Kent Nicholas faced a problem: how could he properly train for the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming while living in the Arizona desert?

The former college swimmer had no problem spending time training in the pool, but he needed to push himself to the extreme in the open water.

So Nicholas rolled up his sleeves, and created the SCAR Swim Challenge which stands for Saguaro, Canyon, Apache, and Roosevelt lakes. Initially, the early swimmers were on an adventure without permits, licenses, insurance, coast guard support, law enforcement approval, or any other permission sought from anyone. The original pioneers hiked, boated, swam, enjoyed themselves across the four lakes in four days without letting the obstacles and hurdles of modern life prevent them from swimming more than 40 miles in a beautiful environment.

In 2013, the swims were insured and granted permission from the Tonto National Forest service…and history was starting to take shape.

The event has since attracted swimmers and escort kayakers from around the world. Many swimmers, like Stefan Reinke of Honolulu, come year after year – knowing that the conditions and water temperatures can always change. Others, like Martha Wood of Massachusetts, use SCAR as Nicholas did: to prepare for the English Channel and other major channels and swim around the world.

Similar to the famed Red Jacket for ice swimmers, the male and female winners of the SCAR receive the coveted SCAR buckle [see above that is sponsored by Patty Hermann] that were most recently awarded to Michael Rice and Sarah Thomas for their record-setting SCAR Swims of 2023. 

Swimmers from around the world have completed the four different legs of the SCAR Swim Challenge (known as 4-stagers), but only 14 individuals have cracked the 15-hour mark to date. The overall record is held by Michael Rice who swam a cumulative time of 12 hours 47 minutes in 2023. He swam across Saguaro Lake in 2 hours 47 minutes on Day 1, across Canyon Lake in 2 hours 41 minutes on Day 2, across Apache Lake in 4 hours 52 minutes on Day 3, and finished crossing Roosevelt Lake in 2 hours 25 minutes on Day 4.

All-time Fastest 4-Stagers in History (Top 15):

1. Michael Rice (38) 12 hours 47 minutes in 2023
2. Catherine Breed (30) 13 hours 0 minutes in 2023 [shown directly above]
3. Grace van der Byl (34) 13 hours 7 minutes in 2013
4. Michael Rice (36) 13 hours 20 minutes in 2021
5. Steven Munatones (60) 13 hours 35 minutes in 2023 [shown above]
6. Sarah Thomas (30) 14 hours 5 minutes 24 seconds in 2013
7. Karen Zemlin (55) 14 hours 35 minutes in 2013
8. Chris Cook (42) 14 hours 40 minutes in 2023
9. Sarah Thomas (38) 14 hours 43 minutes in 2021
10. Jessica Kieras (38) 14 hours 43 minutes in 2019
11. Lura Wilhelm (41) 14 hours 50 minutes 1 second in 2023
12. Bella Whited (15) 14 hours 50 minutes 56 seconds in 2013
13. Kelly Harrigan (36) 14 hours 53 minutes in 2021
14. Ned Denison (55) 14 hours 57 minutes in 2013
15. John Batchelder (38) 15 hours 10 minutes 11.6 seconds in 2019

The 4-stagers – or those who finished all four stage swims in one year – include:

