At the upcoming State Paihia Classic this Saturday November 10th, 2012, there is a battle royal among Oceania heavyweights.
Led by English Channel record holder Trent Grimsey and his younger brother Codie, the top Australians will face New Zealand number one Kane Radford in the 3.3 km race (shown on left).
The 24-year-old Grimsey is the reigning New Zealand 10 km champion while his 22-year-old brother Codie won the 2010 King of The Bays in Auckland. But they are invading Radford‘s home turf where he won three races in last year’s State New Zealand series. And three men are successful in various realms, but they are ready to make right some unfinished business.
“I was gutted not to make London [Olympic Games]. The State Paihia Classic will be a good gauge of where I’m at,” said Radford who will continue to battle the Grimsey brothers throughout his career.
In the women’s race, New Zealand’s Charlotte Webby is the swimmer to beat in the first race of the State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series. She won one of last year’s races, and placed in another two. “I’m in a heavy workload at the moment, swimming 55 to 65 kilometres a week,” she suggests a possibly tired state. But her competitiveness came out through and through, “I’m excited about this one. It’s a straight line race and one of my favourites.”
The titans of open water swimming in Oceania will battle on Round One at the 3.3 km State Paihia Classic which will kick-off the biggest and richest open water swimming series held in any single country. With a total of NZ$46,000 (US$37,000) up for grabs, Radford and the Grimsey brothers have a lot of incentive to swim fast.
The series offers six races held throughout New Zealand on some of New Zealand’s most beautiful harbours and beaches and are the highlight of the New Zealand open water swimming calendar. The events include the following:
1. 3.3 km State Paihia Classic in Bay of Islands on November 10th, 2012
2. 2.9 km State Harbour Crossing in Auckland on December 2nd, 2012
3. 3.3 km State Capital Classic in Wellington on January 27th, 2013
4. 2.8 km La Grande Swim in Akaroa, Christchurch on February 23rd, 2013
5. 2.6 km State Sand to Surf in Mt Maunganui on March 16th, 2013
6. 2.8 km State King of the Bays in King of the Bays, North Shore, Auckland on April 6th, 2013
Each State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series event consists of several races. The I’m Going Long swims are between 2.6 km and 3.3 km. Wetsuits are recommended, but are not compulsory. There are 4 or 5 wave start groups and are split based on the estimated time selected during the entry process. There is novice-only wave for swimmers who are new to the longer swims and would like a little more space and less pressure on the starting line.
The series also includes the Step It Up 1000m swims that are ideal for swimmers who like a challenge, but are not quite ready to enter the longer swims. The Cut-off time for the 1000m swim is 40 minutes. There are 2 or 3 wave starts in this event. There is also the Give It A Go 300m swims that serve as an introduction to ocean swimming. These shorter swims are triangular courses close to the beach with a cut-off time of 13 minutes.
To be eligible for the series prize money, each swimmer must compete in three of the six events. The winner of each race will receive 100 points, with the remaining competitors awarded points based on a percentage of the winner’s time. The series concludes with double points on offer for the final event, the State King of the Bays on April 6th next year.
While the series winners pull in a nice NZ$20,000, the second-place man and woman each receive NZ$2000 with the third-place man and woman pulling in NZ$1000 for a total of NZ$46,000 (US$37,000) distributed in cash prizes.
Rice explains, “We wanted to ensure a dramatic conclusion to the series, and this was the best way to do it. The quality of swimmers competing in New Zealand over the summer will be outstanding. For more information, swimmers can visit www.oceanswim.co.nz.”
Here is a taste of personal challenge accepetd by thousands:
Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source