a series of FINA pro marathon swims in Argentina.

1. Jarrod Poort (Australia) 57:21.85
2. Trent Grimsey (Australia) 57:26.64
3. Yasunari Hirai (Japan) 57:26.73
4. Rhys Mainstone (Australia) 57:29.00
5. Sam Sheppard (Australia) 57:29.85
6. Simon Huitenga (Australia) 57:31.26
7. Gene Williams (Australia) 57:37.48
8. Joshua Richardson (Australia) 57:39.87
9. Paul Laver (Australia) 57:48.07
10. Yuto Kobayashi (Japan) 58:45.71

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Currents Of The 18º Maratón Acuática Hernandarias-Paraná

The 18º Maratón acuática Hernandarias-Paraná, a FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix event won by Trent Grimsey and Pilar Geijo, was shortened this year from 88K to 5K due to weather conditions, but you can see how the athletes swam with and against the current in the Paraná River.



Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source