2023 Results:

1. Michael Rice 12 hours 47 minutes 3 seconds
2. Catherine Breed 13 hours 0 minutes 58 seconds
3. Steven Munatones 13 hours 35 minutes 52 seconds
4. Karen Zemlin 14 hours 35 minutes 46 seconds
5. Chris Cook 14 hours 40 minutes 20 seconds
6. Steve Sherry 15 hours 43 minutes 43 seconds
7. Bill Shipp 16 hours 21 minutes 16 seconds
8. Anna Zuccolotto Soto 16 hours 53 minutes 21 seconds
9. Abigail Bergman 16 hours 57 minutes 52 seconds
10. Erika Beauchamp 17 hours 1 minute 54 seconds
11. Mike Peters 17 hours 26 minutes 10 seconds
12. Shannon House Keegan 17 hours 30 minutes 49 seconds
13. Rijl Barber 17 hours 36 minutes 36 seconds
14. Kerianne Brownlie 17 hours 41 minutes 8 seconds
15. Rod Watkins 17 hours 44 minutes 15 seconds
16. Sofia Cardenas Arroyo 17 hours 44 minutes 58 seconds
17. Haiden Freeman 18 hours 3minutes 25 seconds
18. Jenny Leigh Smith 18 hours 15 minutes 19 seconds
19. Jared Kenney 18 hours 55 minutes 24 seconds
20. Kate Mason 19 hours 4 minutes 51 seconds
21. Steve Sutton 19 hours 14 minutes 41 seconds
22. Jennifer Dutton 19 hours 24 minutes 35 seconds
23. Justin Brousseau 20 hours 6 minutes 29 seconds
24. Sophie Ryan 20 hours 17 minutes 10 seconds
25. Sue-Ellen Booher 21 hours 8 minutes 9 seconds
26. Paula Yankauskas 21 hours 18 minutes 4 seconds
27. Claire Russell 21 hours 30 minutes 57 minutes
28. John Zemaitis 25 hours 13 minutes 31 seconds [two-way Saguaro + two-way Canyon + two-way Apache + one-way Roosevelt]
29. Joe Zemaitis 27 hours 57 minutes 10 seconds [two-way Saguaro + two-way Canyon + two-way Apache + one-way Roosevelt]

2022 Results:

1. Steven Munatones 16 hours 8 minutes 31 seconds
2. Lura Wilhelm 17 hours 54 minutes 6 seconds
3. Jordan Iverson 18 hours 16 minutes 23 seconds
4. Van Cornwell 18 hours 21 minutes 55 seconds
5. Leslie Hamilton 18 hours 51 minutes 0 seconds
6. Stefan Reinke 19 hours 11 minutes 41 seconds
7. Martyn Webster 19 hours 29 minutes 35 seconds
8. Martha Wood 20 hours 10 minutes 37 seconds
9. Sydelle Harrison 20 hours 10 minutes 38 seconds
10. Eric Durban 20 hours 37 minutes 37 seconds
11. Lars Durban 20 hours 37 minutes 37 seconds
12. Neil Hailstone 20 hours 39 minutes 15 seconds
13. Sarah Roberts 22 hours 55 minutes 40 seconds
14. Jane Mason 25 hours 12 minutes 51 seconds
15. Elaine Kornbau Howley 25 hours 14 minutes 52 seconds
16. Joe Zemaitis 35 hours 28 minutes 44 seconds for the third Double SCAR in history

2021 Results:

1. Michael Rice 13 hours 20 minutes 9.2 seconds
2. Sarah Thomas 14 hours 43 minutes 17.4 seconds
3. Kelly Harrigan 14 hours 53 minutes 25.8 seconds
4. Rocio Mora, 15 hours 11 minutes 39.0 seconds
5. Heather Roca, 15 hours 53 minutes 36.6 seconds
6. Mike Herrmann, 16 hours 39 minutes 57.4 seconds
7. Brian Campbell, 16 hours 50 minutes 42.8 seconds
8. Edie Markovich, 17 hours 16 minutes 49.3 seconds
9. Steve Sutton, 18 hours 55 minutes 39.0 seconds
10. Sarah Bird, 19 hours 3 minutes 16.4 seconds
11. Natalia Chuich, 19 hours 40 minutes 30.2 seconds
12. Jamie Tout, 21 hours 43 minutes 16.9 seconds
13. Kate Howell, 23 hours 10 minutes 9.8 seconds
14. Gabriella Rishel, 23 hours 39 minutes 22.9 seconds
15. Gina Harden, 24 hours 10 minutes 58.4 seconds
16. Gigi Goesling, 25 hours 24 minutes 31.7 seconds
17. Tom Linthicum, 25 hours 39 minutes 55.1 seconds
18. Joe Zemaitis, 36 hours 20 minutes 31 seconds for the second Double SCAR in history [with an 8 hour 18 minute two-way crossing of Saguaro Lake, a 7 hour 35 minute two-way crossing of Canyon Lake, a 14 hour 26 minute two-way crossing of Apache Lake, and a 5 hour 59 minute two-way crossing of Roosevelt Lake]

