August 12th, the Furthest North open water swim in North America! Located in Sitka, Alaska.
Men's and women's age group and Relay divisions will be awarded trophies and ribbons.
Solo or relay 10k, 5k and 1k open water swims in Sitka Sound, with a water temperature range in the mid 50’s. The course will start at the Mount Edgecumbe High School ramp on Japonski Island. The course will then take the swimmers north out of Sitka Channel and westward along the Fort Rousseau Causeway State Historic Site and loop back to the Mt. Edgecumbe ramp to finish. A turnaround point in course will be available for those swimming the 5k and 1K distances.
Sanction pending with USMS.
Visit www.changeyourlatitude.org for more information.
Evmo, chaos & Geog,
I am one of the instigators of the CYL 57 deg N Open water swim event in Sitka, Alaska. I was also a participant in the first two Sitka Sound Adventure Swims. No Limits/SSAS has passed the batton for organizing an open water swim in Sitka to the Baranof Baracuda Swim Club--the local club I helped found in '79.
As this is the first year the BBSC masters group is running the open water swim event, we are learning things as we go along. As an open water swimmer myself in Oregon, I greatly disliked the previous course and the issues that course presented from the swimmers point of view. The new course around the north side of Japonski Island is like nothing you have ever done anywhere else. I've swum most of the course several times and if weather is cooperative, participants will be in for a real treat.
Safety is our top concern and that is why there is currently confusion over qualifications and swim attire. Nothing is finalized yet, so we could use your input. I have been pushing for the wetsuit requirement because this would be the first event on this course, and the first event of its kind organized by our group. The water is cold and the route around Japonski has no adjacent roads--though we do pass by the Coast Guard Air Station and the airport runway. If any problems occur due to hypothermia, it must be addressed by our flotilla of kayaks and power boats. We've had issues with hypothermia in participants in previous races, so we are very concerned about making sure everyone is safe--and has a blast navigating the course and taking in the killer views of Mt. Edgecombe, Arrowhead and the three Sisters, among others.
If all goes well this first year and our group feels it is safe to open up the event to naked swimmers, then I'd be the first to jump forward to make that happen. Let's keep this conversation going and maybe you can play a big part in helping us prepare for the wet-suit-averse crowd.
Evmo, chaos & Geog,
I am one of the instigators of the CYL 57 deg N Open water swim event in Sitka, Alaska. I was also a participant in the first two Sitka Sound Adventure Swims. No Limits/SSAS has passed the batton for organizing an open water swim in Sitka to the Baranof Baracuda Swim Club--the local club I helped found in '79.
As this is the first year the BBSC masters group is running the open water swim event, we are learning things as we go along. As an open water swimmer myself in Oregon, I greatly disliked the previous course and the issues that course presented from the swimmers point of view. The new course around the north side of Japonski Island is like nothing you have ever done anywhere else. I've swum most of the course several times and if weather is cooperative, participants will be in for a real treat.
Safety is our top concern and that is why there is currently confusion over qualifications and swim attire. Nothing is finalized yet, so we could use your input. I have been pushing for the wetsuit requirement because this would be the first event on this course, and the first event of its kind organized by our group. The water is cold and the route around Japonski has no adjacent roads--though we do pass by the Coast Guard Air Station and the airport runway. If any problems occur due to hypothermia, it must be addressed by our flotilla of kayaks and power boats. We've had issues with hypothermia in participants in previous races, so we are very concerned about making sure everyone is safe--and has a blast navigating the course and taking in the killer views of Mt. Edgecombe, Arrowhead and the three Sisters, among others.
If all goes well this first year and our group feels it is safe to open up the event to naked swimmers, then I'd be the first to jump forward to make that happen. Let's keep this conversation going and maybe you can play a big part in helping us prepare for the wet-suit-averse crowd.
