Yes, of course Glistening Dave was at Manly. And here is his Pano.
And another one.
The course, as done by Mrs Sparkle, wearing the oceanswims.com GPS-in-a-prophylactic. The GPS said 2.25km. The white line is the course measured by Google Earth, from booey to booey. It was a touch under that. Note the red line of Mrs Sparkle's course continues up to Cafe Steyne. That's because oceanswims.com knocked the starter button inadvertently, and unknowingly, so we measured the course from the beach to Cafe Steyne, too. No hiding from you lot.
See comments re Glistening Dave's booming postcard business (below).
Glistening Dave gets arty.
Here's Sean Daly hitting the water first. The amazing thing, however, was that, on Sean's right, just behind him, is Jimmy, trying ever so hard, who, milliseconds after we snapped this pic, hurtled around Sean and came up through the wave ahead of him. The only problem was that Jimmy's goggles came off, so he had to stop and put them on again. Back in your place, Jimmy.
This is what it's like when the oceanswims.com Brownie Starflash-in-a-plastic bag goes awry.
The Silent Service.
Melee.
Just a week earlier, Michael in the middle, Michael Williams, was, around about this time, in an ambulance on his way from Dee Why to Mona Vale Hospital, writhing in agony due to serial bluey stings. But what a difference a week makes! He still bears the scars of his stings, but none of them as dramatic as we'd been led to expect. At Manly, Jane Gillings and Terry McGee catch up with Michael to check on his progress.
In years to come, Glistening Dave's pictchas here will become the collectors' items on antique postcards. Where's Duke Kahanomokou?
Over the falls. And right under them.
Lovely leading arm.
Breastroke!.
Close that gob, sport.
Synchronised swimming, and aware of it.
Backdrop.
Little Miss oceanswims.com made one of her rare public appearances with her old man at Manly.
Spot your celebrity. They're all there.
Did these little kiddies, practising their R & R at Manly, have any clue at all that they were being captured by renowned lensman, Glistening Dave. Clearly, the one on the left rear handle was well in the pictcha.
Meanwhile, up at Newport ...
... the peloton gets moving ...
... while old hands face the sea with mixed emitions.
Four laydees, off for a Laydees swim.
In the celebrity pages of The Sydney Morning Herald, they would describe this pose by Little Miss oceanswims.com as "... hams it up!"
Lurvgurdus Technicus at Manly. Appearing here against doctor's orders.
Waikiki? Why is Waikiki in here? Because, later this week, we'll b releasing details of our travel packages to swim in Hawaii -- off Maui and Waikiki -- in early September. We just wanted to draw your attention to it. Keep your eye out for details, later this week. This will be a fantastic trip. Below is one of our favourite experiences: sunset from the Shore Bird on Waikiki, so close to the water, that it's literally a dozen steps from the bar into the water. Where the sunset is so glorious that it draws applause from the assembled mob. With Hawaiian bands playing in the background. Sigghhhh! Hawaii! Watch this space ...
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Phil Johnston was on fire at Manly ...
One-word report: Perfect.
It doesn’t require any more words that that but if you’d like the details read on……
One of the thoughts that rattled round my head this morning was “What a shame”. Nothing to do with the glassy water, the water temperature (23) or the bright, blue-sky, sunny morning. Nothing to do with the relaxed atmosphere that seemed to pervade through all and sundry as first the 1k and then the 2k began and finished seemingly without a hitch.
The shame was that many of the people who turned up for the Cole Classic, when Manly beach was un-swimmable for most and the weather joined with the ocean to see which was having the surliest morning, didn’t seem to make it back today. There seemed to be many fewer swimmers. And unfortunately those who saw the bad side of Manly didn’t get to see the glorious side.
I heard a few people say ‘we were due this’ after more recent swims have been conducted in challenging conditions (I’ve gotten fed up typing the words ‘big swell, chop, chunky, messy, no rhythm’ in these reports). Also we’ve not seen as much of the sunshine in recent weeks; I don’t know why that matters so much to me… maybe because I think the sun lights up the ocean, maybe it’s a childhood throwback whereby you’d have to be a completely mad bugger to get into the Atlantic/Irish sea if the sun wasn’t splitting the trees. Whatever, the sun was out and the ocean was at her benevolent best.
And there were absolutely no bluebottles, none whatsoever, not a bloody one. That means a lot to all those who suffered at Dee Why last week. I only got a couple of stings but I know a lot of swimmers were less lucky. Hope it’s all healed up now and you had the joy of cutting through today’s water without that sharp, stinging burn as you get assaulted by that little gang of ocean reprobates that constitutes a bluebottle (apparently it’s actually not one malevolent creature but a bunch of separate organisms that work together to inflict pain and misery on whoever/whatever they can blob their way into). Darwinism or Intelligent Design, I’m not sure either. Answer the question: bluebottles, why?
I was trying to get Flipper Boy to have a go at the 800m at Dee Why last week but he had football trials and couldn’t make it. A great relief, as I want to get him interested in ocean-swimming not turn him off it completely.
