Yutaka Shinozaki founded and has developed the Japan International Open Water Swimming Association (JIOWSA) to be a 9-month-long, 14-part open water
swimming series in Japan.
From Okinawa to Honshu, Shinozaki-san and his
staff and volunteers have created an enjoyable, safe, competitive open water
swim series for all ages and abilities.
From the pre-race beach clean-ups to
comprehensive safety considerations, Shinozaki-san continues to promote and
professionalize open water in Japan. As more and more foreign
swimmers learn about the myriad competitions in Japan from the tropical seas of
Okinawa to the calm waters of Lake Biwa, JIOWSA will become a larger attraction
for the Asian and global open water swimming community. For dreaming
large and executing professionally, Yutaka Shinozaki is a worthy nominee for
the 2011 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.
WOWSA aims to promote open water swimming as a global sport for those of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. It hosts the World Open Water Swimming Awards to recognize the open water swimming’s heroes and heroines.
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.