Longer race attracts ocean swimmers to Bay event
Steve Prescott has been ocean swimming for 50 years and is prepared for the newly added 5-kilometre event in the sixth PrimePort Timaru Ocean Race on Sunday.
The longer race has been added to the three already in existence – 500 metres, 1.5km and 2.5km.
Prescott, a 66-year-old Dunedin resident, is a two-time winner of the 2.5km race and said he used to swim with his father in a river where he grew up in Otorohanga, north of Te Kuiti.
Now he swims about six days a week and in summer adds a couple of ocean swims.
Prescott is not daunted by the extra distance on Sunday as he usually swam to the start line which doubled the distance of the 2.5km race.
‘‘There’s not many local ocean swim races so it’s good to do the Timaru one. It’s nice and friendly.’’
Once he thought he was being stalked by a shark while competing in the Kapiti Mainland race about 12 years ago but it turned out to be a curious dolphin.
‘‘I use the analogy you’ve got more chance of being hit by a bus than bitten by a shark.’’
Another regular winner returning on Sunday is Lynette Griffiths, from Christchurch, and like Prescott, she did not fear sharks when competing as she was only ever thinking about finishing.
She does remember one incident though when she thought someone in a wetsuit had jumped in beside her while swimming past the New Brighton Pier but it was a porpoise.
Griffiths has won every 2.5km Timaru ocean swim she has entered and is looking forward to the 5km event this time. She has raced 10kms before but did not find it that enjoyable.
She also has a long history of swimming and has competed in ocean events for about 20 years.
‘‘I love the freedom of it and not having to race up and down as in a pool. I love the ocean and have longer swims. I’m more buoyant in the ocean with a wetsuit.
Swimming through the open sea is a feeling second to none, according to the event organiser Rob Naylor.
‘‘You get thrown by the waves, you don’t have the same control you have in a pool. But you’re not confined, it feels good with the birds flying above,’’ he said.
So far 40 people have entered the contests from around the South Island with the 5km event attracting plenty of attention. Naylor hoped there would be between 70 or 80 swimmers in total as there had been in other years.
‘‘Usually half the people enter in the last week after they’ve checked the long-range forecast. At this stage it’s looking settled.’’