Great new event. Should be fun to watch (edited for TV of course ;-). It will be fun to see it evolve and see who participates.
We have quite a few OW swim races in the inland NW, some with hundred(s?) of participants, but they often conflict with tri’s for me. In fact this time of year, with water temps in the 70s, the local lake swimming group might get 20+ people to show up for a group swim, ranging from people who can swim a mile in 18 minutes to people 3X slower than that.
Lake swim races are definitely gaining popularity, from what I can tell. I always do the local Whitefish race (still trying for the elusive “20 minute mile”) but I would like to do more. The Polson and Sandpoint races are both supposed to be super. It amazes me more triathletes don’t swim more outdoors or do more OW races: Its so much better than the stupid pool. I always quit swimming in the pool altogether in June but still manage 2-4 hours a week in lakes into September. So do most people I train with. The many lakes here are quite accessible, inviting and pristine, compared to just about anywhere else in the U.S.