Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Scott Garrison was shivering from head to toe; his hands were very cold to the touch and his teeth kept chattering long after the race was over, but his heart was filled with joy.

The 61-year-old Bakersfield, California native was in San Francisco for his annual Alcatraz crossing.

“Oh, this [Alcatraz Classic for the Fastest] is so much better than those mass swims with 700, 800 people. From the wife’s perspective, this is so nice,” said his spouse of his 42:43 swim of 2 miles in 55°F (12.7°C) water. “Someone is watching over [Scott] and they are not going to lose track of people.”

“I started swimming with the group, but then I ended up in a small group.”

Despite the cold and his relentless shivering, Garrison was reflective of his annual journey northwards to San Francisco Bay. “[I do Alcatraz] because it is so peaceful, spiritual.”

For the overall race results, visit here.

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