The sun rises on the new season of ocean swimming, Sunday, November 18, 2007.
Yes, yes, he was at Dawny 07 -- Glistening Dave, with his box brownie. Here's his first pano of the season.
We believe this is Lizi Simms, who is related to Dawny joint-organiser, Peter Simms, lugging the booeys down to the pool, one by one.
Off the pontoon, early. Who wouldn't want to swim here? Really, Dawny 2007 was a magnificent day, in magnificent conditions.
Glistening Dave again. Now, everyone together: Siiigghhhh!!!
We've had a lot of fun at Bernie Buncle's expense in the past. This year, however, we'll let Bernie speak for himself.
Colin Reyburn (centre) gives Peter McRae (left) and Tacoma Jim Goins highlights from his swim around Cockatoo Island. Colin is fresh from 3rd male in the Fiji Ocean Swim 10km event. Tacoma Jim is incredulous.
Life on the boardwalk.
Dr Gabriel Mecs offers free advice to Tacoma Jim Goins on streteching those troublesome hammies.
... After which, the colour came back into Jim's face.
... and they're off!
Heading for an early morning swim. Balmain.
The Dawny pool, around 7 on a perfect Sydney spring day.
One of these characters is a top-ranked swimmer who attracts love and admiration from all they know. The other is Cyril Baldrick.
A collection of Stray'a's finest.
Everyone has their own method of getting into the water, reflecting their personal idioms. For example, on the left, Chuck Hahn celebrates his birthday by getting some cobbers together for a string of 50s in the pool, one for each year of his age. This year, it was 61 50s on the 55. Cyril Baldock, on the other hand, and a handful of cobbers, for that's how many Cyril has, did 64 100s on the 2 minutes. Chuck, however, follows up with a schooner for each year of his life, too, shared amongst his friends. Cyril doesn't do that. That's his idiom.
Late for the ferry again, the lovely and delicate Cecily Black on her way to 3rd in her division.
Sue Crowe was unsure about doing the longer swim, worrying she was underdone this early in the season. But she did it easily and well. And loved it. Out behind the island, off the wharf, Sue gave us the mascara-ed eyeball.The other good thing about Sue is that she's the guv'na of View swim gear in Stray'a, and here she is doing a swim with us. We reckon it's good to see the swim gear bosses -- well, Sue, anyway -- getting into it and getting to know what it's all about. This is one reason we like View swim gear so much ourselves. Here, Sue sports the lovely Selene goggles, designed by and for laydies, but a lovely, comfy fit for any ocean swimmer. You can buy your View swim gear here on oceanswims.com. Click here to find out more.
Here's View again, this punter -- us -- sporting the sporty Shinari mirror goggles, just the ticket for reflecting surrounding maritime landscapes for clever pitchers. We love them.
Balmain. So close to Sydney.
When the first wave of the peloton in the main swim, around Cockatoo Island, set off from the Dawn Fraser pool set off, comm- entator Rob Duckworth -- perhaps the finest race day comm- entator we've come across -- observed that Peter Burge- Lopez would probably run into the old pilot's tender moored just off the starting line.
