Hundreds to compete in Long Bridge Swim on Saturday

SANDPOINT — The 28th annual Long Bridge Swim is fast approaching, but there is still time to register if you have not taken the time to do so already.

Hundreds of competitors are expected to swim in this year’s 1.76-mile race across Lake Pend Oreille on Saturday. But, organizers said, there’s plenty of room for more.

“We expect between 500 to 600 swimmers, plus 1,000 to 2,000 spectators this year, most of them on the bridge,” swim director Jim Zuberbuhler said.

All participants will take shuttle buses from SHS to the swim start. The swim will begin at 9 a.m. and end when swimmers cross the finish line at Dog Beach.

“We’ll be serving more huckleberry ice cream than you have ever seen in one place after the swim,” Zuberbuhler said.

Online registration can be completed at longbridgeswim.org. Early packet pickup will be held Friday, Aug. 4 at Sandpoint High School from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Final packet pickup will be Saturday morning at SHS from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. There is no same-day registration; the last time to register will be at early packet pickup Friday.

For those unfamiliar with the swim’s history, the Long Bridge Swim helps raise money for swim lesson initiatives in North Idaho. The mission of the swim is to see that no child in Bonner County gets past third grade without learning how to swim. Organizers work closely with the Lake Pend Oreille School District, city of Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Department and Litehouse YMCA, to ensure non-swimmers learn to swim and are taught water safety in order to eliminate needless drownings and promote swimming as a life sport.

To find out more about volunteer opportunities, the history of the swim, donation and sponsor information, view the course, see the race results, view frequently asked questions, and more visit the Long Bridge Swim’s website.

Information: longbridgeswim.org