![]() ![]() The first and second groups each took on three legs, 7.5 miles. Greg Elliott interupted the mind-numbing pursuit by doing as he always does along Channel-swimming attempts: playing traditional bagpipes for the swimmers at dawn.Īs they neared Catalina, everyone had swum 5 miles or more. The group was also met by large, friendly dolphins. “It was so awe-inspiring swimming right through them,” Rusinek said. The 1- to 3-inch-long creatures resemble plastic bags full of water. The first welcome sign on the journey was the orange-and-pink glow of hundreds, then thousands and then a wall of transparent salp. ![]() “You are swimming into the abyss, into some place that you know exists but you can’t see.” “You can’t see land coming or going and it’s a little scary,” Rusinek said. The swimmers also faced a consistent north-to-southwest current while trying to stay in straight formation. The swimmers were each stung 40-60 times, he said. “You’d touch one with your hand and try to push it down and away, but then it would sting your legs,” Rusinek said. And, the 61-degree water that Rusinek says gave everyone mild hypothermia.īut the cold, dark water was nothing compared to the hot, prickly stings of jellyfish. The first challenge was not seeing, save for some foggy moonlight and the glow from glow sticks hooked to the swimmers’ goggles and suit backs. An official observer confirmed and yelled “Start!”Įighteen swimmers swam the relay, 2 miles per leg, slapping hands to switch out every five hours or so. ![]() The first three swimmers swam to shore and raised their arms to signal they were out of the water. The group gathered in San Pedro and everyone was reminded of the relay plan, safety measures and guidelines, so the swim could be recorded as an official Channel challenge.Īt 11:25 p.m., the boat brought all the swimmers and crew offshore of Cabrillo Beach. Rusinek says the group was ready as it could be late Friday night. test swim in La Jolla Cove a month ago to get acclimated to swimming at night in frigid water. The group’s training included 12-15 miles of swimming a week, or 100 miles a month. “Swimmers just want to do something massive like this to satisfy their hunger for the water,” said Rusinek, 51, of Yorba Linda. group said the Catalina swim was a bucket list item for him and others. “Streaker” Julian Rusinek of the South O.C. They’ve swum in 50-degree water on dark winter mornings, through storms and at night to catch a rare perspective of a lunar eclipse. Patrick’s Day – dressed in leprechaun costumes, of course. The group’s inclination for H2O is seen in action: They’ve swum on Christmas, Thanksgiving and St. The Oak Streakers, who strip down to Speedos and regularly swim together at Oak Street Beach, saw Catalina as an exciting challenge. ![]()
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