Good morning! What a difference a day makes! From hot to cool, from choppy to flat!
But first - some good news out of 2020 for one lucky B&B swimmer .... The 2020 B&B swimmer of the year is.... drum roll....
.... Congratulations to Sam Di Sano! Sam swam every month of 2020 to earn his place in the annual draw and for his efforts he wins a $200 voucher donated by Budgy Smuggler! Congratulations Sam, and thank you to Budgy Smuggler for their ongoing support of B&B - Budgy Smuggler has some crazy and cool new designs so he has a lot to choose from!
Sam's smile will be all the bigger with his $200 voucher to spend!
Over the last few days mother nature teased us with beautiful blue skies & heatwaves but tested us with windy, challenging murky lumpy swimming conditions - thanks to everyone for taking advice & guidance of Manly Surf club over the last few days as they navigated keeping people safe with challenging crowds, waves, sharks, bluebottles and emergencies ...
Todays conditions - pretty sublime - the long awaited "southerly buster" hit overnight and brought welcome cooler air and a southerly swell to blow the bluebottles away to wherever they go when they are not terrorising the beaches & produce absolutely stunning flat swimming conditions this morning in cabbage tree bay. There werent alot of swimmers today - perhaps recovering from yestedays holiday or maybe catching up on sleep & enjoying a lie in after a few hot restless nights....
With the Big Swim (Palm to Whale Beach 2.8km) and the Little Big Swim (1km) this Sunday (31st January), I thought i'd ask swimmers if they had entered, or, what their swim goals were. I was lucky enough to register for the Big Swim early before i had time to think it through! I am very nervous but the swimming community is incredibly supportive & encouraging and full of knowledge about the nuances of the swim (around headlands etc) and i am really looking forward to it. Every swimmer will have different goals but as this is my first year of ocean swimming, my aim is to complete the swim - to borrow a mantra from the Warringah tri club - "finish lines not finishing times" - For this swim and all the others this season.
There's usually a large cohort of B&B swimmers for the Big Swim but this year due to COVID entrants were limited to 350 for the Big Swim (2.8km) and 500 for the Big Little Swim (1km). So unfortunately a lot of swimmers missed out this year, however that didnt detract from the general mood this morning & goals dont always have to be completing a swim! A recurrent "Swim goal" theme was seeing each other every morning for a swim, coffee & sometimes birthday cake! It was Kates birthday today and Kara made a delicious carrot cake. Happy birthday Kate!
Mark, Rob and Mel enjoyed their swim today. Mel enjoys the different swims but the Palm to Whale (Big swim) is her favouite swim because its challenging, around headlands, good surf, choppy but FUN! She also loves the social aspect & trying to beat times year on year. A great combination, proving you can have fun whilst striving to meet goals!
Sandy, Fiona and Kerry received the "white top" memo - they really enjoyed their swim and have enthusiastically volunteered for the Cole Classic on Sunday week. Thanks ladies!
Mermaids Clare and Mel all smiles after their fabulous swim. Mel is considered a "ray whisperer" as she saw four types today including Fiddler rays & tiger rays and swam above a graceful bull ray on the swim back in near the point - the ray was so beautiful she wanted to keep floating above it. Clare has such a graceful and beautiful swim style that i hope to emulate some day ....she has competed in quite a few ocean swims & organising the ocean swim at North Steyne in March! Mel seeks to better her Cole Classic time from last year and im sure she will crush it!
I chatted to Lainey before her swim and Henrietta after hers. Both volunteer as "friends of cabbage tree Bay" (linky thing here if you'd like to join the fun (https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/environment/coast-and-waterways/aquatic-reserves/friends-cabbage-tree-bay) - ensuring our pristine swimming bay which we share with so many amazing creatures remains so. Fun fact - did you know that Lainey started ocean swimming with Can Too 11 years ago which gave her the confidence to give ocean swimming a go, and joined B&B 10 years ago. Lainey has completed many ocean swims including 10km return swim from Curl Curl to manly - which by all accounts was challenging especially the swim back against the current! simply amazing! When asked if she would do it again she replied "never say never!"! Lainey loves introducing friends to ocean swimming (like Henrietta & Ros!) & especially when its changed their life (i can totally relate to that!), we all enjoy seeing Laineys happy smile & enthusiasm & fabulous photos every day... thanks Lainey for bringing your light to the B&B community :) (and of course Ted & Freddy!)... and inspiration to all of us.
and here's lainey preparing to transform into a mermaid for her swim .... camera at the ready to take more fabulous pictures!
Annie and Ros - Lainey introduced Ros to ocean swimming and she was hooked! Ros always removes rubbish before or after her swims - contributing to ridding the ocean and beaches of rubbish! Today they saw a Wobbygong and a huge school of yellow-tails.
Three generations! Barney, Juliet & Alex! Juliet and Alex are Big Swim regulars but this year they are part of the (thankfully large!) organising & water safety crew (much to my relief!). Barney is about the embark on a Gap year program in Moree - hopefully Barney will be able to keep swimming and we wish him good luck with the program!
Izzy - the brightest smile this moring lit up the gloomy day!
Gemma and Jo - so happy with the sublime fabulous conditions today!
Daughter & mum Harriet and Jane - matchy matchy (nearly!)! Harriet grew up at Queenscliff nippers! its so great to see so many families passing on their love of the ocean to their children.
I was lucky enough that my parents also loved the ocean and took us for beach holidays every year. However, one holiday i had a new favourite swimming costume - it was red. Dad had a warped sense of humour and told me that sharks were attracted to red and its taken me years to wear bright colours in the ocean (until now in fact!)!
And finally, one of the main reasons we swim - a common goal - the cameraderie over coffee!
Even our canine buddies have common goals too - ear rubs, belly rubs, cuddles or food! Freddy (on Teds lap), Minki (next to ted & Freddy) & Bindi (under the seat) with Bella, 4 months old enjoying the wind flapping her ears!
Happy Wednesday everyone and GOOD LUCK to all swimmers in the Big Swim and Little Big Swim this weekend! The Big Swim was described to me recently as either requiring boxing gloves or dancing shoes - although we would dearly love "dancing shoes" mother nature will dictate the conditions and we will be ready & encouraging & supporting each other all the way from start to finish!
have a great day!
Jocelyn
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