The Fat Salmon Recap

The Fat Salmon Open Water Swim took place this past Saturday.  The first time I ever swam an open water event, it was the Fat Salmon, so I always think of it fondly.

Speedy Reedy has its own connection with the race; we've been providing the swim caps for the Fat Salmon for years, now.  The last two years, we've partnered with Blue Seventy, so you'll see our two logos on one side, and The Salmon on the other.  This year, we also donated a Safe Swimmer Float for the raffle - it seemed like an appropriate prize.

Anyway, here follows a recap of the swim, provided by our Fat Salmon inside contact, Carol Peterman.

2014 Fat Salmon Open Water Swim

The cloudy skies and threat of rain on race day didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the Fat Salmon Open Water Swim participants in the least. Lining up to jump into Lake Washington at the Day Street Boat Launch, it was all smiles as they marched toward the start of the 3.2 mile swim to Madison Park.

A cheer from the spectators sailed out to greet the first swimmers spotted from the shore; four determined competitors battling it out to the finish. Zach Walters was the first to emerge from the water and cross the finish line, setting a new course record for the men's wetsuit division with a time of 1 hour and 42 seconds.  Steve Sholdra was right behind him, finishing in 1 hour and 46 seconds, also setting a new course record for the men's non-wetsuit division.

For the first time in the 15 year history of the Fat Salmon race there was a tie!  Madeline Klobuchar and Shannon Woods tied for first place in the women's non-wetsuit division with a finish time of 1 hour, 12 minutes and 36 seconds.  Christine Avelar locked up first in the women's wetsuit division, finishing in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 17 seconds.

The transition from water to land can be a wobbly one. Volunteers were at the ready to help swimmers quickly find their land-legs and hustle down the finish chute to cross the finish line.

The 2014 Fat Salmon Swim goes down in the history books as a great success, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors.

What does it take to put on a fun and SAFE open water swim?

• 30 Kayakers shepherding swimmers along the course
• 23 Lifeguards watching from paddle boards, 2 in boats and 1 at the finish
• 8 Motorboats -- each with a swimmer spotter and a Ham Radio operator
• Ham Radio operators at the finish area relaying course status updates
• 2 Harbor Patrol boats monitoring lake traffic
• 1 Jetski for quick course exit/rescue
• 2 Paramedics and an ambulance stationed at the finish
• 1 MD roving the park post-race, looking for any ill or injured swimmers
• and MANY other volunteers