21st annual Long Bridge Swim hits the water

SANDPOINT — It’s quite a sight to see hundreds of swimmers thrashing in the water at the start of the annual Long Bridge Swim, as current and former college swimmers alike race 1.76 miles to the shore at Dog Beach, with the winners often clocking in around 37 minutes, depending on the conditions.

Alas, that’s just a small part of what makes the Long Bridge Swim such a special event, as there will also be hundreds of swimmers in no rush at all, whose goal is simply to finish the popular open water swim.

Last year more than 700 swimmers celebrated the 20th anniversary race, a far cry from the original 68 swimmers who took part in an event founded by local swimming enthusiast Eric Ridgway.

When the starting horn sounds on Saturday, at 9 a.m. on the south end of the Long Bridge, a host of elite swimmers, many teenagers, will be looking to cross the lake first, as Spokane’s Alex Martinek has won the past two races, last year hitting shore in 38:33, just 16 seconds ahead of the next swimmer in the closest finish in years.

David Lien was the top Sandpoint finisher at 35th, as the race draws swimming enthusiasts from all over the West, drawn by the viewing options on the bridge, the clean water and incredible scenery, and a homespun charm that keeps people coming back year after year.

To date, more than 6,300 swimmers have successfully complete the swim, from kids as young as seven to swimmers in their 80’s, a remarkable feat when you stop and think about it.

Entire families swim in the event, and there have been many shark sightings, as Sandpoint Parks and Rec Director Kim Woodruff has been known to sport a shark fin on occasion. Others opt for floaties, lifejackets, fins, snorkels, whatever helps you get to the other side, really the whole reason Ridgway started the swim in the first place.

There will be a mandatory safety meeting for all swimmers at 8 a.m. at SHS, before the swimmers are shuttled by buses to the start line. Faster swimmers who want to start in the water should be on the early buses.

Countless volunteers help the event run smoothly, and perhaps more importantly, safely.

The Long Bridge Swim uses sponsorships to underwrite the operating costs for the Swim so that participant registration fees and donations can be used to fund the promotion and delivery of swimming lessons to north Idaho youth and adults who do not know how to swim.

Working closely with the Lake Pend Oreille School District, City of Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Department and Sandpoint West Athletic Club, the Sandpoint Swim Initiative’s goals are to help non-swimmers learn to swim, teach water safety, eliminate needless drownings and promote swimming as a life sport.

To make a donation, or to find out more about event, go online to www.longbridgeswim.org.