Seti Afoa On Samoa Swimming And The Orewa Ocean Series
Courtesy of Seti Afoa, Samoa Events.
After a year of no tours, swim safaris, swim series, marathon and triathlon events in Samoa, Tonga or Tahiti due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Seti Afoa of Samoa Events reported on the status of restarting, “The year 2021 is not looking any better with COVID-19 remaining the defining factor in all areas of life globally for the next 12 months. It is safe to say that 2021 will be the same for Samoa Swims & Events. Any plans we had for 2021 are now on hold starting with the Apolima Strait Swim in late March. All events from June to October in the Pacific are on hold.
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia and New Zealand from early 2021 in Australia and mid-year in New Zealand will not resolve Samoa and Tonga’s border problem. In Samoa’s case, the country will be the last to open our borders or join an entry-free travel bubble.
All existing bookings are transferred to 2022 events. The schedule of events for 2022 will be looked at mid-year in 2021.
Despite COVID-19 limiting activities for everyone, we were able to hold several events during 2020:
In March, Palepua Afoa and Ella Crowe won the Waitakere Nature Swim. Steve Kent and Ella Crowe won the Long Bay event, Sebastien Priscott and Ella Crowe won the Maraetai Swim, Alex Dunkle and Ella Crowe won the Kohimarama Swim, Alex Dunkley and Ella Crowe won the Browns Bay, Kailen Brackebush won the Orewa Swim-Run as part of the Autumn Swim Series. Sebastien Priscott and Ella Crowe won the 5 km Waiake Swim, Mike Cochrane and Gina Yukich won the 5 km Long Bay, Sebastien Priscott and Caitlin O’Reilly won the 5 km Okahu to Kohi, Mike Cochrane and Ella Crowe won the 7 km Torpedo Swim, Jack Potier and Charlotte Cornet won the 5 km Hibiscus Coast Swim, and William Prescott and Charlotte Cornet won the 10 km Long Bay Swim in December.”
Despite the races that were not held in his native Samoa, Seti is not one to sit idle. He was able to organize the Orewa Ocean Series on the Hibiscus Coast in Auckland, New Zealand. “Our weekly beach series is held at the popular Orewa Beach where we are working in partnership with the Orewa Surf Life Saving Club to get this Series established. “We are looking forward to the January Swim the Beach Series next month starting with the New Year’s Day swim. That Swim is being rebranded as the 1st Swim being the very first ocean swim race of the new year in the world. There are seven swims in the Series that runs until February 1st at various locations around the Auckland region.”
Swims for the Beach Series in January:
* January 1st: 1st Swim on New Year’s Day (won by Alex Dunkley and Ella Crowe in 2020)
* January 3rd: The Rewa on Orewa Beach
* January 10th: Waitakere Nature Swim in Armour Bay
* January 24th: Freedom Swim, a non-wetsuit swim in Long Bay (won by Chris Dunn and Jane Sutton in 2020)
Auckland Anniversary Weekend Swims
* January 30th: Kohi Akau 5 km in Kohimarama Beach
* January 31st: Red Beach to Orewa Beach
February 1st: Maraetai Swim or Anniversary Day Swim (won by Brent Foster and Kylie Bradley in 2020)
For more information, visit www.oswim.co.nz.
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