Blog

By Liz Morrish

Rondi Davies and David Barra have devised this challenge of swimming a marathon of between 13.2 and 19.8 miles per day, fast enough to beat the flood tide. At the end of Stage 4 there were 9 swimmers with qualifying finishes – all determined to keep the dream alive. It was now Tuesday, and the swimmers have had a day’s rest. How would that suit them? Would it help, or hinder recovery?

Recovery is both physical and mental. Monday was a day without the scorching of skin or the cramping of muscles. Some went in search of a massage, or rested by the hotel pool. Others sought refuge from the anxiety of reaching the finish line, and went shopping or sightseeing. West Point Military Academy and Woodbury Commons retail outlet were popular search items on phones at breakfast time. But there are also dangers in having a fallow day – would the claims of normal life intrude on the focus required for 8 Bridges? Were the swimmers prepared for the massive challenge ahead in Stage 5: The Beast?

This was where plans to keep pace with a rival swimmer are eclipsed by thoughts of how to ensure a finish. It would be a long day of swimming, and the 6am splashtime meant there would be several hours of swimming against the flood tide, initially. Should the swimmer go all out at the start, or save energy for the push towards the Tappan Zee Bridge. There was due to be only 5 hours and 36 minutes of ebb tide, and the swimmers had to rely on kayakers to sense when that flow began. Everyone had been up around 3am today, and the lack of sun, and the boat ride up to Bear Mountain, meant that some were shivering even before entering the water. This, together with the prospect of spending up to 10 hours in the water, offered a daunting prospect.

Swimmers have different personal routines before splashtime. There are a lot of fist bumps and well-wishing. Ed Riley and Abby Fairman perform their own version of the New Zealand haka – butting heads while growling “three more, three more, three more”. Ed has another unusual custom, which is to pick up some small trophy from the previous day’s swim, and offer it as a tribute to the river before the next. Today he was stroking a smooth heart-shaped stone as he jumped into the Mighty Hudson from Launch 5.

Splash was at 6.15am after a glorious trip up river from Ossining to Bear Mountain illuminated by the rising sun. Entering on flood tide, the swimmers tracked straight towards the west shore and hugged the rocks to stay out of the current as far as possible. The calm water meant they made excellent progress and by 8.45 were passing Indian Point, picking up a southerly headwind as they rounded it. The waters are warmer here by 5-7F, as this is a nuclear power facility. We were shadowed by Sergeant Munoz and his deputy aboard Rockland Country Sherriff’s patrol launch who made friendly enquiries about the swim and helped keep us safe from river traffic. Not so welcoming were the security detail from the power plant – keen to make sure we kept our distance from the reactors. An AWACS plane made several passes overhead.

As we passed Verplanck Point, some lively chop kicked up, along with a crosswind. On top of a red marker buoy were sitting a host of cormorants (I understand the correct collective noun is ‘a gulp’). This told us two significant things: the river is getting cleaner year on year, and the ebb tide was with us at last. The swimmers were in a good position to let it pull them right into the bridge.

Stephen Rouch swam the whole distance out in front, as he has for most of the previous days, but the chasing pack of Marta Izo, Flavio Toi, Abby Fairman, Jamie Tout, Graco Morlan, Katrin Walter, Ed Riley and Devon Clifford was tighter than usual. Everyone was putting their whole energy into today’s stage. This is where the training started to pay off. As the swimmers entered the fjord leading up to the bridge, a crosswind activated a moderately strong chop which ensured all swimmers were a little shaky at the finish. All of our 9 contending 7 Stagers conquered The Beast, which means the Hall of Fame may have to widen its doors in 2017. Particularly delighted were Steve Gruenwald and Harry Finger who had been concerned about Stage 5. We should mention, too, an excellent successful stage by Eric Schall.

The day ended earlier than anticipated. The calm waters early on, and the fast ebb current meant swimmers were carried through the Tappan Zee stanchions well ahead of the 10 hour window. Each swimmer could turn and look down the river where the skyscrapers of Manhattan were just visible. Our swimmers know they are close to their goal now.

