The S.C.A.R. Swim has been quickly transformed from an offline rogue swim by a passionate soloist to a 5-day celebration by the crème de la crème on the international marathon swimming scene.
When Kent Nicholas‘s new website went online, the beauty and uniqueness of the 66.9 km (41.7-mile) stage swim are as evident as the stark ruggedness of the Arizona desert course.
“Within the first 36 hours [of the online registration], the event was sold out“, explained Nicholas. “Within 48 hours, I had a wait list of 27 very qualified open water swimmers. I’m seeing swimmers from new locations like Scotland, Japan, Iowa, Nebraska, Hawaii and Georgia taking an interest in S.C.A.R. It’s going to be a great series of swims in May 6th-9th 2015.”
The series kicks off with the Saguaro Lake stage, a 9.5-mile (15.2 km) swim at 1,529-feet (466m) elevation, on May 6th. The Canyon Lake 9-mile (14.4 km) stage swim is done at 1,660 feet (505m) altitude and follows on May 7th. The Apache Lake is a 17-mile (27.3 km) stage swim held on May 8th in a beautifully isolated reservoir and the Roosevelt Lake 10 km night swim culminates the event under the stars and moon at the Roosevelt Dam.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.