At the welcome dinner for this year’s SCAR Swim, Dallas marathon swimmer Stephen Key unexpectedly gave an iron mask art piece to race director Kent Nicholas. It was a touching gift of gratitude from the SCAR veteran.

Nicholas said, “Stephen is a great guy who is a bit of a Renaissance Man.   He and I have always connected.   I’ve collected art for over 20 years, but the piece he gave me last week is incredible.   It will certainly be a Nicholas family heirloom.”

At the dinner, Key colorfully described how he forged the iron frag into a swimmer’s face in a foundry in Texas.

In addition to being a Renaissance Man, Key of Brown Fox Law has been described as “so far outside of the box, we’re not entirely sure he knows where the box is anymore.”

In the open water swimming world, Key won the 2017 20 Bridges Circumnavigation Swim of Manhattan in New York City in 8 hours 1 minute, finished 9th in the 2016 SCAR Swim in 22 hours 18 minutes, finished 21st at the 2015 SCAR Swim in 21 hours 5 minutes, and competed in the 2018 SCAR Swim.

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Steven Munatones

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.

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