Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

There are a number of colorful champions, powerful personalities and charismatic characters in the open water swimming world with unusual, funny, poignant or profound nicknames:

Many of these individuals are luminaries of the sport. Some of them are known only by one name (see here):

* The Seaweed Streak: Murray Rose (Australia)
* Mad Adam: Adam Walker (Great Britain, shown above)
* Tiburón: Victor Contreras (Chile)
* The Swimming Hun: Gábor Molnár (Hungary)
* The Flying Frenchman: Sylvain Estadieu (France)
* Lighthouse Larry: Larry Herlth (USA)
* The Duke: Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii)
* Father of Surfing: Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii)
* Napa Bob: Bob Roper (USA)
* Catalinator: Hank Wise (USA)
* Big River Man: Martin Strel (Slovenia)
* Fish man: Martin Strel (Slovenia)
* Homem Peixe (Portuguese): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
* Pez humano (Spanish): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
* Zabca (Slovene which means frog): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
* Maladin (Chinese): Martin Strel (Slovenia)
* Shark of Quilla Creek: Pedro A Candiotti (Argentina)
* Paddlin’ Professor: Dr. Harry Briggs (USA)
* Carpayo: Daniel Eulogio Carpio Massioti (Peru)
* Doc: James Counsilman (USA)
* El Sharko: Christopher Blakeslee (USA)
* Trento: Trent Grimsey (Australia)
* Crocodile of the Nile: Abdul Latif Abou Heif (Egypt)
* American Torpedo: John Kinsella (USA)
* The Machine: John Kinsella (USA)
* Big Moose: Norman Ross (USA)
* Black Shark: Ernest Vierkoetter (Germany)
* Flying Dutchman: Herman Willemse (Netherlands)
* The King: Claudio Plit (Argentina)
* The King: Paul Asmuth (USA)
* The King: Diego Degano (Argentina)
* Queen Shelley: Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia)
* Nadandolibre: Jose Diaz (Spain)
* Shark man: Eric Shargo (USA)
* Mambo: Gerry Rodrigues (Trinidad & Tobago/USA)
* Johnny Love: Patrick Dodd (USA)
* Gold Medal Mel: Mel Stewart (USA)
* Torpedo Tom: Tom Blower (Great Britain)
* Chuckle: Tim Buckle (Great Britain)
* Moreno: Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil (Spain)
* The Iceman: Sam Silver (USA)
* Iceman: Thomas McGann (USA)
* Dr. Rip: Rob Brander (Australia)
* Dolphinman: Paolo Eros Cerizzi (Italy)
* HHector: Héctor Ramírez Ballesteros (Spain)
* Limbless Waterman: Craig Dietz (USA)
* Tuna: Charles Chapman, Jr. (USA)
* Swimming professor: Frederick Cavill (Australia)
* Mighty Mermaids: Christie Plank Ciraulo, Nancy Steadman Martin, Lisa Bennett, Jenny Cook, Karen Farnsworth Einsidler and Tracy Grilli (USA)
* Dorado: Horacio Iglesias (Argentina)
* Yifter: Steven Munatones (USA)
* Mr. Shark Bait: Herbert Voigt (Australia)
* Stallion: John Chung (USA)
* Killer: Ky Hurst (Australia)
* The Legless Wonder: Charles Zibelman (USA)
* American Legless Wonder: Charles Zibelman (USA)
* The Human Fish: Charles Zibelman (USA)
* Bones, Skeletor, or PDK: Sean Ryan (USA)
* Joner: Jonathan Strauss (USA)
* The Man Who Can Walk On Water: George Freeth (USA)
* Father of Modern Surfing: George Freeth (USA)
* Brainiac: Brian Ryckeman (Belgium)
* Shark: Brian Ryckeman (Belgium)
* Big Ben: Ben Laughren (USA)
* John Rufwater: John Makinson (USA)
* The Shark: Jim Dreyer (USA)
* The Brave Swimmer: Gideon Nasilowski (Namibia)
* Superfly, Leorganizer, Lorla: Leora Dahl (Canada)
* Tiger Twins: Jonathon di Donato and James di Donato (USA)
* Dr G: Genadijus Sokolovas, Ph.D. (USA/Lithuania)
* Mr. Triathlon: Ahmed Zaher (USA)
* Mr. Triathlon: Jack Weiss (USA)
* The Courtesy Man: Jim Moran (USA)
* Humber King: Pete Winchester (UK)
* The Shingle Stomper: Barrie Wakeham (UK)
* The Fearless Frogman: Paul Boyton (Ireland or USA)
* The Flying Fish: Byron Summers (USA)
* Stubby: Harold Herman Kruger (Hawaii)
* Incomparable Water Comedian: Harold Herman Kruger (Hawaii)
* Spooky: Luke Birch (Great Britain)
* Loneswimmer: Donal Buckley (Ireland)
* Dama del Río de la Plata: Noelia Petti (Argentina)
* Little Mermaid: Swapnil Yadav (India)
* Sister Madonna: Madonna Buder (USA)
* Iron Nun: Madonna Buder (USA)
* Champ of the Gulf Coast Waters: Jerry Kerschner (USA)
* America’s Travelin’ Swim Coach: Jerry Kerschner (USA)
* Professor of Swimming: Frederick Cavill (UK/Australia)
* Dolphin Boy: Hank Wise (USA)
* Dr. Chicken: Dr. Joel Saperstein (USA)
* Man of Fat Steel: Kelly Gneiting (USA)
* The Mother of Masters Swimming: June Krauser (USA)
* Sexy Lexie: Lexie Kelly (USA)
* Honey Bear: Jeff Commings (USA)
* Swimonelli: Dan Simonelli (USA)
* Mermaid: Rebecca Sandoval (USA)
* Mountain Mermaid: Eney Jones (USA)
* Squirt: Rendy Lynn Opdycke (USA)
* Charley: Charlotte Samuels (USA)
* Heff: Dave Heffernan (USA)
* Queen of the Chichimaun: Colleen Shields (Canada)
* Old Man of the Sea: Ned Barnie (Scotland)
* The Barge: Jim Barber (USA)
* Reptile Brain: Tom Linthicum (USA)
* Murph: Michael Renford (Australia)

Photo of Mad Adam aka Adam Walker.

Copyright © 2014 by World Open Water Swimming Association