Distance swimmers taking another plunge

SANDPOINT — The third installment of a long-distance swim in Lake Pend Oreille kicked off Friday under unsettled skies but with calm waters.

“It’s going to be an exciting adventure. The weather is going to be more iffy than it has been in previous years,” said swim organizer and participant Eric Ridgeway.

Ridgeway is among a party of nine swimmers making their way from Sandpoint City Beach to Buttonhook Bay in Bayview and back — a route Ridgeway figures will cover about 68 miles.

“I’m thinking of it as a double crossing of the English Channel,” he said.

They are likely plying the lake as you read this, unless lightning — the only deal-breaking weather condition in the event — has forced them to abort the swim. The swimmers are due back Sunday, although there are some friendly wagers riding on when they will arrive at City Beach.

“We’ll have somebody in the water at all times,” said Meleah Nelsen, who has participated in previous swims in 2007 and 2008 and also helps organize the event.

Unofficially, the event is known as the Big Lake Swim and its practitioners, the Crazy Lake Swimmers.

It’s a laid-back affair, although safety remains paramount.

Swimmers are being trailed by The Bountiful, a houseboat helmed by Ken Casler. When a swimmer is in the water after dark, they’re lit up with fluorescent glow sticks, shadowed by a kayaker and limited to 45 minutes of swimming at a time.

“We’re hoping to power through without stopping,” said Nelsen.

Nelsen recalled during the inaugural year of the event swimming through the inky overnight waters of Lake Pend Oreille.

“You could not see your hands in front of your face and it’s pitch black. You couldn’t even tell if you’re moving,” she said.

This year’s route has roots in the first year of the swim, when participants swam from Buttonhook to City Beach. Nelsen said somebody quipped at the end of the swim that they should starting swimming back to Bayview.

Last year, swimmers went from Kramer’s Marina in Hope to Buttonhook, then to City Beach and back to Hope.

“We just want it to be different and more challenging every year,” Nelsen said.

Because of the liability issues, it’s an invite-only event, although the skills of the participants covers a fairly broad range, from novice to expert, according to Ridgeway.

Ridgeway expects the allure of Lake Pend Oreille to attract more distance swimmers looking for challenging expanses of water.

“We have some of the nicest water in the world,” he said.