“We have surf and some Portuguese man o war,” cautioned Lt. Jim McCrady before the ISHOF Rough Water Swim in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “If you have never been stung by a Portuguese man o war, that could cause some problems.”
But college kids being college kids, especially those from the colder climes of the Eastern Seaboard, they were all game to jump in the churned-up ocean in southern Florida.
Tim Landon of Franklin Marshall College described this year’s ISHOF Rough Water Swim. “[My] first year was sunny; this year was definitely an experience. I have never swum in water this rough before.”
Amiee Hooper of James Madison University agreed, “It was really rough. It was good. I got stung a couple times, but…it hurt real bad, right on my neck.”
All said with a smile and a deep sense of satisfaction.
Videos courtesy of Bruce Wigo, Chairman of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Top 20 Results (Men’s and Women’s Divisions):
1. Yoelvis Pedraza 20:31.0 (shown above)
2. Drew Ledwith 21:54.7
3. Shahar Resman 22:04.8
4. Sean Minderlein 22:14.0
5. Spencer Scarth 22:30.2
6. Noah Lucas 22:58.4
7. Ricardo Valdivia 22:58.7
8. Luis Martinez 22:59.5
9. Nicolas Medina 23:11.4
10. Christian Kopecki 23:14.0
11. Nicholas Sharp 23:14.6
12. Dan Jacobson 23:16.6
13. Macian Campbell 23:20.7
14. Alfredo Mesa, Jr. 23:21.8
15. Andy Kilkenny 23:25.9
16. Mirco Di Tora 23:26.0
17. Chris Dieter 23:26.8
18. Sean Neri 23:37.3
19. Matthew Ahlberg 23:44.2
20. Kevin Lindgren 23:46.7
1. Amiee Hooper 24:13.4
2. Morgan Johnson 24:28.6
3. Melissa Criscuolo 24:43.1
4. Maggie Johns 24:45.5
5. Megan Moroney 25:12.3
6. Jackie Crawford 25:20.0
7. Amanda Presgraves 25:26.4
8. Cameron Martin 25:28.6
9. Alice Leoni 25:37.0
10. Darby Goodwin 25:37.6
11. Caroline Schirmers 25:40.3
12. Kelsey Richards 25:44.3
13. Benedetta Bugani 25:54.9
14. Daniela Veloza 26:03.7
15. Kelset Holmgaard 26:10.0
16. Brenna Ruth 26:13.2
17. Alexis Houser 26:19.6
18. Stephanie Murray 26:20.2
19. Lucy Emerson 26:20.4
20. Becca Daen 26:27.1
Copyright © 2014 by World Open Water Swimming Association