In the post-pandemic era, open water swimmers, coaches, pilots, paddlers, kayakers, trainers, associations, and organizations around the world often use popular video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Webex Meetings, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to communicate with one another.
For one-on-one or multi-person communications, WhatsApp, email, FaceTime, Slack, Line, SMS/text, Facebook Messenger are also commonly used.
But back in 2011 in the pre-TikTok, pre-SnapChat, pre-Telegram days, good ol’ fashion face-to-face communications were used when 140 key administrators, race directors, safety experts, coaches, and influencers got together in San Francisco, California to discuss safety in the sport of open water swimming.
Participants came from Australia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico, Bermuda, Japan, Great Britain and across America, and included:
- Shelley Taylor-Smith, 7-time World Marathon Swimming Champion
- Rob Butcher, Executive Director, U.S. Masters Swimming
- Maddy Crippen, Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation
- Jim Wheeler, Total Aquatic Management / Pacific Masters LMSC
- Steven Munatones, Founder, World Open Water Swimming Association
- Dr. Jim Miller, FINA Sports Medicine Committee
- Eric Juneau, General Manager, Traversée International du lac St-Jean
- Paul Asmuth, 7-time World Professional Marathon Swimming Champion
- Lawrie Cox, Board Director, Swimming Australia
- Dale Petranech, International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- Bruce Wigo, CEO, International Swimming Hall of Fame
- Ralph Goto, City & County of Honolulu Ocean Safety & Lifeguard Services
- Kate Alexander, Safety Coordinator, Flowers Sea Swim (Cayman Islands)
- B. Chris Brewster, President, U.S. Lifesaving Association
- Chris Sheean, Race Director, Big Shoulders
- Bob Placak, Founder, RCP Tiburon Mile
- Mike Carr, Safety Officer, RCP Tiburon Mile
- Captain Brent Jacobsen, Newport Beach Lifeguard / Fire Department
- David Robinson, Aquatic Specialist, Sonoma County Regional Parks
- Malcolm Cooper, Safety Officer, Maui Channel Swim
- Marcia Cleveland, Author of Dover Solo
- Lori Bosco, Race Director, Swim Around Key West
- Kaia Hedlund, President, Waikiki Roughwater Swim Committee
- Yutaka Shinozaki, Japan International Open Water Swimming Association
- Lt. Greg Buchanan, San Diego Lifeguard Svc. / San Diego Fire Rescue
- Joel Wilson, Race Director, Santa Cruz Cruise
- Dick Sidner, Race Director, USMS National 25K Championships
- John Dussliere, 2008 Olympic Open Water Swimming Coach
- Rick Gould, US Lifesaving Association and Santa Cruz Roughwater Swim
- Dean Jackson, Executive Vice President, blueseventy
- Liz Tucker, Race Director Certification Manager, USA Triathlon
Photo above shows Lewis Pugh swimming down in the River Thames on July 10th 2006 in London. Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images.
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