2020 Results [race cancelled]

2019 Results

1. Jessica Kieras 14 hours 43 minutes 56.8 seconds
2. John Batchelder 15 hours 10 minutes 11.6 seconds
3. Jack Zedlitz 15 hours 20 minutes 5.0 seconds
4. Milko van Gool 16 hours 4 minutes 28.5 seconds
5. Bambi Bowman Burgess 16 hours 8 minutes 17.5 seconds
6. Kurt Adkins 16 hours 10 minutes 51.2 seconds
7. Rebecca Hollingsworth 16 hours 31 minutes 47.3 seconds
8. Kathleen Pelczynski 16 hours 43 minutes 55.2 seconds
9. Steven Minaglia 16 hours 49 minutes 43.3 seconds
10. Melody Pinkerton 16 hours 52 minutes 5.2 seconds
11. Abigail Fairman 17 hours 1 minute 10.0 seconds
12. Mary Knott 17 hours 2 minutes 8.9 seconds
13. James Cherry 17 hours 57 minutes 12.5 seconds
14. Dave Loeffler 18 hours 2 minutes 16.1 seconds
15. Peter Hayden 18 hours 18 minutes 2.6 seconds
16. Maureen Conley 18 hours 22 minutes 1.1 seconds
17. Natalia Chuich 18 hours 29 minutes 19.4 seconds
18. Greg O’Connor 19 hours 13 minutes 51.0 seconds
19. Kirk McKinney 19 hours 31 minutes 3.7 seconds
20. Debbie Collingwood 19 hours 48 minutes 36.3 seconds
21. Katie Blessington 20 hours 1 minute 36.7 seconds
22. Barbara Lastelic 20 hours 3 minutes 38.9 seconds
23. Jennifer Dutton 20 hours 6 minutes 6.6 seconds
24. Matthew van de Schootbrugge 20 hours 9 minutes 22.2 seconds
25. Andrew K Wells 20 hours 12 minutes 36.6 seconds
26. Mary Stella 20 hours 44 minutes 48.9 seconds
27. Everett Britton 21 hours 7 minutes 0.0 seconds
28. Jeffrey Breen 21 hours 22 minutes 6.1 seconds
29. Cassandra Oliver 22 hours 55 minutes 19.2 seconds
30. Margot McKirdy 24 hours 4 minutes 59.0 seconds
31. Michelle Squyer 28 hours 22 minutes 6.4 seconds

