Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

The Irish hosted the Champion of Champions event in Sandycove Island in May 2008. In 11ºC (51.8ºF) waters, the field attempted 9 circumnavigations around the famed island swimming mecca.

Kevin Murphy, Ned Denison, Sylvain Estadieu, Lisa Cummins, and even a young Owen O’Keefe were among the stars were participated.

Denison recalls the event. “5 miles, then 3 miles and then 1 mile around Sandycove Island with the shortest time to be declared the winner. But the conditions were tough With more than 1,000 laps around Sandycove Island completed to date, [I felt] the 9 laps of the Champion of Champions were in the top 10 ugliest.”

How ugly was it? “I count strokes. Normally, it is 500 from corner 1 to 2, but I stopped counting on the first lap when I hit 1,200. I wasn’t sure ANYONE was going to make the full 9 laps.”

Only 4 of 35 completed the 9 laps in Speedos and a few more in wetsuits. But with a uniquely aquatic mindset, the lack of success spurred many of the participants on to future greatness. Denison recalls, “It was in many ways a disaster, but then again 9 swimmers thought of it as unfinished business. They later soloed the English Channel with Lisa Cummins doing a double.”

Irish Champion of Champions 2008 – Non-wetsuit Results

1. Ned Denison, 9 laps finished in 245 minutes
2. Ed Jeffries, 9 laps finished in 325 minutes
3. Kevin Murphy, 9 laps finished in 352 minutes
4. Enda Kennedy, 9 laps finished in 382 minutes
5. Niamh Fitzgibbon, 8 laps finished in 282 minutes (partial completion), later did English Channel
6. Niall O’Crualaoich, 8 laps finished in 285 minutes (partial completion)
7. Imelda Lynch, 7 laps finished in 268 minutes (partial completion)
8. Finbarr Hedderman, 7 laps finished in 275 minutes (partial completion), later did English Channel
9. Mark Robson, 6 laps finished in 210 minutes (partial completion)
10. Mark Blewitt, 6 laps finished in 231 minutes (partial completion)
11. Owen O’Keefe, 5 laps finished in 160 minutes (partial completion), later did English Channel
12. Steven Black, 5 laps finished in 197 minutes (partial completion)
13. Tadhg Harrington, 5 laps finished in 211 minutes (partial completion)
14. Breccene Ennis, 4 laps finished in 157 minutes (partial completion)
15. Lisa Cummins, 4 laps finished in 168 minutes (partial completion), later did 2-way English Channel
16. Jane Murphy, 4 laps finished in 168 minutes (partial completion)
17. Ciaran O’Connor, 4 laps finished in 180 minutes (partial completion)
18. Nuala Moore, 4 laps finished in 219 minutes (partial completion)

Irish Champion of Champions 2008 – Wetsuit Results

1. Eddie Irwin, 9 laps finished in 234 minutes (later did English Channel)
2. Eilis Burns, 9 laps finished in 255 minutes
3. Stephen Lynn, 9 laps finished in 270 minutes
4. Liam Maher, 9 laps finished in 286 minutes (later did English Channel)
5. Donal Buckley, 9 laps finished in 297 minutes (later did English Channel)
6. Kieran Nolan, 9 laps finished in 311 minutes
7. Ciaran Byrne, 9 laps finished in 322 minutes (later did English Channel)
8. Niall MacCarthy, 8 laps finished in 368 minutes
9. Sylvain Estadieu, 8 laps finished in 280 minutes (partial completion), later did English Channel
10. Kevin Moloney, 7 laps finished in 264 minutes (partial completion)
11. Ossie Schmidt, 6 laps finished in 222 minutes (partial completion)
12. Noel Whitty, 5 laps finished in 175 minutes (partial completion)
13. Cornelius Bohane, 5 laps finished in 179 minutes (partial completion)
14. Danny Coholan, 4 laps finished in 137 minutes (partial completion)
15. Dave Mulcahy, 4 laps finished in 175 minutes (partial completion)
16. Amy Wolfe, 3 laps finished in 95 minutes (partial completion)
17. Liz Buckley, 1 laps finished in 39 minutes (partial completion)

Mark Blewitt is shown above.

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