This is a bit of a fluff piece from the Corpus Christi Open Water Festival in September. Still, it is well done and with OW done for the year in this part of the world, you have to get your fix somehow.
www.universalsports.com/.../media.dbml
-LBJ
I always love watching open water swimming events of all types, but I have to be honest about this production - which I greatly appreciated as an open water swimming fan. The event showcased three extremely well-known Olympic champions - two who live and train in the state of Texas. Aaron Piersol, Brendan Hansen and Rowdy Gaines were the stars and attractions of this event. I also believe this event was produced - or at least supported by - arguably the most successful swimming marketing firm in the US (Premier Management Group). But the number of athletes who appeared to be participating in the event looked small to me - at least compared to other open water swims. With these three very popular and articulate athletes and Premier Management Group's marketing prowess, I would have liked to see a much larger, more colorful race in, perhaps, New York, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Seattle, Maui or San Diego where many more swimmers and great background visuals could have showcased the sport of open water swimming even better, at least in my opinion. The excitement that Rowdy Gaines brings to the RCP Tiburon in San Francisco or Aaron's cool, studly reputation intermingled with a tropical background in Hawaii or the All-American ambience of Brendan Hansen combined with the iconic imagery of Boston Harbor, New York Harbor or Chicago's Lake Michigan could have, perhaps, showcased the sport of open wate swimming a bit better. Please understand this is not a criticism of the event, the production or the host city of Corpus Christi. The production and the event were excellent, especially with camera shots from helicopters and the one-on-one interviews. However, I believe Aaron, Brendan, Rowdy and the Premier Management Group have tremendous potential for truly showing off open water swimming in ways that have never been down before in this country. With their continued involvement, leadership and interest in open water swimming, I am confident that they will help bring much more public awareness, media involvement and participant excitement to the sport of open water. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and thank Aaron, Brendan, Rowdy and the Premier Management Group for their support of open water swimming.
I always love watching open water swimming events of all types, but I have to be honest about this production - which I greatly appreciated as an open water swimming fan. The event showcased three extremely well-known Olympic champions - two who live and train in the state of Texas. Aaron Piersol, Brendan Hansen and Rowdy Gaines were the stars and attractions of this event. I also believe this event was produced - or at least supported by - arguably the most successful swimming marketing firm in the US (Premier Management Group). But the number of athletes who appeared to be participating in the event looked small to me - at least compared to other open water swims. With these three very popular and articulate athletes and Premier Management Group's marketing prowess, I would have liked to see a much larger, more colorful race in, perhaps, New York, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Seattle, Maui or San Diego where many more swimmers and great background visuals could have showcased the sport of open water swimming even better, at least in my opinion. The excitement that Rowdy Gaines brings to the RCP Tiburon in San Francisco or Aaron's cool, studly reputation intermingled with a tropical background in Hawaii or the All-American ambience of Brendan Hansen combined with the iconic imagery of Boston Harbor, New York Harbor or Chicago's Lake Michigan could have, perhaps, showcased the sport of open wate swimming a bit better. Please understand this is not a criticism of the event, the production or the host city of Corpus Christi. The production and the event were excellent, especially with camera shots from helicopters and the one-on-one interviews. However, I believe Aaron, Brendan, Rowdy and the Premier Management Group have tremendous potential for truly showing off open water swimming in ways that have never been down before in this country. With their continued involvement, leadership and interest in open water swimming, I am confident that they will help bring much more public awareness, media involvement and participant excitement to the sport of open water. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and thank Aaron, Brendan, Rowdy and the Premier Management Group for their support of open water swimming.
