Sunday, January 10, 2010

Bumpy at Bondi, lovely at Lorne, stunning at Sorrento...

Lovely day at Bondi today, but what a contrast between the two swims! The 1km was swimmng in a millpond, but the 2km was bumpy as all get out, once the seabreeze came in from the sou'-east. Alew Warwar tweeted, too, that the 1km had more starters than the 2km. We'll check that and let you know. V. interesting if that's the case.

In Victoria, we saw the Lorne Pier to Pub on the TV news. Got a great run. One of our plants there, Big Ted, tell us they had near perfect conditions with a following breeze, incoming tide, 19 deg C water, and glorious sun. We have another plant, Aquagirl, who is doing a report for us, including Sorrento, which she did on Sunday as a warm down (and Big Ted was planning to do, too).

Scarborough and Albany in the West, Seacliff in SA...

What do you lot reckon? Click the comments button below to leave your thoughts...

15 comments:

  1. Excellent swim at Bondi, really enjoyed it, good course, water clear as glass, well organised as always.

    Just one (minor) comment: distinctly heard an announcement that the “gate” (the two red bouys in the middle on the leg back up the beach) was there for guidance only, and that we were not supposed to swim through it. Am sure am not the only one who heard this.

    So why did the surf ski dude stop me and several others from heading on a line to the left of the gate? We were made to do a ninety degree turn and almost swim backwards so as to go through the gate. Not a major problem but would be good if there was better communication between the announcer and the water safety on this occasion.

    If either or both of the Salamon brothers are reading this, you can take a minute off my time! Unless the same thing happened to you guys!

    Other than that it was a good swim.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bondi did put on a great day!!!! The 1Km had my kind of conditions, however felt very loooong, does anyone know the actual distance of the 1?


    Catrin

    ReplyDelete
  3. It struck me just before the 2k Race this afternoon that Neil Rogers might just be the Phil Liggett of ocean swimming. Sometimes this things just pop into my head, anyone else agree?

    Moose

    ReplyDelete
  4. Maroota Peach FarmerJanuary 11, 2010 at 9:28 AM

    Greenhouse friendly.
    During the 2k swim I had a vision.
    Absolute Kelvin Rudderless delivering from the Church Gate. "I will send my followers, Farthing Wrong and Geter Parett(endangered species)to spread the word".
    "Oceanswimming is the human endeavour for the carbonless years, as no evil concrete holds the water."
    Maroota peach farmer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1K did feel a little long didn't it? I"m thinking maybe 1.15?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thankyou Mr bondi surf club for the more Family friendly entry fees, to have a lower entry fee for under nineteens is welcomed.
    As a old git swimming from the end waves, I like to swim wide when overtaking as I do not like hitting other swimmers. To avoid one group of swimmers I literally hit the bow of the surf boat, a bit more space please.
    All in all the Bondi swims are amongst the premier swims in Sydney.
    Thankyou Peter McCrae.

    ReplyDelete
  7. G'day Glenn.

    Good to see you're watching my time. Same thing happened to me with the red gate, although I was alerted by other swimmers slamming into me from the left. Gotta learn to breathe left one of these days...
    How clear was the water? Loved seeing the shark net floating right near the bottom.
    Thanks to everyone involved for a well run swim.

    Rob Salamon

    ReplyDelete
  8. North Bondi - It was one of those days where it paid to enter both swims - and experience 2 swims in quite different conditions on the same morning.
    The earlier 1k swim (1.2k?)was like a gentle paddle around an aquarium - no wave, calm sea, crystal clear water - following the schools of little fish and track marks of sea creatures accross the sandy bottom.
    After the SouthEaster blew in mid-morning and chopped up the course, the organisers sensibly shortened the 2k course (1.8k?) and moved the 3rd turning buoy in from past Mackenzies point to give swimmers some cover from the worst of it. Water was still clear and could see the bottom all the way, but the chop all the way made the course much more challenging. Especially the trek to the first turning buoy -trudge 50m through knee-deep water then swim 400m straight into the chop with no assistance from any rip on the day.
    The organisers were well-prepared for the extra numbers of swimmers this year - short queues at registration, wave starts on time and well-spaced, very little congestion - I had clear water in front of me most of the way on both swims, except for the "gate" - got caught up in a little traffic jam there on both swims - not sure what was the purpose of that little zig-zag turn near the finish. Plenty of fresh fruit for all and the presentations were right on time. Water safety was everywhere in their fluorescent green skivvies, some might say too much, after I almost rammed a surf boat that was stationed to shepherd me back onto the course.
    I'm looking forward to doing both swims again at North Bondi at their next event in February.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great day for a swim at Bondi yesterday. When I arrived I thought we were in for really flat conditions. Then the wind arrived, making things rather choppy and bumpy. A big thank you to the organisers for such a well run event, especially given the large numbers of swimmers. The water safety people were helpful as usual and there was plenty of water and fruit at the end of the swim. I enjoyed the majority of my swim and being with my fellow competitors.