He was game-on for the 1k this morning so I entered us both in that and, with some trepidation, entered myself in the 2k also. Trepidation? Well I’ve never swum 3k before but if you’re gonna do it today turned out to be the day for it. ‘Though when the announcer started talking about the 2.2k I was thinking in a panicked kinda way, ‘that’s not what I signed up for’… as if the extra 200 metres were going to make any difference. Dumb, eh.
Harris Farm Markets' support always make a swim worthwhile.
Meanwhile, back at Manly.
How did we manage to get her twice? We can't figure it out.
Here they are: ocean swimming's most enigmatic duo, or 2/3 of ocean swimming's most enigmatic trio ... Reg and Mr Cheeky, of the Front of the People of Judea. No doubt checking out optimal landing places for when the revolution comes. As usual, Reg is striding off ahead, Mr Cheeky more of an eye for the camera. Just behind him, Judith. That's the order of things, eh Mr Cheeky?
Cecily Black feels that at Dee Why she was one of only two not to be stung by blueys. Why? Because she was wearing her North Queensland Stinger Suit, which you can obtain for yourself by contacting Cecily (click here, see info on the oceanswims.com home page).
So, how about the swimming? Well we meandered our way round to Shelley from Manly after I’d persuaded Flipper Boy that he really didn’t look that bad clad just in Speedos. I’m not that keen on the Speedo-look but then, unlike him, I’m not Aussie-bred. I’d have expected him to be a little more comfortable in the national attire than he was. Un-Australian, for all the time he spends watching the cricket.
There weren’t that many starting the 1k, indeed a small enough number that they could start us all in one wave (with the exception of the kids, all 7 of them, who started 3 minutes after us; I didn’t get to swim with the boy after all). After addressing the promenade with a megaphone to avoid a repeat of the Cole orange-cap 200 m pre-swim sprint, the gun went and we went.
The whole thing was really, genuinely relaxed. The start wasn’t the usual bun-fight of legs, arms, torsos and bottoms… maybe because I started right out on the right-hand side and didn’t have too many people round me. Easily through the first buoys and heading towards Fairy Bower and Shark Alley. A friend and I swim here fairly regularly and a couple of winters ago noticed a lot of little sharks. A quick Google revealed it’s a breeding ground for Bronze Whalers, which can grow up to 3.5 metres. Thankfully the mum and dad Bronze Whalers seem to have behaved in a way that would alarm DOCS. They’ve buggered off. I’ve never seen anything there bigger than about 3ft long. Today I saw three of them, well outnumbered by 10 scuba-divers who I’m thinking would be an easier snack than us lot on the surface, ‘though maybe a bit chewier.
Round the Fairy Bower buoy and on towards the last one. (another joy that I forgot to mention about this swim is the fact that you could actually see the buoys. Presumably a combination of bigger buoys, more of them and a flat ocean delivered this pleasure).
Noice elbow, straight hand ... but is it too straight? A bit stiff. You need technique in swimming, but one also needs supplicity. Suppleness.
One thing I’ve discovered about my swimming is that I don’t go in a particularly straight line and the 1k was no exception. I’m right-handed and my right arm is stronger which means I always pull to my right. So it’s all well and good being able to see the buoys, not so great when you always end up to the right of them. Same deal today, a lot of serious veering off with a bit of readjustment every so often.
No, I don’t want to head for Queenscliff headland I just want to reach that buoy, thank you very much right-arm. Round the buoy and in. That stretch into Manly always seems longer than it should.
Through the timer and I clocked about 18 minutes which is fast (for me). ‘Though not fast enough to beat Flipper Boy who came in behind me but because he started in the kids wave actually did the swim in about 17 minutes. He’s only going to get faster, something that you can’t say about me. I’d better get used to it eh?
Even clerics swim at Manly.
Lining up for the start of the 2k and there were suddenly reasonably large sets coming in. When the kids were young I spun them a yarn that, like all dads in the neighbourhood, it was sometimes my turn to go down to the beach at night and turn off the waves when everyone was heading to bed. That yarn came back to me when a wave crashed on my head as us 40-49 year olds swam out through the break, “ Who turned the bloody waves back on? They’ve been off all morning”. After diving under a few more we were out beyond the break and in the calm of a perfect Manly swim.
I’ve mentioned before that different stages of a race ‘feel’ different. The first third of this race, out to the buoy beyond the Bower break, I was on fire (it’s all relative, I was no doubt getting overtaken by many but I felt like I was powering through the water, even passing a few swimmers).
That feeling soon disappeared trying to swim back in over the Bower break. I was going nowhere and I know I was going nowhere as I spent an inordinate amount of time looking at the same rock underneath me. Now what was going on there? Had I managed to find my own little 2m wide mini-rip? Had the tie cord of the speedos got tangled round an ancient anchor? No idea, all I know was that section was hard work and from there on in there was no more on-fire for me.
