South Shore Classic

This past weekend was full of racing. On Saturday, a new swim race came to town, the South Shore Classic. If you are a swimmer and live on Oahu or happen to be visiting at the time of this event next year, I highly recommend checking it out! It's a pretty unique race, something I've never seen before in Ocean swim racing (not that I've seen it all by any means).

Here's how it works. There are actually 4 different races: Women's 1-mile, Men's 1-mile, Keki, and the Elite 2-mile (men and women) races. The Women's 1-mile race started at 2pm (what?! a race starting after 6am, that's amazing!). Anyways, at 2pm women 70 years of age and older start, 1 minute later women in their 60s run into the water, 50 seconds later all the 40s head out, 40 seconds later the 30s and 30 (or 20, I can't remember) seconds later if you are 29 or younger you go. The course was two, 800meter loops with a short beach run in between and the first person to cross the finish line, regardless of start time or age is the winner. At 2:45ish the Men's 1-mile race started and followed the same format. The keki race began around 3:30 with a similar format and then the  big one, the 2-mile race around 4:15. I'm not exactly sure of the start times of this race, but the women and men were all in one race, the women got a head start on the men (I think 3 minutes?) and then the men started, again the first person to cross the line regardless of gender or start time was crowned the South Shore Champion. Super cool format!

I decided, on a whim to sign up for the race on Saturday afternoon. Aaron was water support, so I was going to be down there anyways and why not?! I hadn't been feeling that great in the water and wanted to dust off the cobwebs and a short, fast swim race is just the way to do it. I've been swimming a ton and knew I was swimming well, but sometimes  you just don't feel good in the water, so this was an excellent idea.

The race ended up going swimmingly, I went out fast and found my groove, swimming through a bunch of people. The water was crystal clear and there was a bit of a current and some waves on the way in to shore, but nothing too crazy. By the last buoy on the first loop, I caught Miki who had also swum through a bunch of people. Out of the water and onto the beach, short little run and back in for the final lap. I had clear water and a paddle board escort for the remainder of the swim, not so bad. There was a bit of surf coming into the beach on each of the laps and it would have been nice to catch a wave and ride it in to shore, but the surf was not in my favor and I missed every one that came by, oh well. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

I couldn't be happier with how this race went. For the inaugural race, it seemed to go off without a hitch, at least from a participant's stand point. I know there's a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes to make a race like this, or really any kind of race happen, so congrats! I'm super stoked that I was able to participate in the inaugural year and am already looking forward to next year...maybe I'll take a swing at the 2-miler (as long as there's not another race the next day).

What a great idea, Thanks Todd and John and Raul and everyone else that helped you three get this race off the ground and for your forward thinking which created something new and exciting here on Oahu! 

The race even scored a write up on the Open Water Swimming Daily Website. That's pretty cool.

up next...North Shore Tri write up!