Beach Party

No stripe to follow along the bottom of the water. Visibility of less than two feet. Unseen creatures lurking beneath the surface. Determined arms and legs all around you. Choppy, cold water and breaking waves enveloping you with every breath.

Don't be confused. This isn't the introduction for another deep-water, killer-shark epic, and it's not the prologue to a new Stephen King novel.

This is open water swimming at its best and most challenging, and from June 4-8 in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., with the beautiful sands of Estero Island and waters of the Gulf of Mexico as a backdrop, hundreds of the nation's best swimmers will be testing their individual mettle - both physically and mentally - at the 2004 Open Water Swimming Festival.

Hosted by the city of Fort Myers Beach, the festival, built around USA Swimming's three open water national championship races - the 5K, 10K and 25K - as well as a masters level 5K, has taken on a family fun theme, geared toward swimmers and patrons alike. Medals will be presented to the top 8 places for men and women, and awards will also be given to the members of the top 3 teams, as well as the 18-and-under champion for both men and women.

"We really want to make it a party atmosphere and get everyone involved and excited about what's taking place," said Gregg Cross, who's organizing the four-day event. "Of course, the focus will be on the national championships, but this is a festival with something for everyone, whether or not they're interested exclusively in swimming."

Cash Dash

Sandwiched in between USA Swimming's national open water championship races is the Astoria Open Water Festival, a daylong extravaganza June 5 that features the Individual Open Water Time Trials, where swimmers race solo for time over a closed 500-yard course. Also included in the day's events is a $1,000 Sunset Dash for Cash - a 1,000-yard open water sprint offering a cash purse to the top five male and female swimmers. Neither event is sanctioned by USA Swimming.

"There's always been a day in between events with nothing organized for the swimmers or their families and friends to do, so we wanted to put something together that would get everyone involved and excited," Cross said. "By adding these events, we're hoping everyone will stay and make a weekend of it and really enjoy the atmosphere."

That night, Brian Howe, former lead singer of super group Bad Company (after Paul Rodgers left the band) and a resident of Fort Myers Beach, will give a free concert, singing group classics like "Movin' On," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Holy Water" and "Rock and Roll Fantasy," as well as songs from his solo album Tangled in Blue.

"Of course, all of us who listen to ‘old guy radio' remember Bad Company," said S.A. "Sid" Cassidy, a member of USA Swimming's International Open Water Committee and consultant to the meet director.

"I'm sure the energy that Brian and the band will bring to the stage will give the younger swimmers and fans a concert to remember, and we won't have to worry about any Timberlake/Jacksonesque antics."

While the national open water championship races will decide who will represent the United States at the 2004 World Open Water Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the entire event is intended to send a message that Fort Myers Beach is a great location for future open water events.

"It's our hope that this will convince FINA to consider Fort Myers Beach for a future World Championships," said Cross, an age group coach with Swim Florida. "We're really looking at this as a dress rehearsal - a stepping stone - for future events.

"We held the 10K National Championships here last year, but we believe once more people in the swimming world get a feel for what a great location this is for open water swimming, they'll want to hold more events here."

National Championships

Rick Walker, the U.S. National Open Water Team head coach, will be on-hand at the festival to help with the selection process for the U.S. team.

He views all the activities surrounding the three national championship races as a great draw, not only for Fort Myers Beach, but also for open water swimming - particularly for those who aren't familiar with swimming outside the confines of a pool.

"Gregg's plans for the Open Water Festival are what we have been wanting for many years," said Walker, head coach of the Southern Illinois University swim teams. "I have always felt that our events could provide an area like Fort Meyers a way to highlight its most pristine beaches and tourist areas. Many of the athletes who will be competing will be from out of state, and this will bring them to a place they can tell their coaches about. 

"Future Florida trips are made by coaches who are familiar with certain areas, and this will prove an awesome marketing tool for Fort Meyers. Although I will have swimmers there who won't be able to take the cash, it will not prevent them from competing."

While Cross expects many of the nation's top open water swimmers to compete (most competitors won't sign up until the month prior to the event, and athletes can qualify for the championship races right up to the festival), with this being an Olympic Year, most of the country's best distance swimmers will be preparing for U.S. Olympic Trials. There is also a USA Swimming Grand Prix meet in Charlotte in June, which might preclude some swimmers from competing.

"I know that at Nationals, Chris Thompson told me he would really like to participate in the 5 and 10K swims, but he would yield to the wishes of his coach, Jon Urbanchek," said Cassidy, head coach of the Atlantic City Aquatic Club. "While Jon is a great supporter of (open water swimming), a swimmer of Chris' level must remain focused on the Long Beach (Olympic) Trials. I would be very surprised if many Olympic Trials contenders take part simply because of the timing.

"Last year at the 10K, I attended as a coach and had a swimmer - Ross Thomas -finish in fourth place. He is primarily focused on his pool swimming this spring, but we have not ruled out that he may return, especially if USA Swimming makes the 10K a selection event for the first Pan-Am Open Water International Event in Panama in late June. I still hope to have a few swimmers compete for our club in the 5K event."

Something for Everyone

Whether or not you've ever been to a swim meet, this event provides a new definition of what most people view as swimming.

Considering the circumstances that these open water swimmers will encounter - battling the elements, following an uncharted path, swimming great distances without walls or ropes to cling to and possible interference from marine life, to name a few - open water swimming is truly a lesson in self-achievement and perseverance.

At the same time, the four-day festival is an opportunity for the sport to attract and keep a new audience previously unaware of the extreme conditions open water athletes overcome to achieve their goals.

"I have been involved as the national coordinator or National Team coach for over 17 years, and this is what we have always envisioned our events could be - a festival of true swimming against nature and elements," Walker added. "These athletes put in as much, if not more time than other national swimmers, and this is a great opportunity for them to gain some of the notoriety they deserve.

"If the event goes off well, and it draws spectators to the beachfront, more cities will be interested, and we can continue to make it a festival type atmosphere. What Fort Meyers is doing is setting the benchmark by which all other hosts will be compared."

Cassidy agrees.

"The folks in Fort Myers have been hard at work on this project, and I know they will provide a great opportunity for swimmers and teams to really have some fun and become introduced to open water swimming," Cassidy said. "I believe this festival will attract veterans and newcomers alike, and I encourage all to get involved."

Ultimately, this festival is a way to reward these athletes who put in long hours of training - in the pool and open water, as well as on land - with the recognition and exposure they and their sport deserve.

Cross said he has already arranged for a local television station to broadcast the event live and estimates that more than 200,000 people, both at home and in person, will witness this race of endurance and strategy. Local and some national print media and radio have also shown a strong interest in previewing and covering the festival as it unfolds.

"There are many things that come our way in life and never get attention, and the athletes who are attending this event will be pursing their dream to represent the USA at the Open Water World Championships," Walker said. "There is such a minute percentage of people who can say they were able to represent their town, much less their country. 

"These swimmers will be battling many demons during the race, the two biggest being nature and themselves. If you are into sport, I mean the true essence of sport, you need to see this. These athletes live it out each and every day."