Martinek wins 19th annual Long Bridge Swim
SANDPOINT - A first-time winner, a first-time loser and an unexpected welcoming host were among the highlights as more than 740 swimming enthusiasts took to the choppy waters of Lake Pend Oreille during the 19th annual Long Bridge Swim on Saturday.
The 1.76-mile open water swim started amid gray and overcast skies, and Alex Martinek, 21, of Spokane, wasted no time in taking a commanding and permanent lead, battling what he called tough conditions to hit land first at 36 minutes, 19 seconds.
"I swallowed so much water," said Martinek, who tied for second the last time he swam the event in 2009. "There was a lot of waves."
Finishing 2 minutes, 20 seconds behind was John Weston, 57, of Missoula, who has won the Long Bridge Swim numerous times in the past. Despite giving up 36 years in age, Weston did his best to remain close to Martinek, who was just too fast.
"It's the worst I've ever finished," said Weston, who still managed to beat 679 other finishers. "It was pretty choppy, I swallowed a lot of water."
Eight states and provinces - Washington, Montana, California, Alberta, Texas, Arizona, Idaho and Oregon - were represented among the top 20 finishers, speaking to the national popularity of the open water swim.
Sandpoint's Georgia Steenberge was the first female swimmer out of the water, clocking a 41:41 to finish 13th overall. Steenberge was most happy with an unexpected warm visitor at the finish line.
"It got sunny right when we were finishing, that was awesome," she said. "Having the clouds part when we hit the beach."
Per usual, hundreds of other swimmers - or floaters, as it were - simply wanted to cross the finish line ahead of the three-hour cutoff. There was even a shark sighting, as Sandpoint's Kim Woodruff donned his shark fin for the race. One brave soul was using the butterfly stroke for a short stretch, eschewing the usual stamina-saving approach.
Matt Chastain was the top Coeur d'Alene finisher, as the youth clocked a 42:21 to finish 17th overall.
Sandpoint's Eric Ridgway, who founded the race, served as race director for the final time, as he'll pass the duty along to friend Jim Zuberbuhler in the future. He was most impressed by the positive energy and seeing Weston lose, noting nobody had ever beat him before.
"I'm enjoying the swim. It's good to see so many newcomers," said Ridgway, who was pleased that the weather turned out all right. "It was great how positive everyone's attitude is even though the weather wasn't so great."
One of the endearing qualities of the Long Bridge Swim is the myriad reasons why swimmers of all ages and skill levels hit the water. For every elite swimmer, there are another 20 lagging behind at a more leisurely pace.
For Zuberbuhler, 55, he once again accomplished his annual goal after hitting Dog Beach in just over 51 minutes.
"I always try to swim faster than my age," said the new race director. "I'm thrilled."
Information: www.longbridgeswim.org
Top 20 finishers
1. Alex Martinek, Spokane, 36:19.
2. John Weston, Missoula, 38:39.
3. Michael Zamolo, San Diego, 39:10.
4. Donald Moravec, Spokane, 39:43.
5. Larry Krauser, Spokane, 39:53.
6. James Adams, Wenatchee, Wash., 41:01.
7. Rob Davis, Calgary, 41:06.
8. Bruce Dickson, Austin, Texas, 41:08.
9. Rob Schlemmer, Seattle, 41:10.
10. Edward Davis, Pullman, 41:29.
11. Ed Hadley, Scottsdale, Ariz., 41:35.
12. Tom Hickcox, Scottsdale, Ariz., 41:38.
13. Georgia Steenberge, Sandpoint, 41:41.
14. Tim Burnham, Cashmere, Wash., 41:51.
15. Garrett Breesnee, Spokane, 42:08.
16. Pat McChesney, Spokane, 42:13.
17. Matt Chastain, Coeur d'Alene, 42:21.
18. Graig Scrivner, Ellensburg, Wash., 43:06.
19. Nicholas Brown, Central Point, Ore., 43:09.
20. Edie Vanbuskirk, Missoula, 43:20.