 

 

 

By Diego Lopez

I am thrilled to have just completed Stage 3 of 8 Bridges. With 13.1 miles, it was my longest swim to date, and one that I considered key in preparing my attempt to swim around Manhattan Island next August. I had recently taken the plunge into the Hudson for the 2 Bridges and I knew what to expect (sort of), so I was very keen throughout the week leading to the event.

More importantly, I was excited to meet the amazing group of swimmers that were tackling not only Stage 3 but the 120 miles separating Rip Van Winkle Bridge and Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Moments before the splash, I met with Graco who quickly asked me if this was the only stage I was going to do. I replied positively, saying that my goal was the round-of-Manhattan (like if I needed an excuse to swim “only” 13 miles), to what he responded: “oh, how many rounds will you be doing? Cos’ I’m doing two in July.” So there I was, about to swim over 20 kilometers down the river with a bunch of (delightful) crazies.

The Mighty Hudson could not look better that Saturday morning. Very little wind, no rain, and water temperature at a chilly-but-bearable 67 degrees. More importantly, I had one of my best friends kayaking for me, which was a huge reassurance and support. I had had some bad recent experiences with random kayakers, and I was very happy to count with Mark by my side, besides all the awesome support of NYOW.

Swimming a marathon over 10K requires a different strategy and mindset than any other race. I focused my energies on swimming efficiently and on stopping for the hourly feeding, which I tend to be very forgetful about. I breathed bilaterally throughout the race and tried to enjoy the river as much as I could, for which I had to change my shaded goggles for some yellow Swedish – yes, I am one of those old-school, pool swimmers.

Three hours down, and I am enjoying some banana and having a lively chat with Mark during my third feed. “Are you going for the course record? I don’t think so, not enough current.”  This is when I look back and realize I am not as alone as I thought I was, and Stephen – the winner of Stages 1 and 2 – is approaching me at a fast pace. “Shit Mark, let’s go, no more feeds for me till the end!”

Before the start, some other swimmer had warned me not to look too much at the finish line – the bridge, as it usually looks closer to what it really is. But after 3h40’ of race, and some serious competition next to me, I only had two thoughts – this Stephen is coming up very strongly and this goddamn bridge is further away every time I look at it. We all have that competition instinct inside us, and I was slightly disappointed to give up in the last 10 minutes a race I had led throughout, but this did not undermine even a bit the feeling of satisfaction I had for completing my longest race ever with very good sensations.

In its seventh edition, 8 Bridges has become a highlight of the Open Water Swimming international calendar, and one that hooks you into badly. My family and friends back home, who were tracking my little red circle during the race, are already asking me if I will sign up for the whole thing next year. “We shall see, there is a beautiful island I need to circumnavigate before that.”

By Liz Morrish

Monday 19th June is a rest day. Many of the swimmers will be relocating nearer to New York City for the last three stages. A chance, then to mention the role of the swimmers’ support teams.

The New York Open Water team of 8 Bridges takes care of safety of the swimmers during the race, but before, and after, and during the long months of training, support is the provenance of family and friends. Since there is no cheering section, other than a blast on the horn from Greg Porteous’ Launch 5, it is really important to know that someone will scoop you up and make you the priority when you finish the stage, and hopefully they will  celebrate your achievement too. There’s a great deal of texting, tweeting and Facebooking from swimmers when they land.

So here is a salute to those stoical individuals who remain on dock, who drive to the right place, who greet their swimmer with a warm drink. They hold towels to preserve what modesty the swimmer still cares about after 20 miles. They handle moods, calm anxieties and slather various unguents over the swimmer’s body. They too deserve our admiration.

Here are some supporters I have met during the week.

First of all, the magnificent Estela Toi, wife of Brazilian swimmer Flavio Toi. She provides support for her husband and all the other Brazilians, Harry Finger and Marta Izo. She is an ace driver and navigator, scopes out the right restaurants to stoke up with carbs, and she is also a physical trainer, ready to massage aching limbs and strap up injuries. Her and Flavio’s delightful son Tiago chooses the right music to energize us for each early morning drive.

