Nick Owen is a 50-year-old Australian from Melbourne and a member of the mighty tough Brighton Icebergers. Owen, like his fellow Icebergers, swims regularly in the sea, throughout the winter in water that can dip down to 7ºC.

With that kind of training, the proud Iceberger has swum all over the world as has his fellow Icebergers.

From the 11.2 km Bloody Big Swim in Melbourne to the 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon Schwimmen in Lake Zurich, Owen has also done an unprecedented 7.8 km swim in Port Phillip Bay with Melinda Kemp, Ingilby Dickson, David Verlinden and Sam Paynter in January 2013 to a more traditional English Channel crossing in September in 11 hours 36 minutes to join the Half Century Club.

Owen has the pedigree and the background, especially as he trains with the Brighton Icebergers, a year-round open water swimming pod founded by John Locco where they train in the sea between temperatures from 7ºC and 22ºC.

The Brighton Icebergers have a series of open water swimming courses including the 250m Morning Glory course, the 1.5 km No Brainer course, and the 2 km Big Course out to the Reef Marker.

Besides the Icebergers’ daily training sessions, they have a number of annual Iceberger events that prepares the men and women of their pod for everything the oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers can throw at them:

The John Locco Invitational Winter Classic: the Icebergers premier event held mid-winter with 3 courses: 2 km, 1.4 km and 1 km in sea temperatures of 8-9ºC. It is the longest and oldest cold water swimming event in Australia.

Olsen – Hooper Summer Handicap: Inaugurated in 2003, it is a handicap event which is swum out to the reef marker over a 2 km course. Originally called the Summer Handicap, it was renamed in 2004 the Olsen – Hooper Handicap recognising the mateship over 50 years of two of the Club’s senior and best performing swimmers, Rob Hooper and John Olsen. Handicapping provides even the slowest swimmer with some chance of a podium finish.

New Year’s Eve Midnight Swim: a 1.25 km swim in the phospherous flecked black sea starts from the pier at 11:45 pm and pauses at midnight at the “silver pole” marker located out at sea 1 km+ from the start. As fireworks light the night sky and city skyline marking the New Year, the swim is completed followed by a few beers and glasses of bubbly back onshore.

Family Day Swim: Iceberger families come out to play and swim in various races as a team

Solstice Swim: the Winter Solstice evening swim

Monthly Medal Handicap Races: All handicap-timed races

Heavy Weight Championship of the Bay: the meanest, fastest and keenest top 10 swimmers slog it out at breakneck speed around the 2 km to claim the Title Belt

Lorne Invitational: private social race and get-together down the coast

Christmas Relay Race: a group sprint race between the landings as team leaders and tactics are crucial

Annual Inter-club Race with Pirates & Mount Martha: Inter-club races with other chapter groups

Copyright © 2013 by World Open Water Swimming Association