I swam the first two legs of this last year and it is an experience not to be missed. The desert landscape was unlike anything I'd seen before. It was amazing to be able to swim in water surrounded by cactus-y landscapes and sheer canyon walls. The swims were definitely challenging, but the atmosphere was always mellow and fun--you won't meet friendlier people anywhere. And getting to explain that I was traveling out to Arizona for open-water swimming was a bonus!
Thanks, S.A.! It was a terrific read, contemplative while admiring the beauty around you. And it left me with the clear understanding I would never do any part of that swim. I lost my rocket booster.
For others, a focused site for open water swimming is marathonswimmers.org, founded by two posters here and with many contributions from other forumites. Most of the OW swims, not even of marathon length (magnitude) but, say, the Kingdom Swim, with 1- and 3-mile options for adults, are posted there first. Logistics are discussed, meet directors answer questions.
Here is an ongoing thread on Marathon Swimmers site on S.C.A.R., including info on logistics:
www.marathonswimmers.org/.../arizona-s-c-a-r-swim-challenge
Some forumites swam it, or part of it, last year (chaos, swimsuit addict?). There were some very nice blog posts about the swim, with photos and endurance tips.
The Arizona S.C.A.R. Swim Challenge has filled up quickly with about 8 Triple Crown swimmers along with the world record holder for the Catalina Channel (Island to Mainland), Grace Van Der Byl. There are some real personalities coming including Roger Finch, Ned Denison, David Barra, Barbara Held, Elizabeth Fry, and Sarah Thomas. Shaping up to be a nice event and will sell out. Currently seeking kayakers to volunteers. kent@kmnlaw.com
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