Katrin Walter looks forward to the sight of Steffen Gruber. They are both here from Switzerland, and as well as supporting Katrin, Steffen is using the time to train for his own challenge – and Ironman triathlon in August.

Jamie Tout is welcomed by the serene presence of his wife Tina. She knows how to read his needs and ensures she is there at the finish.

Graco Morlan is supported by one of Mexico’s top swim couches, Jorge Villegas. Jorge is also volunteering on one of the RHIBs.

Stephen Rouch is accompanied each day by his father, Stephen Senior. The younger Stephen seems unusually self-possessed, needing assistance only with his daily covering with, and removal of, Butt Paste.

Roy Malinak is known as the rockstar of supporters. A rock indeed – his steadying arms, as swimmers climb aboard the boat, groping their way from horizontal to vertical, are the most reassuring sight of all.

The kayakers are a breed apart, supervised by Alex Arevelo. They have a long slog each day navigating from charts, and instructions from David Barra. They need to keep an exacting eye on the swimmers at all times during the swim, issue feeds on time, and encouragement. They often camp at the docking points and nobody knows how they manage to go to the bathroom during the race. It is a closely guarded secret.

The jet skis stand guard over the swimmers and act as outriders. Whenever another vessel, either sailboard or cement-laden river barge comes too close, the jetskis can move fast to put themselves between it and the swimmer. The can also speed over to the main Launch 5 to get hot drinks out to any kayaker, to deliver a warm boost to any swimmer suffering with the cold. They have rescue boards attached to the back, to allow swimmers to cling on and take a swift ride to shore or Launch 5.

The hypothermia support is very impressive. There have been just a couple of very cold swimmers who have been transferred aboard Launch 5. There is a warm wheelhouse to bring them into, and experienced staff to dress them and make sure they are responding to their care.

This is team work – organizers, volunteers and supporters both on land and on the water. All of them have these amazing swimmers as their focus.

By Liz Morrish

Swimmers emptied off the Metro-North train to Beacon, exuberant to be back for another day. For most, the previous three days had been successful. There was portentous talk, though, of stage 5, still looming ahead. They all know how tough it is, and how relatively few people finish. Some were telling tales of previous attempts, hoping to conquer ‘the beast’ this time. But today was Stage 4, and they must focus on one day at a time. It was one of the shorter stages, but taking some interesting turns around Bannerman Island and bends in the river. A highlight of the stage would be West Point Military Academy – its imposing granite citadel dominating the river valley.

You almost feel sorry for these phenomenal elite swimmers because there are so few onlookers to offer admiration and applause. Swimmers’ friends and family turn out to cheer the start and finish, but so many of them land back on deck unobserved, uncelebrated. They really deserve their own stadium, but marathon swimming takes place away from crowds and in the isolation of open water. It is not a spectator sport.

There was some nervousness about the rigors of today as well. Swimming huge distances day after day has a way of taking its toll on the body, depleting energies and making it more difficult to warm up each evening. A few swimmers are sporting kinesotape strapping around the shoulders. The physical demands can leave the swimmer vulnerable to what I heard Abby Fairman refer to as ‘residual’. This can make the first few hours of the swim uncomfortable, especially in view of the chop today. There was intermittent sunshine and a water temperature of 69F (20C) which would reduce the risk of succumbing to the cold. The wind was strong, though, and coming from the south. Swimmers were face-on to some whitecaps, favoring those who can raise their bodies out of the water and almost surf forward with each stroke.

The chop eased off as we rounded West Point. The mountains were high enough to offer some shelter from the wind, and this seemed like a haven to the swimmers who had fought their way through the morning’s tough conditions. This was where Rondi got in for a swim alongside Josh Gordon of the UK. The slight lull in the chop did not last long and the rough water picked up as the blurred form of Bear Mountain bridge emerged from the blue haze. The calm proved to be deceptive for the swimmers; the headwind and the waves dogged them for most of the race.

