A Rough-Water Race for Hardy Competitors

On signal shortly after daybreak Sunday, a hardy band of 50 to 60 swimmers will run across the sand and hurl themselves through the ocean waves on the west side of the Huntington Beach pier.

It is the start of the championship race to the Seal Beach Pier, 10 arduous rough-water miles away.

Just past the surf line, each swimmer will be met by a paddler, a buddy on a surf board who will guide and advise on direction, obstacles in the water and other conditions.

Stationed along the course will be vessels from the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; the Seal Beach Yacht Club will supply equipment and provide personnel to monitor the swimmers and to handle emergencies.

Winners Will Be U.S. Champs

About three hours later, the first woman and first man to reach Seal Beach will become U. S. champions of the 10-mile rough-water swim. They will have overcome competitors, ocean currents, wind conditions, possible fog and chill, seaweed, ocean inhabitants and floating objects. The water temperature will probably be in the mid-60s.

The endurance and abilities of the swimmers and the prestige of the championship--officially sanctioned by U.S. Swimming and U. S. Masters Swimming organizations--make this the most dramatic race of the all-day 20th Annual Seal Beach Rough Water Swim.

Thirteen other events are scheduled: men’s and women’s 3-mile and 1-mile races, and 200- to 1,200-yard ocean swims for boys and girls ages 7-14. About 800 in all will compete, and entries to all but the 10- and 3-mile races may be submitted Sunday at the site.

Most races will begin and end on the west side of the Seal Beach pier. At 8 a.m., the 3-milers will speed to a buoy off the Belmont Oil Island and back; then 1-milers will swim to the jetty and back. Children’s events follow.

Participants will be cheered by spectators on the beach and the pier, and winners will be rewarded with trophies and medals in ceremonies on a bandstand. All participants will receive a ribbon, program, swim cap and T-shirt.

The souvenir shirts, bright turquoise with striking pink-and-white graphics, will also be on sale for $9. Profits from these sales as well as from the event will benefit the Seal Beach Swim Club and its programs for children and adults.

The swim club coach, Scott Weir, and his wife, Betty, are chairmen of the event this year and are assisted by Bob and Karren Herron of Surfside Colony, who have run the show the past two years. Fifty volunteers will assist.

As it has for previous swims, the host Seal Beach Lions Club will hold a fish fry at the base of the pier from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday. Lions president Jim Klisanin promises Icelandic or Canadian cod, French fries and cole slaw for $4, with proceeds from this and a bake sale to benefit the club’s projects involving sight and hearing conservation, drug abuse, diabetes and other community efforts.

Other local lures include shops and specialty food vendors along Seal Beach’s quaint Main Street, which melds into the pier.

The star attraction, though, remains the open-sea competition, a sporting phenomenon that continues to grow yearly.

More Swims Than Ever

“There are more swimmers now and more ocean swims available than ever before,” said Steve Schofield, chairman of the Southern Pacific Masters Assn. “Swimmers are increasing at a rate of 15% to 20% a year.”

A veteran of ocean competition and a former team swimmer for Pasadena High School and UCLA, Schofield will compete in the 10-mile swim for the first time.

For Janet Royer, holder of the best time in the women’s 3-mile race and masters (over 19) coach at the prestigious Industry Hills complex, the Seal Beach event is multifaceted.

This year she will be a paddler for a 10-mile competitor and will race in the 3-mile event if she gets back in time. She will be with her usual 30- to 50-person group from the Industry Hills Swim Club, which has taken home a whale’s share of prizes in the past.

“Our people train with the same seriousness as Olympic hopefuls,” she said, “but primarily the purpose is conditioning. This event is also social for us. It’s a day at the beach for the inland people and we do a lot of cheering.”

A fair share of the applause will go to diminutive 82-year-old Katie Pelton, who has competed regularly in the 1-mile swims.

“Not only does she swim, she does well,” coach Royer said.

Teammate Joann Ringland calls the race her yearly challenge, and swimming her lifesaver. Seven years ago, she was shot in the back during a robbery and subsequently was told she would never walk again.

For the fourth straight year, she will walk to the ocean with the aid of a cane, hand the cane to a friend, plunge in, swim a mile, and maneuver back to the beach, where she will receive her cane and congratulations.

Paddle-Board Adviser

Ringland attributes her progress to swimming, as well as to her husband, Bill, who will be on a paddle board advising her.

Karren Herron, event assistant chairman, said the paddling can be more strenuous than the swimming.

“There is a great challenge to it but very little recognition,” she said. This year, paddlers may still be needed and can volunteer by calling Betty Weir at (213) 431-2495.

Who knows? A new volunteer may be assisting at the competitive christening of another Lynne Cox.