Jesus Samuel Neri Gutiérrez (61, Mexico, MSF bio here) and Hank WIse (58, USA, MSF bio here) have quite the rivalry.

Neri, an attorney from Mexico City, has attempted three separate two-way crossings en route to completing 9 Catalina Channel crossings. He is reigning the King of the Catalina Channel with his latest crossing in November 2025.  Meanwhile, the 58-year-old Wise is right behind Neri with 8 career Catalina Channel crossings.

But Wise has his eyes on #9.

Tomorrow at 6:00 am, as the sun starts to peak over the horizon, Wise is scheduled to climb up the nearly vertical face of Arrow Point on the east end of Santa Catalina Island and finish somewhere on the Palos Verdes Peninsula to tie Neri. The last few days have seen some fast swimming between Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland, but Wise has specifically chosen to start at daybreak, whereas a vast majority of Catalina Island starts begin well before midnight.

Wise explains, “Tomorrow’s swim of the Catalina Channel will be slightly different than any of my other [8] swims.  I’ve never swum the channel in August.  I’ve never started a swim in the daylight.  I’ve never swum it off a mid-sized powerboat.  The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, ‘You cannot step into the same river twice.’  Things are always changing and morphing, this is especially true in the grand blue summer seas of the Catalina Channel.  We are changing the start to a daytime swim based around our best guesses of potential currents with an eye on the winds. 

Tomorrow’s swim will start at Arrow Point near the 3/4 point towards the West End of Catalina Island.  It juts out into the ocean and on the map looks a lot like an arrowhead.  Its slight slope into the water then plunges down deep rapidly making it easy for the boat to pull right up and get a good view of the swimmer starting or finishing a swim.  Its isolated and deep with constant water flow, so it attracts many fish and plant life. I love this spot.  

On Friday August 21st, I will be beginning my 9th swim (attempt) from this rocky slope at approximately 6:00am.  If all goes well enough I will be finishing at Terranea Cove in the late afternoon.  If I should get blown off course I will finish in the safest, fastest spot available in Palos Verdes.

Doing this swim in August is interesting change for me too, the water temp is warmer, 68°F (20°C) baseline with mid-channel warmer, and the winds are potentially stronger than the stereotypical fall calm.  Starting in the daytime, the sunshine could be a factor for sunburn of both eyes and skin.  Combatting the sun I will be wearing dark goggles and a home-made goo of lanolin, non-nano zinc powder, and white soothing ointment – generously applied. 

That said, there is a prediction for fog, which will be easier on the eyes and skin.  And often when there is fog there is less wind.  The fog or the dark skies of night swimming keep our team closer and more intimate.  It turns the big open ocean into a small box of what’s visible – just the kayaker, the swimmer and the mothership.  Plus, navigationally, the team has to rely even more heavily on the compass, the GPS, keeping everyone on track towards the straightest line possible.  

Four Teammates

The SWIM Long Beach team has four aspiring Catalina Channel swimmers: Hank Wise, Brandon Samaniego, Stephanie McGee, and Jon McMullen.  On August 6th, Jon was the first swimmer to go – completing the swim in 13 hours 53 minutes. He was joyously greeted by his daughter and family on the shoreline at Terranea. Wise is the second swimmer up to bat for the team: Brandon in his 20’s, Steph in her 30’s, Jon in his 40’s and me in my 50’s.  They share training camaraderie and a sense of purpose about sharing their common goal of these Catalina Channel swims.

Training & Paddlers

As expected, the training up to this point has been filled with many miles in the ocean and the pool.  The warmer El Niño spring and summer has provided the team with more opportunities for ocean swims and their list of longer swims has extended deep down the white board in my office.  Our  local, home-waters, training paddler (age 80!) took good care of the team this season with many pre-dawn missions on his kayak.   

Also crucial on kayak patrol this season is another SWIM Long Beach teammate and renaissance man, Adam Luco.  He has been rapidly learning and enjoying the kayak accompaniment of swimmers. His active brain and diversified project schedule are so busy that being on the kayak accompanying swimmers gives him a chance to be immersive in quiet nature in a Steinbeck sort of way.  Luco has now been on the kayak for over three dozen hours in both training and game day mode.  He was the sole kayaker for Jon’s nearly 14-hour crossing.

Crew Review & CCSF Observers

Sean Lieppman is the navigator and usual game day kayaker, will captain his 23’ Parker Designs vessel on Wise’s crossing.  Wise explains, “Sean has been the essential linchpin in these swims.  From data analysis, to logistics, to navigation Sean has been my true partner on these swims.  This swim is no exception to that.  Sean’s boat partner and fellow waterman, Brennan Rose, is filling the role of first mate, second in charge on this swim.

Our Catalina Channel Swim observers on this attempt will be Jeff Rake, who, with seriousness and smiles, assisted me on my last swim in September 2025.  Jeff’s has two fun side projects:  1) Assisting legendary open water swimmer, coach and entrepreneur Dan Simonelli with open water swim camps and 2) he’s in the primary stages of developing a nutritious and delicious protein bar-line called Shark Repellänt Nutrition.  I’ve had about four bars and so far, so good.  Our second CCSF observer is a man named Miles Duncan who I look forward to getting to know.

Mental Set:  Gratitude & Grit / Family, Friends & The Aquatic Village

My headspace on this swim is pretty straightforward:  Feelings of joy and gratitude for this opportunity to swim in the big blue warm ocean on a summer day; for a healthy mind, body and spirit which can do it; for a bright, resourceful and capable team supporting me. Also knowing there will moments of challenge, of fatigue, of salty mouth and swollen tongue.  These moments will take grit and perseverance.  Its during these moments of gratitude and grit, I remember my supportive family and local & distant friends, my teammates at SWIM Long Beach, my youthful swimmers and their parents on Rocket Fish Swimming, the Wilson Water Polo and Swim community and the whole aquatic village we have here in the greater Long Beach area.  We are all in this together.“

Catalina Crossings of Hank Wise, Co-King of the Catalina Channel

• October 2010, age 42: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 8:07:03
• June 2015, age 47: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from the Palos Verdes Peninsula to Santa Catalina Island in 8:07:37
• October 2015, age 47: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 10:56:44 at the age of 47.
• November 2016, age 48: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 8:20:10 at the age of 48.
• October 2017, age 49: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 10:14:00 at the age of 49.
• November 2017, age 49: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 10:01:52 at the age of 49.
• October 2018, age 50: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 7:55:06
• September 2025, age 57: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Palos Verdes Peninsula to Catalina Island on Arrow Point in 8:07.53

Catalina Crossings of Samuel Neri, King of the Catalina Channel

• September 2011, age 46: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 13 hours 44 minutes
• July 2013, age 48: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 12 hours 16 minutes
• October 2014, age 49: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Southern California mainland to Catalina Island in 17 hours 32 minutes
• October 2015, age 50: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 11 hours 55 minutes
• October 2016, age 51: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 11 hours 50 minutes
• June 2017, age 52: 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 14 hours 40 minutes
• November 2019, age 55: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 13 hours 7 minutes
• June 2023, age 59: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 15 hours 17 minutes.
• November 2025, age 61: 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 15 hours 27 minutes

Tracker

Hank Wise Tracker is here.

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