Today, the risk to swimmers came not from the large cement containers, shunted upstream by tugboats – it came from the Sunday speedboaters slashing along, often oblivious to attempts to warn them via marine radio. Captain Greg Porteous was constantly on the alert and would maneuver to flag boats down by a blast on the horn and a polite request to slow down and look out for swimmers and kayakers.

Stephen Rouch was once more the stage winner, crashing down over the chop and launching his way forward. He barely seemed tired. Others did not look quite so fresh as they exited, drained by the relentlessly exhausting conditions. This year, the men are proving dominant, as Stephen was followed by Josh Gordon, Ed Stoner, Flavio Toi, and Graco Morlan, before Marta Izo broke the stream emerging just before Mark Spratt and Abby Fairman.

This is also the year of consistent finishes, and there are several swimmers doing all seven stages who are on course to enter the very exclusive 8 Bridges Hall of Fame. Among them are Stephen Rouch, Flavio Toi, Graco Morlan, Marta Izo, Abby Fairman, Ed Riley, Jamie Tout, Steve Gruenwald and — Harry Finger of Brazil who battled for 40 minutes against the flood tide to make the last 100 meters to the finish today. Those of us who are aware of our own frailties can perhaps borrow some of the strength of extraordinary people like these, and stay inspired by the memory of their determination.

And there, as we witnessed successive triumphs under the suspensions of Bear Mountain Bridge, we heard seagulls for the first time, telling us we are getting close to the end of our odyssey.

By Liz Morrish

Stage 3: Mid-Hudson Bridge to the Beacon-Newburgh Bridge: 13.2 miles

Perfect conditions

There was more moisture and warmth in the air today, less wind but still a lot of cloud. The river was glassy and calm. Ideal conditions for swimming, if unusually cold. “What’s the temperature?” Rondi shouted down a radio to a kayaker. “67.2” (that’s 19.5 C) came the reply, “and I waited until the swimmers were out of earshot until I told you that!” Nobody wants to send swimmers on their way with negative thoughts or fear of the cold. For David Barra, conditions in the water are always ‘perfect’, and that’s the message you want to convey to keep spirits high. It seemed to work for Katrin Walter, who came out early yesterday because of low temperature, was back today, and feeling optimistic. Also cheery was Harry Finger, not just because it was his 60^th birthday, but also because his sore shoulder was feeling a lot better.

Rivalries, new and old

This event has rekindled some old, but friendly, personal competitions. In one case, it is an ancient rivalry – Jamie Tout and Ed Riley have been racing each other over many decades. “What makes two old Dreadnoughts keep turning up”, said Ed, roaring with laughter. He is an easily identifiable figure both on land, with his white beard, and in the water, where he cuts his swim cap down to a bandana. Jamie stands out with a full sleeve of arm tattoos which he makes sure to cover in sunscreen.

Mark Spratt is a stage 3 swimmer and he was pleased to see Spencer Schneider at the Poughkeepsie Marina. They have met each other at many long swims. Spencer is also a team mate of his fellow Indianan Stephen Rouch.

Straight into the lead today was a one-stage 8 Bridges swimmer, but winner of the recent 2 Bridges swim, Diego Lopez of New York. How would he hold out against the Stage 1 and 2 winner, Stephen Rouch? Would this new entrant disrupt the previous days’ 1-2 of Stephen Rouch and Graco Morlan?

Rivalries really don’t endure beyond the landing dock. They are folded instantly into strong friendship based on shared experience and respect. Rondi agreed, reflecting on her own 8 Bridges swim in 2012 when she swam alongside Grace Van Der Byl for 120 miles. “It’s like she became my sister, when you experience all of that together”.

The most significant thing about this group is the sense of community. The Brazilian group of Marta Izo, Flavio Toi and Harry Finger (who has his 60^th birthday today!) have traveled together and provided mutual support over many years. Others enact a teasing, joshing contest each day. Abby enjoys passing just about anybody, but especially Ed Riley, when she can. Not today, though. She enjoyed a touching simultaneous finish with Marta Izo.

