Naples Island Swim, with a century of history, returns to Long Beach this month – Long Beach Press Telegram

Pancake breakfasts on The Colonnade, holiday boat parades along the canals and the Naples Island Swim.

Long Beachs Naples community has events and traditions that seem to have started before anyone can remember.

One of the oldest traditions is the annual open water swimming competition, which will return Sunday, Aug. 21, with the first race starting at 9 a.m. The Naples Island Swim, at the beach next to the Leeway Sailing & Aquatics Center, has multiple events of varying lengths, including a 500-yard swim for those 10 years old and younger, a 1-mile swim for those 11 and older, and a 3-mile Naples Island circumnavigation for anyone who is at least 13.

There are various thoughts on when the swim first started.

In the Aug. 13, 1906, issue of the Long Beach Tribune, a story titled Naples Swim said, The third annual tournament of the California Swimming Association took place at Naples yesterday.

That would mean that formal swimming contests in Naples have been held as early as 1903.

The 1906 article goes on to say every Red Car headed to Long Beach was crowded to the limit with spectators, and every floatable item and gondola was chartered for the day, while thousands lined the shores and pavilions.

In the 1906 swim, both the 440-yard and half-mile races were won by swimmers that finished using the Australian crawl, also known as the front crawl.

This was considered a remarkable feat, the story said, as, while it is not unknown, it is exceedingly difficult after a long swim.

That was then, of course. Today, that stroke is famous being the primary one used during freestyle competitions.

Greg Shea, chairman of this years swim, has been researching the events history using the archives of the Long Beach Lifeguard Museum.

The annual event has taken place in most years since 1926, Shea said, and has become a favorite family tradition for locals.

There is no shortage of news stories regarding the event over the past 50 years. One story published in a 1970 issue of the Long Beach Independent, for example, says the competition was the highlight of events that took place that year.

Theres even one race in which the object is to get to the finish line feet first, swimming on your back, the story said. Each entrant from teenagers to adults accompanied by a buddy on a paddleboard to serve as both navigator and shouter of encouragement as arms grow wearier and the water colder.

In 1970, there were 700 entrants. Last year, there were 492 swimmers.

Almost 600 swimmers and several hundred spectators are expected to attend this years event.

Proceeds from this years swim will benefit the Aquatic Capital of America Foundation and the Waterproof Our Youth program, which provides funding for local youngsters to attend the Fairfield YMCA for swimming lessons.

The featured event now is the 3-mile swim around Naples Island led by a gondola. Michael OToole, owner of Gondola Getaways, will be at the helm with an experienced crew of gondoliers working hard to stay ahead of the fastest swimmers.

And as usual, there will again be a grand marshal who will watch the start of the race from the lead gondola, Shea said. The 2022 grand marshal is Steven Munatones, president of the World Open Water Swimming Association. the largest news service dedicated to covering open swim competition globally.

But what sets this competition apart from others, some swimmers sayd, is the beauty of Alamitos Bay.

Our bay is the secret gem of the California coast, said Katie Rowe, a world-class swimmer and Naples resident. Calm, flat water, with plenty of wonderful and safe areas to swim. Beautiful scenery all around and filled with people enjoying the water and loving our Long Beach lifestyle. Our bay cant be beat.

For more information, go to naplesislandswims.com.

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Naples Island Swim, with a century of history, returns to Long Beach this month - Long Beach Press Telegram