I am planning a meet and I would like to include a couple of "fun" relays. I need some ideas. Minnesota Masters Swimming does a "Reindeer Relays" meet each December and I found descriptions of a few of their races (see below). Does anyone else have some suggestions for fun relays? (Note that this meet will be held in a public high school, so the relays cannot include alcohol...)
--Tarzan relay - each swimmer must swim with his head out of the water
--Ballet leg relay - each swimmer must do backstroke with 1 leg out of the water, pointed in the air
--Reindeer relay - each swimmer dog paddles while wearing antlers (which are passed like a baton from one swimmer to the next)
--All-Fly relay
--Kicking relay
I did one last winter that was a coconut relay. It was three per team, the first person went in, swam 25, picked up one coconut, the second person had to swim up with one back with two, the third swam up with two and back with three. I got to do the last part, and coming back with three was interesting. I was the only one that I knew that held all three in my hands, the women were putting them down their suits.
I think I'd like to see some strange ones like a 4x200 IM where everyone swims a 200 IM, or a 4X400 IM, though I'm not sure where I would find the other three people for the 400.
I also like the underwater idea.
Hey Jeff why not put some of these ideas up for some of the DC swims?
Decade relay: one swimmer is ags 20-29, one aged 30-39, one aged 40-49, one 50+.
Not a relay, but an interesting competition. Kind of like a tug of war. Tie the feet of two swimmers together. Point them in opposite directions and let them swim. First to pull the other some predefined distance wins. Or do the same kicking towards each other holding the same (really strong) kickboard.
Lawn chair relay. Teams are comprised of a multiple of 3 people. One (usually smaller) guy sits in the chair. The other two have to get him to the other side. One leg only needs 3 people, but multiple legs would have multiple sets of 3 for each leg. (Or, just have 3 people, and 3 legs, and each has to take a turn in the chair.)
Water polo ball dribbling relay: Swim each length "dribbling" a water polo ball.
Our high school team loves this one:
After a 50 free, the swimmer has to get out of the pool, eat a soda cracker (and swallow it). As soon as he/she can work up a whistle, the next person can go. Hint...salt and chlorine don't mix well. The results can be hysterical!
this isn't a relay but my granddaughter's team usually has this event at the end of each meet.
oops sorry I hit the post button
anyway, the coach calls it Skins
the top fastest 50 free swimmers (# of swimmers depends on number of lanes you have in your pool) do 50's on 2. The slowest are eliminated each heat.
It is fun and interesting
1) 200 Under/Over relay (each person swims the first length underwater)
2) 8x25 kick relay (with a twist, each swimmer takes the kickboard from the previous swimmer and has to use it for their length; so the last swimmer kicks with 8 kickboards)
3) 50 Siamese Relay (must maintain physical contact - it is up to the two swimmers how best to do it)
1) 200 Under/Over relay (each person swims the first length underwater)
2) 8x25 kick relay (with a twist, each swimmer takes the kickboard from the previous swimmer and has to use it for their length; so the last swimmer kicks with 8 kickboards)
3) 50 Siamese Relay (must maintain physical contact - it is up to the two swimmers how best to do it)
4) 200 Golf Ball relay (each swimmer swims with two golfballs and they have to hand them off to the next swimmer)
A lot of these seem so funny! Especially the tug of war, the cracker relay, and many others.....our town holds the Pumpkin Show every year (third largest festival in the world, baby) and for our annual classic meet, we divided the relays into two older kids (13 and up) and two younger kids (10 and under)....the older kids had to hold the pumpkin and swim breaststroke, the younger kids just had to get it to the other end of the pool somehow....very fun to see, very fun to watch!
I always liked the T-shirt relay. The first person wears a T-shirt while swimming, after the 50 they must jump out of the pool and give the now wet t-shirt to the next swimmer to wear for their 50 (so on and so forth).
Some people on our team had the wet T-shirt transfer down to a science!
