Trio Has A Whale Of A Time Across The Pailolo Channel
51-year-old Craig Coombs of the South End Rowing Club in San Francisco (shown on left), 29-year-old Scott Harvey M.D., 38-year-old Steve Minaglia M.D. of the Waikiki Swim Club completed a 9.3-mile (15K) marathon swim in 74° water across the Pailolo Channel from the island of Maui to the island of Molokai on February 4th. They departed from DT Fleming Beach on Maui at 6:42 am and finished some 6 hours later on Molokai.“We finished in Molokai at the edge of a 500-year-old Hawaiian graveyard,” explained Craig.
“When we returned by boat to the starting beach on Maui, a couple stopped us after we emerged from the water asking, ‘We know that when we see three non-European men getting out of the water in Speedos, something has happened. What did you guys just do?‘” Among their accomplishments, they were serenaded by humpback whales along the way between the windiest and wildest channel in the Hawaiian islands:
Video courtesy of Blair Norris
Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source
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.
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