2007-08-07
Long Bridge Swim
If anyone is looking for a very fun and beautiful open water event, this should certainly be on your mind. This year (August 4) was the 13th annual event and, judging by the 500+ swimmers who showed up for the community swim and the 109 swimmers who competed in the USMS Championship event, I imagine this is a swim that will be around for years. There are a number of reasons Arizonans should consider adding this to their ‘summer open water’ race repertoire:
- Being a month or so before La Jolla, this can serve as a nice tune-up race. As the distance is 1.76 miles, it could serve as either a ‘sprint’ for those contemplating the Gatorman or a ‘distance’ event for those planning on the 1 mile in La Jolla.
- Sandpoint and the surrounding area boasts a mountain / lake beauty that can’t be found in Arizona. While a small community, Sandpoint has enough going on in its downtown area to make a great long weekend out of the event. It’s a very outdoorsy town and you could easily spend much more time touring that part of the country. My wife and I had a great meal at a marina-side restaurant (Sand Creek Grill) and stayed at the equally charming Inn.
- This year the water temperature was perfect at about 72 degrees and the air temp, though chilly during registration, was quite nice by the time the race got underway. The water was exceptionally clean and the sun was at our backs during the swim, making sighting a lot easier. (I still went astray, but that’s my own fault).
- Unlike many other open water events, where spectators can only really see the action at the start and the finish, this event was more like a running race as the spectators were able to ‘line’ the course by walking along a pedestrian/bike path on the bridge. It made for a much livelier event throughout.
The race organizers, volunteers and community really got behind this event, keeping it fun, but still competitive. Check out their website next year if you’re looking for something to do in early August.
Patrick Brundage
