The Roaring 20’s Of Open Water Swimming
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
The Roaring 20’s of the 20th century were an iconic period in U.S. and Western European history. There was a relatively booming economy, especially in the aftermath of World War I, where cars, telephones, movies, radio, and electrical appliances like washing machine were purchased by many while movies, radio and the right to vote help transform lives and lifestyles.
Technology and celebrities, aviation and sports stadiums changed the landscape in various ways. The celebrities included Gertrude Ederle and Johnny Weissmuller.
In less than 7 weeks, the world and the open water swimming community will head into another Roaring 20’s – of the 21st century.
AI, geo-location technologies, massive social networks, and medical innovations that will impact the oldest generation in human history will continue to change the way humans conduct their lives on dry land. Amid these transformations, we believe that swimmers will continue to challenge themselves at ever greater distances, temperatures, speeds and conditions in the open water.
After Sarah Thomas showed the world that a 54 hour 10 minute 4-way English Channel crossing is possible even after surviving cancer, we cannot imagine what is next on the open water swimming horizon.
Swimmers will continue getting bolder and going colder.
Swimmers will continue swimming longer and doing it older.
Swimmers will be getting faster and becoming more adventurous.
Swimming around Pitcairn Island (by Alex Kostich) and Easter Island (by Sarah Ferguson) is just a precursor to the many new islands around the world that will be circumnavigated during the Roaring Twenties.
Documentation will be more voluminous and databases will become more authoritative.
Films, books, websites, articles, events, photography and videography will continue pushing the envelope of creativity and imagination – further enticing a growing number of people to venture beyond the shoreline.
“The most exciting thing is, is that the future of open water swimming is unpredictable and it remains an empty canvas with so many swims to be pioneered,” says Steven Munatones.
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