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Colorful Champions, Powerful Personalities, Charismatic Characters

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

There are a few open water swimmers known by their stage names (Johnny Weissumuller as Tarzan or Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon), but a great number of open water swimmers are also known by their nicknames.

The following is a short list of the number of colorful champions, powerful personalities and charismatic characters in the open water swimming world with interesting nicknames:

*Double Down: Elizabeth Fry (USA)
*The Seaweed Streak: Murray Rose (Australia)
*Mad Adam: Adam Walker (Great Britain)
*Tiburón: Victor Contreras (Chile)
*The Swimming Hun: Gábor Molnár (Hungary)
*The Flying Frenchman: Sylvain Estadieu (France)
*Lighthouse Larry: Larry Herlth (USA)
*The Duke: Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii)
*Father of Surfing: Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii)
*Napa Bob: Bob Roper (USA)
*Catalinator: Hank Wise (USA)
*Big River Man: Martin Strel (Slovenia)
*Fish man: Martin Strel (Slovenia)
*Homem Peixe (Portuguese): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
*Pez humano (Spanish): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
*Zabca (Slovene which means frog): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
*Maladin (Chinese): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
*Shark of Quilla Creek: Pedro A Candiotti (Argentina)
*Paddlin’ Professor: Dr. Harry Briggs (USA)
*Carpayo: Daniel Eulogio Carpio Massioti (Peru)
*Doc: James Counsilman (USA)
*El Sharko: Christopher Blakeslee (USA)
*Trento: Trent Grimsey (Australia)
*Crocodile of the Nile: Abdul Latif Abou Heif (Egypt)
*American Torpedo: John Kinsella (USA)
*The Machine: John Kinsella (USA)
*Big Moose: Norman Ross (USA)
*Black Shark: Ernest Vierkoetter (Germany)
*Flying Dutchman: Herman Willemse (Netherlands)
*The King: Claudio Plit (Argentina)
*The King: Paul Asmuth (USA)
*The King: Diego Degano (Argentina)
*Queen Shelley: Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia)
*Nadandolibre: Jose Diaz (Spain)
*Shark man: Eric Shargo (USA)
*Mambo: Gerry Rodrigues (Trinidad & Tobago/USA)
*Johnny Love: Patrick Dodd (USA)
*Gold Medal Mel: Mel Stewart (USA)
*Torpedo Tom: Tom Blower (Great Britain)
*Chuckle: Tim Buckle (Great Britain)
*Moreno: Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil (Spain)
*Seaweed Streak: Murray Rose (Australia)
*The Iceman: Sam Silver (USA)
*Iceman: Thomas McGann (USA)
*Dr. Rip: Rob Brander (Australia)
*Dolphinman: Paolo Eros Cerizzi (Italy)
*HHector: Héctor Ramírez Ballesteros (Spain)
*Limbless Waterman: Craig Dietz (USA)
*Tuna: Charles Chapman, Jr. (USA)
*Swimming professor: Frederick Cavill (Australia)
*Mighty Mermaids: Christie Plank Ciraulo, Nancy Steadman Martin, Lisa Bennett, Jenny Cook, Karen Farnsworth Einsidler and Tracy Grilli (USA)
*Dorado: Horacio Iglesias (Argentina)
*Yifter: Steven Munatones (USA)
*Mr. Shark Bait: Herbert Voigt (Australia)
*Stallion: John Chung (USA)
*Killer: Ky Hurst (Australia)
*The Legless Wonder: Charles Zibelman (USA)
*American Legless Wonder: Charles Zibelman (USA)
*The Human Fish: Charles Zibelman (USA)
*Bones, Skeletor, or PDK: Sean Ryan (USA)
*Joner: Jonathan Strauss (USA)
*The Man Who Can Walk On Water: George Freeth (USA)
*Father of Modern Surfing: George Freeth (USA)
*Brainiac: Brian Ryckeman (Belgium)
*Shark: Brian Ryckeman (Belgium)
*Big Ben: Ben Laughren (USA)
*John Rufwater: John Makinson (USA)
*The Shark: Jim Dreyer (USA)
*The Brave Swimmer: Gideon Nasilowski (Namibia)
*Superfly, Leorganizer, Lorla: Leora Dahl (Canada)
*Tiger Twins: Jonathon di Donato and James di Donato (USA)
*Dr G: Genadijus Sokolovas, Ph.D. (USA/Lithuania)
*Mr. Triathlon: Ahmed Zaher (USA)
