Alex Kostich To Give Hints To Open Water Success

Courtesy of Greg Shea, Alamitos Bay, California.

Alex Kostich, one of the most prolific open water swimmers in the world, will lead the first Open Water Swim Clinic at 9:30 am on July 23rd in Alamitos Bay. After the clinic ends, Kostich will lead a 3-mile training swim around Naples Island in Long Beach, California.

The clinic is the first of a series of educational clinics for the Naples Island Swim & SUP to be held on August 13th.

The Naples event includes a 3-mile SUP, 6-mile SUP, 1-mile swim, 3-mile swim, 1000-yard swim, 500-yard swim, and 200-yard swim in the Aquatic Capital of America. The 2016 event saw the top four swimmers finish almost exactly together [see below].

“This [3-mile circumnavigation] is a great race and a lot of fun,” says frequent competitor and renowned 54-year-old California lifeguard Bryan Buck who finished in a photo finish with 36-year-old Michael Burlon and 15-year-old Zane Grenoble who were all credited with the identical time of 1:02:03.4.

“There was a group of us all switching positions in the lead pack,” recalled Burla who won the race. “It seems we were all moving around and leading at different point including a young girl [16-year-old Brenna Knapp who finished fifth in 1:02:10.2]. Coming around under the last bridge, I thought I pulled ahead, but I wasn’t sure because I felt someone touching my feet with 300 yards to go. [The race] was enjoyable. Throughout the [circumnavigation] swim, there were different temperatures and tastes, but it was pretty clear the whole way around [the islands].”

Additional clinics are held in the Thursday and Friday evenings at 5 pm and on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8 am in the weeks leading up to the race. For more information, visit here.

2016 Top 10 Naples Island 3-mile Swim Results
1 Michael Burlon 1:02:03.4
2 Bryan Buck 1:02:03.4
3 Zane Grenoble 1:02:03.4
4 Frank Bird 1:02:04
5 Brenna Knapp 1:02:10
6 Cara Davidoff 1:02:10
7 Steve Sponagle 1:03:52
8 Jax Cole 1:04:06
9 Jason Scheurer 1:04:46
10 Chad Nakagawa 1:04:51