Like a chess player, Skip Storch was thinking several steps ahead during Hurricane Sandy that devastated the Eastern Seaboard of the United States last week. "Towards the end of the hurricane, I went out to get gasoline and filled up my truck," said the marathon swimmer. "I knew we were hard hit and people were going to be hurting. I went knocking on the
Skip Storch, an International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honour Swimmer, has his hands full of water right now...and he needs help in the post-Hurricane Sandy aftermath. The man who swam a 32 hour 52 minute triple circumnavigation of Manhattan Island in 2008 has been managing difficulties all his life. And he is now reaching out to help others. "I
Skip Storch, a 2009 inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, photographed fellow inductee Ned Denison talking with a fan at the 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. While the discussion may have centered around Denison's Cork Distance Week or channel swims around the world, some
International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honour Swimmer and member of the 24-hour club Skip Storch described open water swimming as "a seductive sport in a hostile environment controlled by the unforeseen." And he profoundly understands the inherent risks of the sport and why daring and patience are needed in equal amounts. "It takes a brave soul to
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Kilometer after kilometer, open water swimmers continue to forge through the world's oceans, lakes and bays.
Seemingly impervious to pain, discomfort and cold (or hot) temperatures, these aquatic adventures take endurance to the ultimate extremes.
They inspire each other as the
Yuko Matsuzaki, the only Japanese Honour Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, brings her Japanese perspective and unique humor to every open water swim she does. Yuko-san, who currently works at the Rosen Hotels & Resort as a travel professional, explains her first experience in a professional marathon swim at the Maratona del
Most open water swimmers are tough. Many are tough and courageous. Some are tough, courageous and fanatical. A special few go way beyond those parameters. These athletes can enter a realm where the physical discomfort is completely ignored and they can literally will their bodies beyond excruciating pain. It is a type of swimming that Skip Storch
For some people, swimming strikes fear in their hearts. NFL All-Pro football player Marcellus Wiley was one of those individuals before he learned how to swim and completed a 1.2-mile ocean swim. For others, 50 meters is a long way. It is estimated that less than 3% of Americans can swim 500 meters non-stop. For others, swimming 5 miles is a really long
According to the various sources and knowledgeable individuals, some of the most venomous creatures in the world live in the oceans. It can be very scary...and deadly. The Environmental Graffiti ranks the box jellyfish as #1 on the world's most venomous animal list, followed by the Brazilian wandering spider, Inland Taipan (snake), blue-ringed octopus, and
With the growing interest in open water swimming and the Oceans Seven, an increasingly number of people are inquiring about swimming across the Tsugaru Channel. Yuko Matsuzaki, who is the daughter of the former director of the Japanese Coast Guard, has been instrumental in explaining the needs of marathon swimmers and channel swimmers to the Japanese
