To educate, entertain, and enthuse all those who venture beyond the shoreline
World Open Water Swimming Federation, a human-powered project
HONOLULU. Jim Cotton, founder of the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, explains the history of one of the world’s greatest ocean swims below. Photo courtesy of the Waikiki Roughwater Swim Committee shows Peter Cole, Paul Johnstone, Ian Emberson and Marc Finley, the early pioneers of the race. Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
Jim Cotton On Waikiki Roughwater Swim’s Early Days Read More »
SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA. In this segment Open Water Source covers the nuances in stroke mechanics for open water swimming. Masters world record holder Cynthia Lewis and Mike Lewis demonstrate and explain the differences between swimming in a pool and swimming under rough conditions in the open ocean. Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
Open Water Swimming Tips And Technique: Stroke Mechanics for Rough Water Swimming Read More »
HUNTINGTON BEACH. When triathletes exit the water at the finish of the swim leg in the T1 transition, there is almost always a corresponding spike in their heart rate. Why is this? When triathletes shift from one posture to another (e.g., from the horizontal position while swimming to the vertical position while running or dolphining
Why Your Heart Rate Increases At T1 Transitions Read More »
MINNESOTA. At the International Swimming Hall of Fame, David and Sandra Berkquist of Minnesota Masters talk about how the life of a triathlete was saved in Christmas Lake, Minnesota with the aid of Swim Safety Device. Before this save was made, Bruce Wigo of the International Swimming Hall of Fame explains below how the Swim
A Christmas Gift Of Life With The Swim Safety Device Read More »
We are absolutely convinced that the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim will be one of the breakout events at the 2012 London Olympics. It will showcase the sport in unprecedented ways. Even thought it is difficult to make accurate Olympic Marathon Swimming 10km predictions for the 2012 London Olympics, below are 10 predictions based on an
Ten Olympic Marathon Swimming 10km Predictions Read More »
BUSSELTON, AUSTRALIA. If Damon Kendrick was a word, he would be all over the dictionary: courageous, positive, inspirational, unbelievable. Damon lost his leg as a result of a shark encounter in South Africa at the age of 14, but his fast-paced life and exploits have not taken a hit. He became the first amputee to
Not Missing A Beat, Damon Kendrick Wins Geo Bay Read More »
Bikinis and board shorts. Sunglasses and funny hats. These are usually not the attire of competitive open water swimmers. However, Polar Bear Swims change the normal open water swimming equation. Thousands of people gather at the shorelines around the world, often to enjoy a dip in relatively or extremely cold water and donate some money
Polar Bear Swims Boom Read More »
Charles Dickens Jr., the son of the novelist Charles Dickens, became a successful writer of dictionaries: Dickens’s Dictionary of London and Dickens’s Dictionary of the Thames. In his Dictionary of London, published in 1879, he wrote about the principal swimming clubs in London and their prices (see below). “Racing frequently takes place at the various
How Times Have Not Changed Read More »
Mary Williamson won a contest for the “most perfect specimen of English womanhood” at the age of 19. That contest, organized in 1913, led within months to her marriage to the contest’s organizer Bernarr Macfadden. Mary was one of the top swimmers of her generation, winning dozens of swims in her native England. The attraction
The Perfect Woman Was A Swimmer Read More »
HUNTINGTON BEACH. With only one more day of online voting until the WOWSA announcement, the votes of 15,944 people from 107 countries are below. The WOWSA Awards are given not necessarily to the best athletes, but is meant to honor the individuals who (1) best embody the spirit of open water swimming, (2) possess the
WOWSA Update With One Day To Go Read More »