Rough-Water Test : Hilgers, 14, Is Ready to Try 10 Miles in Ocean Swim Event

In the realm of racing, 10 miles may not sound like much. But in the water, swimming 10 miles can seem like an eternity. Especially when factors such as water temperature, weather, sea creatures, unruly waters and sea sickness can all combine to create a wild scenario of adversity.

Lindsay Hilgers, 14, who will be making her first attempt at the 10-mile distance in the Seal Beach Rough Water Swim Saturday, can’t wait to test the ocean’s unknowns.

“I feel pretty good right now,” said Hilgers, who lives in Seal Beach. “I just hope I feel this good on Saturday. The farthest I’ve gone is three miles. So this will be all new to me. But I think if I keep on track and take my food and liquid, I think I’ll do OK.”

Last year, at 13, Hilgers won the event’s three-mile race for women. Her coach, Scott Weir of the Seal Beach Swim Club, says she has the makings of a “great ocean swimmer.”

“She’s a pretty good pool swimmer. But she’s exceptional in the ocean,” Weir said. “In ocean swimming, there’s a lot of adversity. The water can be choppy, it can be cold and most likely, a swimmer will have to adjust their breathing. But Lindsay seems to adapt very well. In fact, I would say she thrives on it.”

Currently, the water temperature off the Orange County shore is about 67 degrees. Not bad for someone surfing or frolicking in the waves. But in a race like the 10-mile swim, being in the water for two hours or more can have an impact. Indeed, hypothermia is a risk Weir said.

“When you’re in the water for that amount of time, it does take its toll on the body,” he said. “And when most of these swimmers have finished, it’s quite common to find the early stages of hypothermia setting in.”

But Hilgers isn’t worried about frigid waters.

“If the water temperature stays in that [67-degree] range, I should be OK,” Hilgers said. “I seem to have a tolerance for cold water. When most people might be complaining about the cold water, I don’t seem to feel it.”

Nor is she too worried about the local sea life.

“I’m not really worried about sharks or anything. Though there was this time when some dolphins swam by me and I thought they were sharks. That was kind of scary,” Hilgers said.

The race starts at 6 a.m. at the Huntington Beach Pier. From there, the swimmers will maintain a course along the shore, finishing at the Seal Beach Pier.

Some of the more famous winners of the race include Irvine’s Chad Hundeby, who holds the record for swimming the English Channel; Karen Burton of the Air Force Academy, who broke Hundeby’s record for swimming the Catalina Channel and Carol Lee of Arden Hills, near Sacramento, who has the fastest time recorded in the Seal Beach women’s event at 2 hours 57 minutes 33 seconds.

There are no records in open water events due to the varying conditions of the ocean. Even if there were records in this event, Hilgers wouldn’t be going after them this year. She has a realistic outlook about the race.

“The most important thing for me is to just finish the race,” Hilgers said. “A few people tried to talk me out of it, including my sister, who thinks it’s way too long. But I want to prove I can do it. I want to prove to myself I can swim 10 miles.”

But while Hilgers dismisses any talk of a great finish, Weir thinks she might surprise a few people.

“She is right on track in her training,” Weir said, noting that her ocean workout consists of three-mile swims, three days a week. She also works out three days a week in the pool.

The race requires that each swimmer be accompanied by either a paddler or kayaker. Hilgers’ father, Stephen, will be with her during the race on a paddleboard offering her encouragement and looking for any signs of trouble.

“I guess I’ll know when I’m in trouble. But I don’t anticipate any,” she said, laughing.

Hilgers’ bravado is something else that makes Weir believe she could become one of the best in ocean swimming. “Besides her ability to adapt to ocean conditions, she is very determined and is not put off by ocean conditions. She loves to swim the ocean,” he said.

And if she has a good race, would the possibility emerge for a longer race? Like the Catalina Channel swim?

“Yeah, maybe one day I would think about that race,” she said. “But that’s a 26-mile swim. And that is such a long way. I’ll just take it one step at a time.”

Rough Water Notes

The 27th Seal Beach Rough Water Swim will attract about 399 swimmers, with more than 30 entered in the 10-mile race . . . In addition to the 10-mile swim, the event also features three- and one-mile swims as well as 1,200-, 800-, 400- and 200-yard ocean swims. Participants’ ages range from 7 to 70 years old . . . Except for the 10-mile swim, all the events will start at the Seal Beach Pier on Main Street. . . . The three-mile event is scheduled to start at 8 a.m., followed by age-group events at 8:30. The one-mile swim will start about 10 a.m.

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Ocean Specific

The 27th Seal Beach Rough Water Swim takes place Saturday at the base of the pier. The main events will be races of one, three and 10 miles. There also will be age-group races ranging from 200 to 1,200 yards. Competition is closed, but spectators may watch from the pier and beach. Events * 10-Mile Race Start: 6 a.m. * 3-Mile Race Start: 8 a.m. * Age-Group Races Start: 8:30 a.m. * 1-Mile Race Start: 10 a.m. Source: Seal Beach Swim Club