2018 Results

1. Jamie Ann Phillips 15 hours 15 minutes 20.6 seconds
2. Stefan Reinke 15 hours 37 minutes 47.3 seconds
3. Kurt Adkins 15 hours 42 minutes 43.5 seconds
4. Attila Manyoki 15 hours 53 minutes 42.6 seconds
5. Liz Uribe 16 hours 2 minutes 25.4 seconds
6. Serbo Simeoni 16 hours 17 minutes 44.6 seconds
7. Eliza Cummings 16 hours 20 minutes 40.9 seconds
8. Mark Spratt 16 hours 40 minutes 4.3 seconds
9. Joseph Zemaitis 16 hours 46 minutes 5.0 seconds
10. Mark Smitherman 16 hours 49 minutes 22.2 seconds
11. Allison Ware 17 hours 19 minutes 44.4 seconds
12. Edward Riley 17 hours 53 minutes 38.8 seconds
13. Maureen Montgomery 18 hours 2 minutes 26.3 seconds
14. Peter Hayden 18 hours 38 minutes 6.5 seconds
15. Melinda Menzer 18 hours 54 minutes 20.4 seconds
16. Jamie Tout 19 hours 5 minutes 33.5 seconds
17. Michael Pollanen 19 hours 5 minutes 49.0 seconds
18. Wendy Van De Sompele 19 hours 6 minutes 1.4 seconds
19. Janet Harris 19 hours 12 minutes 25.2 seconds
20. Amy Gubser 19 hours 19 minutes 10.6 seconds
21. Amy Frick 19 hours 31 minutes 8.4 seconds
22. Ian Tarrant 19 hours 31 minutes 37.2 seconds
23. Courtney Paulk 19 hours 55 minutes 52.8 seconds
24. Steve Gruenwald 20 hours 5 minutes 24.5 seconds
25. Colleen Blair 20 hours 47 minutes 28.9 seconds
26. Patrick McDermot 20 hours 48 minutes 9.7 seconds
27. Sue-Ellen Booher 21 hours 6 minutes 41.2 seconds
28. Arleen Gonzalez 21 hours 15 minutes 51.9 seconds
29. Robin Rose 21 hours 47 minutes 26.5 seconds
30. Paula Yankauskas 22 hours 48 minutes 15.7 seconds
31. Gerald George 23 hours 24 minutes 45.2 seconds
32. Luise Rasche 23 hours 33 minutes 33.1 seconds
33. Tiffany McQueen 25 hours 42 minutes 43.4 seconds
34. Stephanie Hopson 25 hours 53 minutes 1.1 seconds

2017 Results

1. Stephen Rouch 16 hours 48 minutes 49.3 seconds
2. Abigail Fairman 19 hours 14 minutes 38.6 seconds
3. Amy Gubser 20 hours 17 minutes 56.6 seconds
4. Matthew Schubert 20 hours 21 minutes 11.1 seconds

2016 Results

1. Stephen Rouch 15 hours 45 minutes 31.11 seconds
2. Jamie Proffitt 16 hours 11 minutes 24.57 seconds
3. Kristin Jones 16 hours 54 minutes 1.49 seconds
4. Ernie Hoftyzer 17 hours 9 minutes 7.68 seconds
5. Asha Allen 21 hours 4 minutes 55.65 seconds
6. Karen Charney 21 hours 29 minutes 59.98 seconds
7. Palaka Sauer 21 hours 43 minutes 22.09 seconds
8. Katrina Price 22 hours 12 minutes 53.46 seconds
9. Stephen Key 22 hours 18 minutes 1.83 seconds
10. Devon Clifford 23 hours 23 minutes 6.94 seconds
11. Natalia Chuich 19 hours 40 minutes 30.2 seconds
12. Jamie Tout 21 hours 43 minutes 16.9 seconds

2015 Results

1. Cole Gindhart 16 hours 13 minutes 14.8 seconds
2. Cheryl Reinke 16 hours 42 minutes 46.3 seconds
3. Anna Delozier 17 hours 1 minute 38.6 seconds
4. Stefan Reinke 17 hours 14 minutes 37.3 seconds
5. Chris Greene 18 hours 2 minutes 18.3 seconds
6. Jacob Miyauchi 18 hours 3 minutes 51.4 seconds
7. Joe Zemaitis 18 hours 30 minutes 56.8 seconds
7. John Zemaitis 18 hours 30 minutes 56.8 seconds
9. Mark Spratt 18 hours 43 minutes 25.9 seconds
10. Jason Overbaugh 19 hours 2 minutes 32.0 seconds
11. Graeme Schlachter 19 hours 45 minutes 24.5 seconds
12. Kathleen Wilson 19 hours 58 minutes 15.2 seconds
13. Dan Simonelli 20 hours 7 minutes 28.1 seconds
14. Patty Hermann 20 hours 18 minutes 42.6 seconds
15. Becky Jackman-Beeler 20 hours 22 minutes 58.2 seconds
16. Matthew Hills 20 hours 23 minutes 19.4 seconds
17. Helen Conway 20 hours 28 minutes 2.9 seconds
18. Scott Blietz 20 hours 35 minutes 42.1 seconds
19. Kelly Gentry 20 hours 40 minutes 7.1 seconds
20. Roger Finch 20 hours 42 minutes 45.8 seconds
21. Brad Lundblad 20 hours 55 minutes 57.8 seconds
22. Stephen Key 21 hours 5 minutes 55.7 seconds
23. Ann von Spiegelfeld 21 hours 20 minutes 14.6 seconds
24. Janet Harris 21 hours 46 minutes 11.8 seconds
25. Mark Sheridan 22 hours 0 minutes 22.7 seconds
26. Colleen Blair 23 hours 16 minutes 33.6 seconds
27. Elizabeth Fry 37 hours 5 minutes 50.6 seconds for the first Double SCAR in history [with a 6 hour 42 minute two-way crossing of  Saguaro Lake, a 6 hour 26 minute two-way crossing of Canyon Lake, a 15 hour 46 minute two-way crossing of Apache Lake, and a 6 hour 18 minute two-way crossing of Roosevelt Lake]

