CCSF Banquet is Saturday November 6th

Annual Celebration of Relay and Solo Swimmers
The Catalina Channel Swimming Federation’s annual banquet is scheduled for Saturday, November 6th. All swimmers, supporters, family and friends are cordially invited to join this inspirational celebration. The ticket price this year has been reduced to $30. The brunch will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in San Pedro. The social hour starts at 10 in the morning, with the meal and awards ceremony to follow. RSVP is required to reserve your seat, plus tables for larger parties can be arranged.
Rooms at the Doubletree for out-of-town guests have been set aside. Ask for the special Catalina Channel Swimming Federation rate when making your hotel reservations.

2010 Certificates and CCSF Medals
Successful Swimmers Earn Catalina Channel Honors
Swimmers in attendance at the banquet will be awarded their official certificate and CCSF medallion. Those who can’t make it to the banquet will get their awards in the mail. Either way, swimmers are encouraged to send Paula Selby a dozen photos of their event for the year-end slide show presentation at the banquet. It’s the only opportunity for CCSF members to get a glimpse of every one of the remarkable swims from the 2010 season. But it’s not over yet: There’s about a dozen more athletes still in training and acclimating for their swims, which are scheduled through mid-October.

3 Stalwart Solo Swimmers in September
Unusually Difficult Water Temps Challenge Swimmers
The Catalina Channel is never an easy swim, but this summer we’ve seen unusually challenging conditions for the swimmers. In the past weeks, the water temperature has been slightly cooler than normal at Catalina. Near the mainland, it’s been downright cold. Many nights, the water temps have plummeted as low as 54 degrees.

So congratulations to Morgan Filler, Walter Scott and Penny Palfrey who endured the 20-miles of bouncy conditions and cold water. Walter Scott is a former United States Navy SEAL. He put many of his skills and military discipline to the test while making the crossing in 10 hours and 53 minutes. For much of the swim, the water was in the mid-60s before it dropped 10 degrees approaching the Terranea Resort beach. Walter celebrated by enjoying a “warm down” swim at the La Jolla Cove Gatorman.

Morgan Filler completed her swim in 10 hours and 49 minutes. She was greeted at the finish by three whales! A decade ago, she swam on the US National Open Water Team, raced the FINA World Cup Series, and trained with Karen Burton and Chad Hundeby in the lakes of Maine. She’s now made her home in the San Francisco Bay area. She balanced her cold-water Channel crossing by spending the very next weekend in Black Rock Desert at Burning Man.

Penny Palfrey joined exclusive company with her Catalina crossing in 10 hours and 36 minutes. She’s one of fewer than 200 swimmers to accomplish this Channel. Plus, Penny became the first Australian woman to swim the “Triple Crown” (Catalina, English Channel and Manhattan Island Marathon Swim). In addition, Penny is the first woman to swim solo from 3 of the 8 Channel Islands of Southern California. Last year, she swam 40-miles from Santa Barbara Island and a year earlier she did a 26-mile crossing which started at San Miguel Island. The only other swimmer to have made 3 Channel Island solo crossings is David Yudovin, who in the 1980s made swims from Anacapa and Santa Cruz. Also, David’s crossed the Catalina Channel 4 times over 3 different decades.

‘Night Train’ Members Travel the World
Charity Relay Knocks Off Another Channel
The “Night Train” relay got across the Catalina Channel in 10 hours and 23 minutes. They’re a group of 12 swimmers who’re traveling around the world and completing marathon relays for charity. The 6  “Night Train” swimmers for the Catalina Channel were Vito Bialla, David Holscher, Gordon Clute, Dave Odgen, John Mathews and Amanda Boyd. Congratulations to the team and best wishes for the upcoming relay across Lake Powell. The team is outfitted with real time GPS tracking so you may follow their swims online.

Scientific Explanation for Colder Waters
‘Pacific Decadal Oscillation’ in Longterm Cooling Phase
A common question asked among swimmers recently is “Why is the water so cold this season?” Since 1997, scientists have studied the natural long-term fluctuation of the Pacific Ocean surface temperatures. The warm and cool phases appear to cycle every 20 to 30 years, or so. Scientists call this the “Pacific Decadal Oscillation”, however the underlying cause remains unknown. During most of the 1980s & 90s, the Pacific was in a warm phase. Some scientists believe as recently as 2008 the Oscillation has switched to a significant cooling trend. Many swimmers could agree! Water temperatures right now in Southern California are (at least) 4 degrees below normal.