Going round the two buoys at Shelly I was feeling like the race was over. When I swim down here we normally go Shelly-Manly-Shelly so reaching Shelly feeling as knackered as I did normally means ‘swim over, time for a sit-down and a coffee’. Ah well, round the second Shelly buoy heading towards Manly (Again. Wasn’t I here just over an hour ago albeit feeling remarkably fresher?)
Backdrop.
Agape.
Rosie Langley blows us a kiss. What's she after? Getting all clucky?
"In there, right?" Yeah. What he really said was, "Isn't this the most perfect day!"
The rest of the swim was uneventful and I even managed to swim in directly towards the finish-line rather than 50 yards up the beach which the ‘right arm on the tiller’ had dictated in the 1k. Maybe I’m actually improving. Standing up in waist-deep water, who did I see 5m to my left but Nicolee Goins, a lady with whom I share a few close finish times. We trotted up together and ‘beeep’ we’re done, timed and counted. A veritable fruit-shop awaited and some chilled water. Thank you Manly for that and all the care and effort you took in making this swim a well-organised and efficient delight.
I always get a feeling of satisfaction from a swim but it’s generally a different satisfaction every time. Dee Why was satisfying because the conditions were hard, Palmy because it was a long swim for me, Bondi because I managed the conditions despite being under-trained. It’s normally satisfying because I’ve overcome something.. distance, conditions, bluebottles etc.
For those of you who’ve read all this report you probably didn’t need to. The pixel paints a thousand words as I’m sure the accompanying photos prove and my words finish just as they started.
The reason this swim was so satisfying is because it was …………… Perfect.
This bloke looks as though he's having a confrontation with the ocean.
We promised Little Miss oceanswims.com that we would, in the course of her celebrity appearance at Manly, help her to expand her portfolio. The thing that we like, particularly, see below, is, even though she's swimming without goggles, thus disoriented, look at that leading hand: it's still right out there, in front, flat, fingers together (ok, apart from the thumb). Little Miss oceanswims.com is quite a nice swimmer, although she doesn't do it enough these days. At her request, we've started taking her up to Sutho Pool on Chewsdy arvos to help her develop some fitness. She did the 1km at Manly and, whilst stuffed afterwards, maintained her very nice technique the entire distance. We're very proud of her. A chip off the old water sculpcha.
At Manly, we discovered an hitherto undiscovered species of sea life, Lurvgurdus Technicus. Looking up this creature on Google, we found it under "Sea Monsters - Scary and Gross". Even worse, it's amphibian, as these snaps demonstrate: equally capable of scaring above the water as below.
Michael Williams's misadventure last week at Dee Why has brought him closer to his nemesis, Glistening Dave. Dave's touching act in speeding to Mona Vale Hospital after the ambulance carrying Michael, writhing in agony with bluey stings, to check that his enemy was ok -- or was it to check that Michael really was in pain? -- so touched Michael that they're thinking of taking a flat together. Separate bedrooms, mind you. They're only interested in drinking together, not washing up.
Whom better to wave us off from Manly but Judith, headstrong accolyte of Reg and Mr Cheeky, of the Judean People's Front -- or is it, the People's Front of Judea? Which week is it? -- who scored 1st place in the Laydees XXXXXX (age group withheld). Well done yourself, Judith.
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The James Squire Bleedback
Send us your Bleedback on The Manly Wharf Hotel Ocean Swim, or on anything else on which you'd like to vent your spleen ... so long as it's related to ocean and open water swimming. Loosely related, anyway. Maybe someone who has something to do with the feedback swims, or swam once upon a time. Or maybe they know someone who swims. Or they might live near a beach. The Bleedback section is for swimmers to raise issues and make constructive comments about ocean swimming matters.
The best Bleedback email each week will receive a case of James Squire beer, courtesy of Malt Shovel Brewery.
We were going to give our James Squire Award this week to Back Wax Man, from North Bondi, who responded to our taunt in his general direction with an academic citing of evidence re the effect of hirsuity on speed through the water. But he kept himself anonymous and didn't respond to an email we sent him responding to his response. So, instead, and because Dee Why proved, yet again, to be the season's most controversial swim, we are giving the award to Michael Williams, who, in his desperation to be noticed, had himself taken off to hospital suffering from bluey stings. Hero? Martyr? Wacker? Whatever, Michael was at Manly, laughing gaily, having a good old time, revelling in his McLuhanist -- or was it Warholian? -- 15 minutes of fame. And, after all that, he still found time, the night of the swim -- Sunday night -- to write his bleedback to oceanswims.com. Now, we reckon that's the sign of a real trooper. Click here to Michael's winning email. And if Michael would care to contact us (click here), we'll arrane for a carton of James Squire to be coming your way.
Read Bleedback already received.
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Good Manly pics by Glistening Dave. Newport pics by Sevadevi. Others by oceanswims.com
MANLY RESULTS
BLEEDBACK
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