*Mr. Triathlon: Jack Weiss (USA)
*The Courtesy Man: Jim Moran (USA)
*Humber King: Pete Winchester (UK)
*The Shingle Stomper: Barrie Wakeham (UK)
*The Fearless Frogman: Paul Boyton (Ireland or USA)
*The Flying Fish: Byron Summers (USA)
*Stubby: Harold Herman Kruger (Hawaii)
*Incomparable Water Comedian: Harold Herman Kruger (Hawaii)
*Spooky: Luke Birch (Great Britain)
*Loneswimmer: Donal Buckley (Ireland)
*Dama del Río de la Plata: Noelia Petti (Argentina)
*Little Mermaid: Swapnil Yadav (India)
*Sister Madonna: Madonna Buder (USA)
*Iron Nun: Madonna Buder (USA)
*Champ of the Gulf Coast Waters: Jerry Kerschner (USA)
*America’s Travelin’ Swim Coach: Jerry Kerschner (USA)
*Professor of Swimming: Frederick Cavill (UK/Australia)
*Dolphin Boy: Hank Wise (USA)
*Dr. Chicken: Dr. Joel Saperstein (USA)
*Man of Fat Steel: Kelly Gneiting (USA)
*Fatman: Kelly Gneiting (USA)
*The Mother of Masters Swimming: June Krauser (USA)
*Sexy Lexie: Lexie Kelly (USA)
*Honey Bear: Jeff Commings (USA)
*Swimonelli: Dan Simonelli (USA)
*Mermaid: Rebecca Sandoval (USA)
*Mountain Mermaid: Eney Jones (USA)
*Squirt: Rendy Lynn Opdycke (USA)
*Charley: Charlotte Samuels (USA)
*Heff: Dave Heffernan (USA)
*Queen of the Chichimaun: Colleen Shields (Canada)
*Old Man of the Sea: Ned Barnie (Scotland)
*The Barge: Jim Barber (USA)
*Reptile Brain: Tom Linthicum (USA)
*Murph: Michael Renford (Australia)
*El Bawtiah (female crocodile): Suhir El Ba’i (Egypt)
*Nile Crocodile: Mohammed Zeytoun (Syria)
*Syrian Torpedo: Mohammed Zeytoun (Syria)
*King of the Prison Island Swims: Jacques Tuset (France)
*Magoo: Mark Smitherman (USA)
*Wandi: Christof Wandratsch (Germany)
*Pinoy Aquaman: Ingemar Patiño Macarine Full (Philippines)
*Iceberg: Michael Hufton (UK)
*The Swimming Grandfather: William Sadlo, Jr. (USA)
*Piaf: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands)
*The Swimming Professor: Professor Dr. Andreas Fath (Germany)
*Happy Helen: Helen Lin (USA)
*Duke: Marvin Nelson (USA)
*Captain Bubbles: Patsee Ober (USA)
*Jappy: Jabez Wolffe (UK)
*Aquatic Aussie: Luke Tipple (Australia)
*Father of Swimming: Leroy Sparks (USA)
*Queen of Midmar: Keri-Anne Payne (GBR)
*King of Midmar: Chad Ho (South Africa)
*Dukan’s Dolphin: Alireza Jaff – Shwan (Iraq)
*Popsicle: Zach Irvine (USA)
*Squeaky: Faith Irvine (USA)
*K-Po: Kaylee Kussman (USA)
*Sweats: Matt Georgy (USA)
*Sonar: Diana Linney (USA)
*Shortcut: Paul Lindberg (USA)
*The Machine: Maddy Israel (USA)
*Soup: CJ Fotinos (USA)
*Honey Badger: Lauren Weinreb (USA)
*Joker: Wesley Metcalfe (USA)
*Lotus: Parth Desai (USA)
*Turbo: Noah Rowan (USA)
*Mantis: Betzi Lindberg (USA)
*Joan of Arch: Cheryl Zak (USA)
*Swimonelli: Dan Simonelli (USA)
*Zombies: Zach Irvine, Faith Irvine, Kaylee Kussman, Matt Georgy, Diana Linney, Paul Lindberg, Maddy Israel, CJ Fotinos, Lauren Weinreb, Wesley *Metcalfe, Parth Desai, Noah Rowan, Betzi Lindberg, Cheryl Zak, Dan Simonelli
*Nacho: Ignacio Bussy (Uruguay)
*The Machine Men: Brian Ross, Chris Kraus and Rick Gaenzle (USA)
*Human Polar Bear: Gus Brickner (USA)
*Jappy: Jabez Wolffe (UK)
*The Gladiator: Thomas Noblett (UK)
*Madfish: Dee Llewellyn (UK)
*Hungarian Dolphin: Alfréd Hajós (Hungary)
*Waterbabi: Brooke Bennett (USA)
*The Northumberland Man: Jeremy Davidson (Canada)
*Hudson Brothers or the Wild Swimming Brothers: Jack Hudson, Calum Hudson and Robbie Hudson (UK)
*ORCA: Bruno Dobelmann (Germany) [shown above]
*Dudu: Eduardo Santos (Brazil)
*Mighty Marlin: Peter Tanham (Australia
*Pai or Pai das Águas Abertas no Brasil (father of open water swimming in Brazil): Abilio Alvaro Da Costa Couto (Brazil)
*Catalina Kid: George Young (Canada)
*Viper: Pete Pettigrew (USA)
*The Rocket: Jim Clifford (USA)
*Bucko: Kristine Buckley (USA)

Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association

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