Open Water Swimming News & Views

Who are among the best open water swimmers in history? Who are considered legends, icons, heroes, heroines, historic figures in the sport? Everyone has their favorite swimmers. Any list of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the Decade is, by necessity, subjective. But it is certainly fun to discuss and debate among open water swimming historians and fans. Below are our choices for the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1990's. This selection of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1990's is based on four criteria with the following priority: 1. Champions - or swimmers who won major international races against the best swimmers of their era 2. Pioneers - or swimmers who completed unprecedented extreme swims of any distance in any location 3. Record Holders - or swimmers who set records across channels, lakes, seas, either in competition or on a solo swim 4. Endurers - or swimmers who swam for distance in any open body of water at various temperatures That is, if a Cham...

Who are among the best open water swimmers in history? Who are considered legends, icons, heroes, heroines, historic figures in the sport? Everyone has their favorite swimmers. Any list of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the Decade is, by necessity, subjective. But it is certainly fun to discuss and debate among open water swimming historians and fans. Below are our choices for the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1980's. This selection of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1980's is based on four criteria with the following priority: 1. Champions - or swimmers who won major international races against the best swimmers of their era 2. Pioneers - or swimmers who completed unprecedented extreme swims of any distance in any location 3. Record Holders - or swimmers who set records across channels, lakes, seas, either in competition or on a solo swim 4. Endurers - or swimmers who swam for distance in any open body of water at various temperatures That is, if a Cham...

Who are among the best open water swimmers in history? Who are considered legends, icons, heroes, heroines, historic figures in the sport? Everyone has their favorite swimmers. Any list of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the Decade is, by necessity, subjective. But it is certainly fun to discuss and debate among open water swimming historians and fans. Below are our choices for the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1970's. This selection of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1970's is based on four criteria with the following priority: 1. Champions - or swimmers who won major international races against the best swimmers of their era 2. Pioneers - or swimmers who completed unprecedented extreme swims of any distance in any location 3. Record Holders - or swimmers who set records across channels, lakes, seas, either in competition or on a solo swim 4. Endurers - or swimmers who swam for distance in any open body of water at various temperatures That is, if a Cham...

  Who are among the best open water swimmers in history? Who are considered legends, icons, heroes, heroines, historic figures in the sport? Everyone has their favorite swimmers. Any list of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the Decade is, by necessity, subjective. But it is certainly fun to discuss and debate among open water swimming historians and fans. Below are our choices for the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1960's. This selection of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1960's is based on four criteria with the following priority: 1. Champions - or swimmers who won major international races against the best swimmers of their era 2. Pioneers - or swimmers who completed unprecedented extreme swims of any distance in any location 3. Record Holders - or swimmers who set records across channels, lakes, seas, either in competition or on a solo swim 4. Endurers - or swimmers who swam for distance in any open body of water at various temperatures That is, if a ...

Who are among the best open water swimmers in history? Who are considered legends, icons, heroes, heroines, historic figures in the sport? Everyone has their favorite swimmers. Any list of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the Decade is, by necessity, subjective. But it is certainly fun to discuss and debate among open water swimming historians and fans. Below are our choice sfor the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1950's. This selection of the Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1950's is based on four criteria with the following priority: 1. Champions - or swimmers who won major international races against the best swimmers of their era 2. Pioneers - or swimmers who completed unprecedented extreme swims of any distance in any location 3. Record Holders - or swimmers who set records across channels, lakes, seas, either in competition or on a solo swim 4. Endurers - or swimmers who swam for distance in any open body of water at various temperatures That is, if a Cham...

It is not rare that channel swimmers and marathon swimmers get an upset stomach in turbulent conditions. It is highly probable that these swimmers swallow water in the surface chop, waves, and swells. Over time as the swim and turbulence continues - sometimes hour after hour - it is inevitable that the swimmer has swallowed several (dozens) of gasps of saltwater. Mixed in with their normal feedings, an upset stomach is the end result. Many (most?) swimmers can deal with this upset stomach and eventually finish their swim or crossing, but a handful of swimmers have to call it a day and abort their swim. On the other end of the spectrum are experienced ocean and sea swimmers who - no matter how turbulent and wavy the conditions are - never or very rarely swallow a bit of saltwater. How do they do that? How do these swimmers interact with a choppy ocean or rough sea and breathe - sometimes as many as 30 times per minute - without inadvertently swallowing any water? For th...

Gerry Rodrigues literally won over a hundred ocean or lake swims over the course of his career in the 20th century. Now the Southern California coach, mentor, and podcaster hosts the world's most popular triathlon podcast: TOWER 26 Be Race Ready Podcast ( here ). Viewers can watch and ask questions via Facebook Live today, Tuesday February 21st at 3:15 pm Pacific Time (see here ). Coach Jack Fabian , who coached his daughter Eva Fabian to multiple FINA World Cup titles and a world title in 2010, joins Rodrigues and his crew to discuss how to best create and harness more power into your swim stroke. Rodgrigues explains, " Viewers and listeners can interact with the show by watching and asking questions which will be answered live on the show . As always, the Workout of the Episode will be given, and Athlete Questions will be answered including the newest segment called Ask a Cyclist with former Professional Cyclist Andrew Talansky. Email questions ahead of tim...

Lewis Pugh , the United Nations Patron of the Oceans , and Bruckner Chase , NOAA’s Wave Safe Ambassador, have swum together in Huntington Beach , California [see photo above]. In their own spheres of influence, the two liked-minded ocean advocates - Pugh from South Africa and Chase from America - are both concerned about the effects of climate change as glaciers increasingly melt, ocean temperatures increasingly get warmer, coastal storms become more dangerous and marine life becomes increasingly impacted. They both adhere to what Jacques Cousteau long advocated: " People protect what they love ,” and “ When one person, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to live an extraordinary life, they have no right to keep it to themselves ." It is clear that watermen Pugh and Chase love the ocean and the wonders it holds - and focus their skills and talents to protect it and our communities. In a creative sense, these real-world issues that ocean-goers and ocean-lo...