    Reading Glenn Muir’s post, and seeing his time, I think that I was part of a group not too far behind his. I also came across the water safety person directing the mob back out to sea to go through the ‘gate’ buoys. Having done the event last year, and seeing the diagram on the beach, I assumed that we were meant to go through them and that I was simply off course. Being redirected by water safety personnel didn’t concern me. What does concern me is the verbal and physical assault that I (being a female swimmer) experienced from a very aggressive male swimmer. As I came towards the water safety person, I realised that the swimmers in front and around me had slowed. I did the same thing and realised that instructions were being given to us by the water safety person. I put my head up to hear and see what was going on.

    It was at this point that a male swimmer to the left of me yelled at me to “go on, get moving ” and when I didn’t reset my course and recommence swimming quick enough for his liking, he raised both his hands and shoved me roughly to the side as he continued to verbally abuse me. I accept that in ocean swimming there is going to be accidental bumping, hitting and kicking between competitors, especially when it is crowded. However, what happened to me was an unprovoked, deliberate and intentional assault.

    Physical and verbal assault have no place in ocean swimming where the majority of competitors have the decency to make adjustments to their swim course and styles based on the prevailing conditions, including the actions of other swimmers in their midst and instructions given by the water safety crew. There is no excuse for thuggery.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Glenn, you can take a minute off my time too! I heard the very same instruction at the start. And I was cursing underwater at being made to turn hard right and go through the gate with a LOT of traffic.

    John Salamon

    ReplyDelete
  11. More and more comments re: aggro in these swims...becoming a concern!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I had a similar problem with, I'm sure were well intentioned but unfortunately a little over enthusiastic clubbies on their mals on the Tasman side of the those bloody red gates.

    As I've written in previous blogs, I often like to swim a "deep sea" course for what I believe to be reasons of good sense. Whether it be to safely stand off a large swell breaking closer to shore or simply to avoid the impedence of the stand-up effect that shallower water has on swell; or to avoid often slight but nonetheless present opposing currents closer to the bay (wanna try one out with the stopwatch? go down to Coogee!); or simply to avoid the rabble of misguided punters desperately trying to swim back out to the last mark, only then having to make a hairpin turn to get around it.

    In any fairly onshore swell I usually much prefer a steady reach, working ever so slightly against it across the bay and then a gentle hyperbolic slingshot curve around the last turn with the swell behind me, rather than the aforemetioned shitfight anyday.

    In true tortiose and hair fashion a slow mug swimmer such as myself can pull back plenty of their own coloured caps, and maybe even a couple from the colour behind that had just overtaken you. And if a mal or ski stands to interrupt your cunning strategy, hold your breath and swim under them. Deadset easy, they don't draw that much water. I wouldn't wanna try it on with a surfboat or rubber ducky though; lest one might get brained by an oar or the leg of an outbaord.

    Remember, swim with yer head, not just under it.

    Regs,

    Davo.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Like Glenn, I also thought I heard the announcer say that the red gates were for guidance only. It did not worry me as I was aligned to swim through them (more by good luck than good navigation!) but anyone who was closer to the shore would have had to swim extra to go through.

    One plea, please. Conical buoys, especially white ones are very hard to spot from a distance. The pink banner on the cliff was a big help though.

    All in all, Sunday's swim was very well run and a pleasure to participate in. Thank you to the organisers and volunteers for making the day so enjoyable. A special thank you to the very generous sponsor who provided the watches - I was lucky enough to win a random prize and am a very happy swimmer.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi all,

    Yes I too was one of the multitude who had to turn back out to sea in order to go through the gate, but I figure it's the price you sometimes have to pay for saving energy and following someone's feet instead of charting your own course.

    Another minor error was running flat out up the beach at the finish. The legs slowed down in a patch of soft sand while the body forged enthusiastically ahead, leading to an excruciatingly slow but otherwise harmless face plant. Ah well the g/f did the same and it didn't stop her from winning her age group as usual.

    Roll on Warriewood to Mona Vale!

    ReplyDelete
  15. After 18+ years of Ocean swimming races, I decided to skip Bondi swim this year (for the 1st time in many many years)& take the plunge down in Melbourne in the Pier to Pub. What an experience !! 4000+ swimmers with over 30 seperate waves. Ran like clockwork & was very well organised overall. Over 15,000 spectators on a glorious day. Word of advice for those considering the event...DONT FORGET YOUR WETSUIT ! Water temp was 20 degrees, however when in Melbourne, do as the Melbournians do, ie; wear a wetsuit otherwise you will be left behind. I know I was.

    Will be back again next year for another 'crack at it', with wetsuit in hand ..(& a later flight out ex Avalon airport)

    ReplyDelete

Please use the drop down menu, Comment as, to attach your name to your blog.