A group of six swimmers, called the Deep Enders, were the first to complete the 70-mile journey from San Nicolas Island to San Pedro. Photo: Santa Barbara Channel Swim
Sharks, and jellyfish, and zero visibility! Oh my! That’s what a team of swimmers encountered as they found themselves not on the Yellow Brick Road, but adrift in the mighty Pacific during a 70-mile, record-breaking swim.
They call themselves the Deep Enders and they’re a part of the Buenaventura Swim Club. Making up the team of daredevil distance swimmers are Zach Jirkovsky, 34; Tamie Stewart, 42; Jim McConica, 64; John Chung, 45; Stacey Warmuth, 59; and Tom Ball, 55. And this week they became the first group to successfully swim the 70-mile journey from San Pedro to San Nicolas Island, reports the New York Times.
In what’s called a “sanctioned open-water swim,” the team of six took turns swimming one-hour legs of the journey in a relay format. A kayak and a boat were on hand for the swimmers to rest in between shifts. But in order for the trek to count, each swimmer must complete their share. If one swimmer gives up, then the whole team is disqualified.
Aside from the treachery of a 70-mile, open-water ocean swim, the team encountered a few unexpected challenges along the way. At one point they ran into a school of jellyfish, resulting in multiple stings. For some odd reason, the rules of the swim didn’t allow them to wear rash guards or wetsuits, so those jellies got ’em good. And then a shark was tailing team-member McConica for a length of the journey, just stalking him and prowling. Luckily, the curious shark eventually backed off. On top of ocean critters, the swimmers encountered nearly zero-visibility during the night due to the crescent moon.
But eventually, the Deep Enders were triumphant. On the final leg, the whole team jumped into the water and swam into the Palos Verdes finish line in a V formation for ‘victory.’
In its entirety, the trip took 33 hours, 37 minutes, and 26 seconds.
