I don't disagree with what Ken or anyone else has said about the difficulty this year's rules pose for long, point-to-point swims, or about what a sad outcome it would be for the long term for USMS not to be able to sanction and support that aspect of OW swimming. I just think we ought to recognize that the USMS Board and LMSCs had a serious problem to solve when USMS's insurance carrier jacked up the premium all of a sudden. They weren't able to solve the problem perfectly, but they managed to find what seems to be a workable solution for the majority of 2013 season OW swims, including for the 10K National Championship race that prompted this thread.
If we understand accurately what aspects of the problem remain unsolved, and if we pay attention to how this year's solution does and does not work as the USMS Board anticipated or hoped it would, maybe we can do better for 2014 and beyond. But just saying, "races are cancelled! insurance catastrophe!" doesn't help a whole lot. The vast majority of participants in USMS OW events swim in events that can satisfy the new requirements, although entry fees may rise slightly. I'd hate for those folks to read this thread, or the one at marathonswimmers.org, and think that the 1- to 3-mile lake swims they enjoy so much are not going to go on at all.
I am looking forward to swimming in Lake Mead and hope I will meet some of you there!
I don't disagree with what Ken or anyone else has said about the difficulty this year's rules pose for long, point-to-point swims, or about what a sad outcome it would be for the long term for USMS not to be able to sanction and support that aspect of OW swimming. I just think we ought to recognize that the USMS Board and LMSCs had a serious problem to solve when USMS's insurance carrier jacked up the premium all of a sudden. They weren't able to solve the problem perfectly, but they managed to find what seems to be a workable solution for the majority of 2013 season OW swims, including for the 10K National Championship race that prompted this thread.
If we understand accurately what aspects of the problem remain unsolved, and if we pay attention to how this year's solution does and does not work as the USMS Board anticipated or hoped it would, maybe we can do better for 2014 and beyond. But just saying, "races are cancelled! insurance catastrophe!" doesn't help a whole lot. The vast majority of participants in USMS OW events swim in events that can satisfy the new requirements, although entry fees may rise slightly. I'd hate for those folks to read this thread, or the one at marathonswimmers.org, and think that the 1- to 3-mile lake swims they enjoy so much are not going to go on at all.
I am looking forward to swimming in Lake Mead and hope I will meet some of you there!
