Just a quick note - Cooks Hills was a return to the ocean swimming conditions that we know and love... water c. 20C, clear, very clear, gentle, reassuring swell, light offshore breeze... cloudy, but oh, so lovely... and the hot showers! Rigged up on the beach through a fire hose run through a gas heater on the promenade... certainly a treat, and one of the idiosyncracies of this swim that marks it into our psyches...
Such a good result for the Cooks Hill club as organisers, too, with 312 mug punters finishing, after 249 last season. This was the first of its three outings that this swim has enjoyed a reasonable day. It was postponed the first year, from memory, and last season was a day from hell. But today, il etait formidable!
Maybe you did the open water at Penriff...
More later, but tell us what you reckon...
The Bar to Beach has endured the wild seas over its few years; 1st year cancelled due to hi seas, 2nd year 30 knot offshore winds and 15 deg water, 3rd year, big swells and a rip covering the final turn, but Sunday was very flat (and warm). Barely any swell to test surf skills but just the same, a great swim.
ReplyDeleteThe Cooks Hill SLSC put on a great show; well organised with helpful volunteers in bright orange garb. Queue traffic control, timing chips, easy to follow, well-marked course, beaut scenery.
This year, they threw in a beach run, with perhaps only a handful of competitors. I can't fault this swim, not that I'd be trying to - but my only criticism, which would serve for Bilgola as well, is the 15 year age group categories, and then a 50+ age group. I can understand the scales of economy with such events, and the prizes here were certainly generous, but 15 years covers a huge range of abilities. I feel sorry for my 72 year old mate from my hometown who has then to compete against the likes of some very fast 50 somethings. I appreciate that there were a large number of giveaways at the end, but please consider the 60, 70 yo's giving it a go.
excellent swim cooks hill surf club! thank-you neptune for finally providing perfect conditions for this swim. i've swum up and down this course heaps of times, even been overtaken by a pod of dolphins once, but never in such great conditions. what an armada of safety people along the way! great course to totally smash yourself because you don't need to worry about which direction you're going in - just head for the headland.
ReplyDeleteam a bit perplexed by the "warm" comments though - yes, it wasn't cold, but i stood under those excellent hot showers for 10 minutes (until i started getting looks from people waiting) and still came out shivering. must work on better thermoregulation. but thank-you for the showers. how lovely.
not really worried about 15 year age groups - generally i only stand a chance if there are 3 or less people in my age group. the addiction to ocean swims is not based on glory for me!
paul your proposed bar beach to newcastle beach swim sounds great. imagine the excellent scenery along the way. i would love to be in a reconnaissance swim if youse sydney guys want to come up and do one.
ps. the dolphin comment is a bit of a skite but it honestly happened one christmas evening a few years ago - helped to ease the mental pain of spending the day at the mother-in-law's
pps. congratulations to the two local girls who took first and second place overall
ppps. oops, too much wine...can't remember
over and out
15year age groups is too much. A bit of a cash grab and the additional Bolt for Bucks event was a let down as well. It was not bolt for bucks but bolt for vouchers. Please explain organisers, you give money to category winners in the swim event but not the run???
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