2014 Results:

1. Kristin Jones 15 hours 56 minutes 53 seconds
2. Anna Delozier 16 hours 37 minutes 25 seconds
3. Cliff Crozier 18 hours 0 minutes 44 seconds
4. Elizabeth Fry 18 hours 17 minutes 0 seconds
5. Scott Lautman 18 hours 58 minutes 36 seconds
6. Hendrik Meerman 19 hours 2 minutes 12 seconds
7. Dan Simonelli 19 hours 19 minutes 49 seconds
8. Brad Lundblad 20 hours 46 minutes 26 seconds
9. Bridgette Hobart 21 hours 20 minutes 30 seconds
10. Sally Minty-Gravett 22 hours 46 minutes 38 seconds
11. Eric Anderson 24 hours 35 minutes 38 seconds
12. Ranie Crowley Pearce 26 hours 1 minute 26 seconds

2013 Results:

1. Grace van der Byl 13 hours 7 minutes 16 seconds
2. Sarah Thomas 14 hours 5 minutes 24 seconds
3. Bella Whited 14 hours 50 minutes 56 seconds
4. Ned Denison 14 hours 57 minutes 11 seconds
5. Elizabeth Fry 15 hours 22 minutes 5 seconds
6. Barbara Held 15 hours 26 minutes 34 seconds
7. Greg O’Connor 15 hours 59 minutes 28 seconds
8. Allison DeFrancesco 16 hours 18 minutes 30 seconds
9. Kathrin Benoit 16 hours 29 minutes 17 seconds
10. Tori Gorman 17 hours 11 minutes 17 seconds
11. Becky Jackman-Beeler 17 hours 20 minutes 26 seconds
12. Mo Siegel 20 hours 13 minutes 27 seconds

2012 Results:

1. Kurt Dickson
2. Kent Nicholas
with fellow pioneers David Barra, Shauna Nelson, Gordon Smith, Patrick Brundage, Janet Harris, and Meg Rich.

For more information, visit www.scarswim.com.

For different perspectives of the SCAR Challenge, read International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame chairman Ned Denison’s first-hand account here, two-time winner Stephen Rouch’s first-hand account here, British Long Distance Swimming Association president Mark Sheridan’s first-hand account here, Stephen Key’s first-hand account here, South African Graeme Schlachter’s first-hand account here, and Anne-Marie Ward’s first-hand account here.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/297171503?dnt=1&app_id=122963

SCAR 2018 from Kent Nicholas on Vimeo.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/138767126?dnt=1&app_id=122963

https://player.vimeo.com/video/109099532?dnt=1&app_id=122963

https://player.vimeo.com/video/76020238?dnt=1&app_id=122963

https://player.vimeo.com/video/49545749?dnt=1&app_id=122963

The pre-race swim, hosted by Patty Hermann, begins tomorrow at Saguaro Lake at 10:30 am. On Wednesday morning, there will be 42 swimmers from 16 different American states and 5 different countries participating in the 2024 edition.

© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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