From The Email Bag: Pacific Open Water Challenge

OPEN WATER SWIMMING – THE NEWEST SPORT IN THE OLYMPICS

10K of No Lanes, No Lines, No Walls and No Mercy

The Pacific Open Water Challenge (www.pacificopenwater.com) will be on June 29^th near Belmont Plaza and thought you and your team members might be interested in the race or the free pre-race open water swimming clinic on June 21^st near Belmont Plaza or the Olympic open water swim preview on June 13^th (see below), if anyone is in the area.

The newest sport in the Olympics is open water swimming. 50 athletes will swim 10 kilometers in the Beijing Olympic rowing basin and the fight for the gold medal will come down to a frantic sprint where anything goes.

Who are the stars of this sport? What does it take to swim 10,000 meters at a pace close to 1 minute per 100 yards? Where do they train? Why do they do this? How long does it take? And, very importantly, how can you get involved?

Learn the answers at next free Olympic Open Water Swimming Talk in the REI Huntington Beach store on June 13^th at 7:00 pm (in the Bella Terra shopping mall off the 405 Freeway at 7777 Edinger Ave. Huntington Beach 92647; tel: 714-379-1938).

Steven Munatones, an International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductee and a former USA Swimming National Team open water coach, will explain the sport and show photos and video clips from elite open water races around the world.

The talk will include a special Olympic swimming preview of the battle between two American stars – both from Southern California – and the rest of the world’s best.

The 90-minute presentation is free and will cover the following topics:

1. What is Open Water Swimming?

2. Great Open Water Swims in History

3. Modern-day Open Water Swimming

4. Open Water Swimming Tactics & Strategies

5. How Do You Get Involved?

6. Equipment

7. The Beijing Olympics

For more information, contact Steven Munatones at headcoach@10Kswim.com.