Meet, Watch & Race the World's Best Open Water Swimmers

In Marine Stadium in Long Beach, California, the following events will take place: 1. USA Swimming National 10K Open Water Swimming Championship on Friday, June 4th 2. Global Open Water Swimming Conference on Saturday, June 5th 3. USA Swimming National 5K Open Water Swimming Championships on Sunday, June 6th 4. 2K and 4K Open Water Pursuit races on Sunday, June 6th The USA Swimming National 5K and 10K Open Water Swimming Championships will be held in Marine Stadium in Long Beach. At these world championship qualification event, you can board Spectator Boats and watch some of the world's best open water swimmers battle it out up close. You do not have to stand on shore and wait. You do not have to wonder what is going on as you gaze and see only splashes and packs of swimmers in the distance, even with binoculars. You can now see how Olympian Chloe Sutton races against NCAA champion Emily Brunemann. You can see how top FINA World Cup swimmer Eva Fabian strategizes against FINA World Cup winner Kristen Groome, Micha Burden, Emily Hansen and other top American women. As you hear their kick and observe their tactics from boats that will pace along the course in view of the lead packs, you will be able to see a tremendous battle with Pan American Games gold medalist Fran Crippen against world 10K championship silver medalist Andrew Gemmell, 2005 world 10K champion Chip Peterson, Sean Ryan and other top 1500-meter swimmers across America. Canada will also send its best swimmers to compete in these championship races. From your no-wake, no-exhaust boats, you will be able to see how yellow flag (warning) are given or why red cards (disqualifications) are issued (if any). You will be able to take photographs and enjoy a furious sprint to the finish and huge scrums around the turn buoys on the Spectator Boats. At the Global Open Water Swimming Conference, you will be able to meet some of history's best and most accomplished open water swimmers of all time, including Greta Andersen and Shelley Taylor-Smith. You will be able to listen to unique presentations on 24 different topics of open water swimming from many of the world's best swimmers and coaches and most experienced officials. You will be inspired by presentations from swimmers who have swum in Antarctica, across the Cook Strait and races across the English Channel and at world championships. You will be able to meet some of the most innovative race directors from Brazil, England, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong and across the United States. At the 2K and 4K Open Water Pursuit races, you will be able to swim the race solo or on a Trio Team (with 3 swimmers) or on a Quad Squad (with 4 swimmers) in a flat-water loop course. You will be able to partner up with your friends and race others as you draft, position and pace together with your teammates. The start will be unique - a randomly selected staggered start where each team will be set off in 15-second intervals. This will allow your team to truly draft, position, navigate and pace together to see how you stake up against others. This new kind of Open Water Pursuit race was added to the national open water swimming championship weekend because FINA will be adding a 3-person, mixed gender 5K Team Time Trial event to its World Swimming Championship schedule beginning in 2011. Like short-track speed skaing and cycling events, Pursuit Races are becoming very popular around the world and it is time that these opportunities are brought to American shores. So enjoy watching America's best swimmers race in the open water up close, meet and listen to some of the world's best swimmers and coaches in a unique educational and networking opportunity and test your drafting, positioning, navigating and pacing skills with your teammates in Long Beach, California between June 4th - 6th. For more information, go to www.pacificopenwater.com or join the Pacific Open Water group on Facebook.