Newport Beach Pier to Pier Swim

In July I did the Newport Beach Pier to Pier Ocean Swim. The basic idea is that you swim from the Balboa Pier to the Newport Beach Pier. It is called a 2 mile swim but from talking to some of the locals it is more like 2.2 miles. This was the first time I did this race. It is both well attended with a lot of collegiate swimmers and well organized. The shirt that they gave was really cool. Now for the swim details.

There has got to be some kind of strategy to this swim and I will defiantly figure it out. First, the start is absolutely brutal because of all the people and the surf. You have to get out in front of the masses. I got somewhat caught up in them until I rounded the first buoy. There are buoys placed in a box course but I did not look like many people where following the course. I am not sure why. It felt like the current was pushing you into shore, but if you went with the current the course would be shorter. I ended up way out there as I did the course a I was supposed to. However, many swimmers did not. I don't think this event is really taken seriously, as there were no officials going after people off course. Next year, I am just going to follow the pack and see what happens. A fun event.

At the start, hundreds of swimmers.

At the start we had to round the yellow buoy, turn right, and head north.

That's me at the finish. I came in 9th in my age group at 47 minutes.