Saturday, August 22, 2009

Swimming Naked In Alaska

The 8.2-mile Pennock Island Challenge continues to draw open water swimmers from around the world to its challenging course in Alaska.

The naked division attracted English Channel swimmers, cold-water specialists and Triple Crown swimmers to its scenic waters last week.

In the naked division (i.e., no wetsuit) of the charity swim for the American Diabetes Association, experienced marathon swimmer Michelle Macy, not unexpectedly, won the overall title in 3:16:02, but she was push by 43-year-old Elizabeth Albritton-McDonald who finished in 3:17:04.

The top two women, swimming comfortably in the cool Alaskan water, bettered the top men who included 34-year-old English Channel swimmer Kieron Palframan from Cape Town (3:26:29, shown above in the pink cap apparently walking on the water) and fellow South African Andrew Chin (3:33:43). Britta Christensen won the wetsuit division in 3:43:25 while Fish Bait, a local relay team from Ketchikan, won the relay division with Robert Rice, Greg Harrison, Bob Bloom, Bill Elberson and Fred Jorgenson swimming in that order.

67-year-old Triple Crown swimmer Carol Sing from California is shown on left finishing the swim. From shore-to-shore, the 67-year-old Carol, who is entered in the upcoming 17.5-mile Ederle Swim in New York, continues to push boundaries and set inspirational examples of what marathon swimmers can do.

Photos provided by race founder William Schulz.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

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