49 individuals and one 3 person relay team will be swimming the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas this weekend. the swim is part of the Mackinac Bridge 50th anniversary celebration. it will be about a 4 mile swim, not counting the effects of the rather strong current and potential for big rollers. the effort is spearheaded by long distance swimmer Jim Dreyer. included in the Straits “team” is Emmanuel Millet, US Aquaman Distributor and RD of the Three Rivers (MI) Triathlon. here’s the scene:
here’s a link to Jim’s site which has a roster among other things:
yeah. lots of familiar faces/names doing it, like Brian Stauffer. he was taking OA titles at races around here when i first started 17 years ago…and this past weekend he just pulled off another OA at a sprint. next two in were :02 and then another :02 back, and 13 and 14 years his junior.
Too bad I didn’t have more notice to try this. The wife and I went to Mac island this summer and thought that would be one hell of a swim. Any idea of water temp?
it is not an open event. Dreyer organized it and put the group together.
water temps will range from mid 70’s to mid 50’s depending on current and weather conditions.
I hope that they make this an annual event that is opne to the public. this woudl be one of those things that woudl be really fun to do (and to tell people about). give me a couple years to train and I’d be up for it.
I’m from around there, and totally wish you luck in the swim. I wish I could be able to do it. I know it’s not open. I’ve sailed through there many times in conditions that ranged from mill pond to total white knuckle rides. It can be really, really bad. I hope it’s not for you.
