Go West To Swim North
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. We never understand why swimmers who attempt the Tsugaru Channel in Japan start from the eastern peninsula on Honshu. The currents, tides and eddies have proven time and time again to prevent swimmers from successfully crossing the Tsugaru Channel.
History has proven that the chances of success starting from the east in order to reach the northern island of Hokkaido are extraordinarily low.
In contrast, swimmers since David Yudovin and Steven Munatones in 1990 to the recent successes of Kimberley Chambers and Attila Mányoki have started on the western peninsula of Honshu.
With his 7 hour 29 minute crossing of the Tsugaru Channel last week, Mányoki continues to be a topic in the television news in his native Hungary. “Every day there was news about my days in Japan. On Saturday evening during the main news time, my swim across the Tsugaru Channel was reported and broadcast. It was also shown during the Sunday morning news shows too. And the TV stations are waiting for me [to return].”
The image above shows the typical course of swimmers who start from the eastern peninsula…before being pulled out.
Copyright © 2014 by World Open Water Swimming Association
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.
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