TikiSwim 4

TikiSwim 4 was September 29, 2014

It was a beautiful day to be standing at the oceans door. Today, the final check-in was busy with the excitement of many athletes, being skillfully directed by the TikiSwim crew and volunteers. Each person met up with the friends and competitors. Each athlete had begun their preparation for the swim that would start in the next 30 minutes.

Today, would be just another race for Jacee Frivaldo and Carson Gossler who have been doing this swim since its first year. What is so phenomenal about the swim is that you start in the same place and finish in the same place but, no one swim is the same. As open water swimmers say, welcome to open water where no one day is the same.

The youth from the Catalina Channel Relays were well represented - The Children's Crusade Relay and The Channel Cat's. Spencer, Ethan, Jacee, Carson, Cayden, Valerie and Colin. As excited as they all were to see one another, this was an individual race the challenge was on!

As the horn sounded the sea of swimmers jumped in and got caught up in the surf. Except for a select few. Those were the ones that road the waves out successfully. Trust me, it did not look easy for those swimmers either. The surf had delayed the start for the race and would end the race for others.

Those that escaped the surf were off and the thrust of the current would decrease the overall speed for a period of time. But finally, the current relented and the lead swimmers began to make headway toward the turn 2 miles away.

As the lead swimmer entered the marina with a kayaker to guide his swim the pack followed.

Ethan McVeigh was the second swimmer that kept a close eye on the lead swimmer. The remaining swimmers swiftly followed. The first female came into site only to discover there were two female swimmers challenging one another to the finish. With each stroke who would win was the question at hand. The young ladies pushed each other to the finish. In the end, only one would finish first.
As they exited the water Haley Chasin would edge out Jacee Frivaldo by the elusive 3 hundreds of a second.

Congratulations, Haley!

We never want to forget our fabulous training partners from La Jolla Cove Swim Club that continue to encourage our youth to reach for the seas. Doug Burleigh, Kim Miller great job in your race. Thank you for all of your support!