Ed Riley, Abby Fairman, Marta Izo and Flavio Toi

Towards the end, we saw Stephen Rouch start to move on Diego Lopez’s lead with about 4 miles to go. Two miles from the bridge, they were neck and neck, but Diego had to let his lead go and Stephen surged ahead. The two had not met before, and so today, a new rivalry was born. It was lovely to see them congratulate each other the deck of Launch 5. Third home today was Mark Spratt; 4^th was Flavio Toi, delighted to come in ahead of Graco Morlan. 5th was Anael Astic, followed by Ed Riley who was just ahead of Abby and Marta.

This was the shortest stage and there were some superb views along the way. We were joined in the wheelhouse by Charlie who was helping out with navigation and he is also knowledgeable about local history and landmarks. The Tilcon cement works at Clinton Point is hardly a thing of beauty, but the river is wide and still at that point, with the mountains in the far distance – relentlessly beautiful, as Karen Throsby said when she swam in 2015. I have to agree.

By Liz Morrish

Team Brasil like to wrap themselves in the flag !

 

Cruising to shore, end of stage 1.

A damp landing at the end of stage 2.

 

Thanks to Flavio Toi for these pictures.

By Liz Morrish

Captain Greg Porteous, is an ex-New York State Trooper who restored his craft Launch 5 “The Patrolman Walburger” and named it for a police officer who lost his life saving two women in the Harlem riots of 1964. This swim simply couldn’t take place without Greg. He can identify when the tide turns from flood, to slack, to ebb. He knows where to find the fastest flow of the current, and he negotiates with the commercial river traffic so that the swimmers are not mown down. Not all craft are amenable to negotiation, however. One launch came unnecessarily close to our lead swimmer today. By contrast, a thoughtful captain of a river barge offered to slow down, saying “if I was swimming I wouldn’t want waves”. Greg also keeps the wheelhouse warm in case a cold swimmer need rapid rewarming. He is well aware of the signs of hypothermia and will keep the casualty chatting to make sure they are coherent.

Roy Malinak is the father of a former 8 Bridges swimmer, Andrew Malinak, and acts as first mate to Greg. Roy is on hand to strongarm the kayaks onto the boat or into the water. He’s first in line for welfare of the swimmers returning to the boat at the end of the swim. And he brings food on board with him, and is ready to share.

We are joined today by Stephen Rouch Senior, father of the lead swimmer of Stage 1 and 2. Yesterday he was kayaking, but today he has relinquished that to someone else and is helping Roy.

Rondi Davies – race co-director and monitors the state of the overall swim, monitors the stroke count of swimmers and times the feeding intervals.

Me – Liz Morrish, I get to watch the race in comfort from the wheelhouse, the stern or wherever has the best view and is out of the breeze. My job is to document each stage and the stories of the day. And I marvel at these extraordinary swimmers and the crews that support them. This is one magnificent event.

By Liz Morrish

This is the one David Barra calls the ‘long-ass‘ stage – the one you really earn. Last year only four swimmers completed the stage due to the rough conditions; this year it is much calmer. A couple of swimmers from last year are giving Stage 2 another go, including Jamie Tout and Devon Clifford.  They seemed relieved at the welcome sight of still water and the sound of stirring chickadees this morning.

There is a process of warming up and greasing up before swimmers embark on Launch 5 to be transported to the stanchions of the bridge to begin the stage. The Brazilian group of swimmers, Flavio Toi, Harry Finger and Marta Izo, all use Vaseline and lanolin for both its insulating properties and to ward off chafe,

while yesterday’s lead finisher, Stephen Rouch covers himself in Butt Paste, the trade name of a popular diaper rash cream. This gives him the rather ghostly appearance of Batman’s The Joker, but it is effective.

So as the tide moved from flood to ebb, the swimmers took to the water. They must follow a narrow channel for this stage to stay in the current and the deeper water.

