On July 29, 2007, I swam the Naples Island Ocean swim. It was a blast! This is the perfect ocean swim for those timid about the open water as there are no waves on the Naples Island, Long Beach course which is completely inside Alamitos Bay. I also spied not one non-human vertebrate in the water for those skittish about the monsters of the deep.
The water was a perfect 73 degrees. All boat traffic was “grounded” to prevent mishaps between vertebrates and inanimate wood and steel in locomotion. An “elite” group of about 170 or 180 swimmers gathered on the beach facing Naples Island beginning about 7 AM. The first group, swimming a 1.25 mile course through the canal that cuts crescent shaped course through the island, began at 9 AM. At 9:15, another group began a 2.75 mile swim around the entire Naples Island.
Soon after arriving, I saw our own Dawn Heckman, a recent coach and contestant for a birth in the 2004 Olympics. We discussed her good friend and our coach Keri Hehn who had just set a record at the Pan American games in the 200 m. breast stroke.
Also present from WH2O was a fairly new swimmer, Doug Wilson, and a very experienced ocean water swimmer (Catalina Channel at least once and, I believe, the English Channel, among others), Alexia Naweliak. I did not see Alexia, but she finished 5th in the 2.75 mile swim.
It was terrific just swimming approximately 2,150 yards without turns, timed sets or other limitations of our workouts. We just ran in going from one point, through a course that never repeated, then back to the beginning.
In the 1.25 mile, Doug Wilson got a third place medal, I broke 40 minutes and came home with a first place, and Alexia, per the web site, finished 5th in her age group – in the 2.75 course.
The finish of the 3mile (really 2.75 mile) was very exciting. I was grateful I finished the 1.25 mile in time to watch it. The male winner was Alex Kostich at 50:30:000 and nipping at his heals was Dawn in 50:35:000. Alex and Dawn led the three milers, and Alex seemed to be really pushing to stay in front, kicking up a spray the entire last stretch.
The Long Beach Grunions did a terrific job in their first year running this race. Hope to see a big WH2O turnout next year because this one was really fun.
Neal Wiener
