For 1st Time, Woman Wins 10-Mile Rough Water Swim

Year after year since 1994, Laural Hooper has watched other swimmers pull ahead to win the 10-mile Seal Beach Rough Water Swim. On Saturday, it was her turn, making Hooper the first woman to win in the annual event’s 31-year history.

Hooper, 25, a lifeguard at Laguna Beach, was in a smaller-than-usual field of 13 competing in the race from the Huntington Beach Pier to the Seal Beach Pier. Men and women compete together in the race, the most high-profile of several in an event sponsored by the Seal Beach Swim Club.

With the water temperature a pleasant 69 degrees and conditions calm, Hooper finished the race in 3 hours, 28 minutes, 48 seconds. The record, 2:42:48, was set in 1990 by Michael Nelson.

Hooper said she redoubled her efforts to win after defending champion Alex Kostich of Santa Monica, who was in the lead, had to pull out about halfway because of illness. He later recovered enough to compete in--and win--the event’s 1-mile race.

“I wasn’t really thinking about winning until Alex pulled out,” said Hooper. “But with him out of the race, I said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ So I picked up the pace and started to swim a little harder.”

Hooper was assisted by her friend and fellow lifeguard Mark Klosterman, who swam alongside on a paddleboard, carrying water and helping keep her on track.

“When she realized she got the lead, she put it on after-burners,” Klosterman said. “She was not going to be denied today.”

After completing the race, Hooper and Klosterman hugged as Hooper could barely contain her tears of happiness. “Every year is different. I love this race,” she said.

Hooper finished 10 minutes ahead of second-place finisher John York of Manhattan Beach.

“There was no way I was ever going to catch Laural,” said York, 38. “She was blazing. And nothing was going to keep her from the finish.”

York’s time was 3:38:08. Dave Matthews of Wisconsin was one minute behind York to take third in 3:39:17.

Hooper said she had no plans to stop swimming the Seal Beach event now that she has won.

“I want to make this a tradition,” Hooper said.