Both water and air temperatures were about 66 F, (17C) and this makes it difficult for the swimmers to keep warm. Having a hot sun on your back keeps body temperature up. The cold took a toll on a few swimmers yesterday. Katrin Walter of Switzerland huddled in the wheelhouse of Launch 5 soaking up the warmth before splashtime today. Yesterday she had found the conditions difficult, but she had finished, and today she was back for more, but sadly needed to come out after 90 minutes. Several others also exited the water today.

All the time, commercial traffic passes. Huge cement-carrying barges being pushed to Albany by tugboats cruise by, delicately avoiding the vulnerable swimmers. There are some lovely landmark lighthouses along the route today, and a couple of islands the kayakers must lead their swimmers around. And the most experienced of them sense the current flow and track right into it, so that our lead kayaker barely needed to paddle at some points. That’s the literal meaning of going with the flow. Up in the wheelhouse, there was much talk of Margarethe Horlyck-Romanovsky, a legendary kayaker who had an unerring sense of the river’s flow. She can’t be at the event this year, but she is much missed, much remembered.

The bridge came within reach and a fine misty drizzle descended. This didn’t help the swimmers when they exited, but we are hoping for fine weather in the Hudson Valley tomorrow.

There’s a new men’s record set by Stephen Rouch. His proud father, Stephen Senior, was there on Launch 5 to watch – as was Roy, father of the previous men’s record holder, Andrew Malinak. Stephen knocked 3.5 minutes off Andrew’s record, which Roy had also witnessed. This is testimony to the continuity and community of 8 Bridges.

Graco Marlan was next out of the water, followed by Abby Fairman who has really worked on speed this year. She was proud of her victory over John Hughes who was in next, and he was followed by Marta Izo and Flavio Toi. And happily, both Devon Clifford and Jamie Tout can claim to have conquered stage 2. Experience of completing two separate ice miles will have helped Devon deal with the cold.

The birdlife on the river is magical: herons and cormorants sit placidly on the channel marker buoys; bald eagles swoop down and hunt fish. And all the while the scenery runs from mountain to rolling, wooded hillsides. The train to Montreal salutes us hourly with its horn. 8 Bridges is very much underway.

By Liz Morrish

It is 6.45am and swimmers, volunteers, boaters and organisers are assembling at Dutchman’s Landing, Catskill New York. Many of us haven’t met before, but it seems already as if people are gelling into their assigned roles.

This is the meaning of team work and it is the swimmers who are at the centre of this event. Everybody is here to make sure that they swim their swim. This explains why all the volunteers are here, but why did the swimmers themselves choose to participate in this particular event?

The scale of the challenge was an obvious factor, with several swimmers having done Channel swims or other marathon swims, and looking for another testing event. It is also clear that the Mighty Hudson itself is a huge part of the attraction.

“I have raced a lot in the Hudson and I have a deep affinity with the river,” wrote Mark Spratt.

Susan Kirk is in awe of the river, “Swimming in the Mighty Hudson is an amazing privilege, experience, and challenge! Sometimes she does not play nice and denies you a finish.”

“It is a unique event in the beautiful Hudson River with so many amazing swim friends!” says Kimberly Plewa.

Mina Elnaccash is lyrical about the Hudson:

“I grew up in Westchester County, near the Hudson River, and now my brothers reside in the Hudson Valley. Living in the Boston area I miss NY sometimes, so it’s a bit of a homecoming every time I visit. I have fond memories of sitting by a Hudson Line train station watching the lightning in the rainstorms traveling up and down the river between us and the city – you could always see the storm in the distance even when it was nearly 30 miles away. The river seemed so massive and intimidating then. Swimming seems to make all those points on the water a little closer together.”

Ed Riley summarizes, “it’s the gold standard for marathon swimming. it not only measures your endurance but also speed and uniquely your recovery.”

Bob Heiss probably speaks for everyone as he feels challenge, friendship, camaraderie and scenery all play a part.

