Weather Curtails Coastline Swim
Scott Zornig cut short his attempt to swim the entire Orange County coastline because of stormy weather Saturday morning.
Zornig, 41, from Rancho Santa Margarita, entered the water in Seal Beach at 5 p.m. Friday, planning to swim 40 miles to San Clemente.
Soon after, a moderately powerful storm hit and Zornig and his support crew braved rain, 16-knot winds and a choppy four-foot swell for the next seven hours.
When Zornig reached the Newport Pier about 15 miles down the coast, he decided to quit.
“I expended quite a bit of energy just trying to get through the storm,” Zornig said. “I just decided I wasn’t going to have enough to finish the thing.
“I still had enough in me to go another five to seven miles. I could have gone another three hours or so, but I knew we were just prolonging the inevitable.”
Zornig’s support crew was also taxed: half were seasick and an accompanying kayaker was briefly lost at sea.
Although the swim ended before its geographical goal, Zornig said it was still a success. The “Swim for Hope” raised $20,000 in donations for cancer research. Zornig said he will eventually make another attempt to swim the county’s coastline, but for now he’s conceding to a stronger foe.
“I’m sure I lowered the level of the Pacific Ocean a little,” Zornig said, “with all the salt water I drank.”
MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONS
A mountain bicycling team from Mission Viejo won the California State Cross-Country Championship Series Sunday at Castaic Lake.
Team Simply Fit Rock-n-Road Cyclery defeated runner-up Back Alley Bikes of Temecula, 1,212 points to 1,177.
Two team members won individual state titles: James Welch of Aliso Viejo, who won the men’s beginner 30-34 age division, and Chris Fair of Foothill Ranch, who won the men’s beginner 40-44 division.
In the pro/semi-pro division, defending champion Cameron Brenneman of Mission Viejo finished second to Charles Jenkins of San Diego.
SURFING WAHINES
Just down the beach from the Assn. of Surfing Professionals WCT men’s event at Lower Trestles, is the Roxy/Quiksilver Wahine Classic women’s longboard competition Saturday and Sunday.
Surfing starts at 7 a.m. each day at San Onofre Surf Beach for the 300 competitors.
“We’ll have 8-year-olds being pushed into waves by their dads,” contest producer Allan Seymour said, “and we’ll have Evie Fletcher who’s 73 years old from Laguna, and everyone in between.”
SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP
Watch Hills Yacht Club of Rhode Island won the Prince of Wales Bowl, U.S. Sailing’s national match race championship, Sunday off Newport Beach.
Seattle Yacht Club was leading after three of the four days of sailing, but lost all three of its races Sunday, to Watch Hill, Newport Harbor Yacht Club and UC Irvine Sailing Assn. and finished tied for second with Pequot Yacht Club on Connecticut.
UC Irvine, skippered by John Pinckney, finished fourth and Newport Harbor, skippered by Scott Mason, finished fifth.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
ROCK CLIMBING
Today
* REI’s Santa Ana store offers a free clinic on the basics of climbing big walls by Erik Kramer, who has been climbing throughout Yosemite and The Winds in Wyoming this summer. Kramer will share firsthand accounts and give a multimedia presentation. Clinic starts at 7 p.m. Details: (714) 543-4142.
RUNNING
Saturday
* Race To Embrace 5K Walk/Run with Hug Relay. Start finish at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. Proceeds benefit organization supporting elders living in nursing homes. Details: (714) 832-4847.
VOLLEYBALL
Today
* Laguna Beach Volleyball Club is offering a four-person coed league. First meeting is from 6:30-9 p.m. Gym is at 27637 Forbes Rd., Laguna Niguel. Fee is $200 per team. Season runs 8-10 weeks, depending on number of teams. Competition begins Oct. 12. Details: (949) 582-0122.