“For me, swimming is a lifestyle. I love the challenge of a tough swim and the preparation and training necessary to do well. I feel part of the swimming community and have developed many close friendships through the years. Several of my friends are participating in various stages of the 8 Bridges this year, so camaraderie is a strong motivator. Stage 6 is a beautiful part of the Hudson, a scene I see daily, and I want to be a part of it. Finally, in the words of George Mallory when asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, “Because it’s there.”

It is clear that considerable lustre has attached itself, with justification, to the reputations of the organisers, Rondi Davies and David Barra.

“Such an amazing event, so well organized and distinctive, Rondi and David are top quality people,” was a frequent comment.

Rondi and David’s reputations rest not only on their legendary organisational abilities, but also on their own inspirational performances in marathon swimming. Rondi delivered a time of 5:44:47 in a 2011 round-Manhattan swim, and also completed all 7 stages of 8 Bridges in 2012. David Barra has accomplished the triple crown of marathon swimming, (Catalina Channel, English Channel and Round-Manhattan swims). He completed the 20-mile Provincetown to Plymouth swim in Massachusetts and the 25-mile In Search of Memphre, a cross-border swim from Vermont (USA) to Quebec (Canada), In 2015, Barra completed a 38-mile crossing of Cayuga Lake in New York in 23 hours 26 minutes. In 2017, he was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

This is season 7 of 8 Bridges, and under Rondi and David’s guidance, everybody is in good hands with a prospect of a truly memorable swim.

By Liz Morrish

There’s a lot of preparation that has to happen before an 8 Bridges swimmer hits the water each day. Marathon swimming may be an individual sport, but it requires a whole team of safety boats – the main Launch 5, 2 inflatable RHIBs, an outrider, Agent Orange, two jet skis as well as a kayak escort for each swimmer.

It was reassuring to see the Riverkeeper team on the river. This is a non-profit organization committed to monitoring and campaigning for clean water in the Hudson River. They are fellow travelers with the 8 Bridges team, and they pulled alongside to let everybody know the water quality was excellent, despite recent heavy rains. Together with a 2.1 knot current, this was looking like ideal conditions for our 17 swimmers on Stage 1, the Rip van Winkle Bridge to the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge – a distance of 18.3 miles.

A half hourly event is the stroke count – how many strokes per minute the swimmer is taking. This is the surest indicator of the swimmer’s wellbeing. If the stroke count drops, this may be sign the swimmer is tiring or in distress. The count is logged for comparison as Rondi checks in on each swimmer via the kayaker.

The kayak escort ensures the safety of each swimmer and also, organizes the feed bottles so that feeds are given to the swimmer every half hour. Because of this, the kayaker is a central figure to the team. Some pairings of kayaker and swimmer bond to the extent they work together for swims across the USA and beyond. In other cases, swimmers will recommend their kayaker to another swimmer taking on the event the next year.

As we reached the halfway point of the stage, the chop kicked up slightly. It was enough to swamp the kayaker for the lead swimmer. This called for a swift rescue from David Barra’s Agent Orange rescue boat. The kayaker and kayak were retrieved, ferried to the main Launch 5, and the swamped kayak exchanged for a fresh one, not forgetting to transfer the swimmer’s feed bottles. The swimmer was Stephen Rouch of the USA who was way out in front, setting an amazing pace, but perhaps a bit disconcerted at his kayakers’ disappearance. Launch 5 kept pace with him until his escort could be restored.

Shortly after this, the lead passed to Graco Morlan of Mexico but he was overtaken in the last two miles by Rouch who was the first to pass under the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge. Morlan was a close second, with Flavio Toi of Brazil coming in third. Abby Fairman  (USA) and Marta Izo (Brazil) came in next, followed by Ed Riley (USA).

Some swimmers do well in turbulent conditions, and apparently Graco Morlan is one of them. “He just loves the chop” yelled his kayaker as Morlan powered past. He and Rouch seemed to be racing head to head. Tomorrow will tell if this has depleted their energies. 8 Bridges, is, after all, a phenomenal test of powers of recovery.