Pacific Update Week of November 8, 2021

Hello!   In this issue, you will find information on upcoming swimming events. Don't forget to register for the Pacific Masters Annual Celebration and Meeting! (Registration closes Thursday, November 11.) If you didn't register for the Encore Games, consider helping with timing or cheering on your friends. Abbie Fish, of Swim Like A. Fish, returns with flip turn advice at our Community Talk and Social Hour. Also, read about some amazing athletic accomplishments by Pacific Masters swimmers. The next issue of the Update will appear on Monday, December 6, 2021. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, December 1, 2021. Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!   Stay fit, The Pacific Masters Swimming Committee

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Pacific Masters Annual Celebration and Meeting  REGISTRATION CLOSES THIS THURSDAY AT NOON Sunday, November 14 from 1-4:15 PM (Free) Once again this meeting will take place virtually. Join us to hear Olympian Bowe Becker share his amazing story of going from alternate to gold medalist in the recent Olympic games. Plus, Olympian and Pacific Masters member Roque Santos will tell us about his swimming experiences, pass down insights, and give us technical tips on how to swim Roque Solid Breaststroke. The Wheel of Names returns with prizes and cash awards to the teams with the most attendees. Pacific’s Annual Meeting will feature our 2021 Pacific Masters Service Award winners and the results of our bi-annual election. Registration will close November 11 at noon.

EVENTS AND CLINICS

13th Annual Ross Yancher Brute Squad and Brute Squad Lite ePostal Swims November 1-December 18 The DAM Brute Squad is back for 2021, better and more inclusive than ever with some new features. Feel like taking on a great challenge? Register for the Brute Squad: 200 yard butterfly + 400 yard IM + 1650 yard free. Just want a taste? Then choose the Brute Squad LITE: 100 yard butterfly + 200 yard IM + 500 yard free. NEW: Non-Competition Category, all USMS members may participate! NEW: Swim for an honoree. Commemorate your accomplishment by swimming for yourself or in honor of someone. Include your honoree's name on your Brute shirt! Information and Registration.

Pacific Masters Community Talk and Social Hour Better Flip Turns with Abbie Fish Thursday, November 11 at 7 PM Abbie Fish, creator and head coach of Swim Like A. Fish, is at it again! We last heard from Abbie at our Community Talk in April, 2021, when she spoke on the importance of kicking in swimming. With this return engagement, she will help pool swimmers of all skill levels get to the wall and turn around efficiently. Abbie has keen technical knowledge, so expect the nitty-gritty on flip turns. Q&A will follow. Come connect with friends new and old. Information and Registration

Bay Area Encore Games Swimming Meet Sunday, November 21 The Bay Area Encore (Senior) Games are back for those 50 years or older. The meet will be held at the Rinconada Pool in Palo Alto on November 21. Registration is now closed, but non-participants are invited to help with timing and cheer on their friends. Good luck to all competitors! Information.  For information about all the other sports offered, visit the Encore Games website.

MEMO 400 Kick for Time December 1-31 Need some inspiration to work on your kicking? The MEMO 400 Kick for Time returns for its 10th year. MEMO wants everyone to improve their kicking! Performed in an organized, supervised USMS practice, this is a great way to whip your legs into shape for the 2022 season. Information and Registration. Remember to submit your time by January 10, 2022!

PACIFIC MASTERS NEWS

Pacific Masters Swimmers Circumnavigate Santa Catalina Island Recap On Sunday night, October 17, six Pacific Masters swimmers (also members of the Monterey Bay Swimming Association) began their swim to circle Santa Catalina Island. The swimmers, escorted by the Pacific Star, entered the water on the east side of the island via a small beach just below the Boy Scout Camp. The team followed the guidelines of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation. This means each swimmer wore only one non-neoprene swim cap, swam one hour for each leg of the swim and maintained the same order throughout the swim. The team was captained by Patti McMurdie. Joel Wilson, head coach of the Santa Cruz Masters, was the second swimmer, followed by Amy Gubser, Kim Rutherford, Scott Tapley and LeAnn Copriviza. The team started their swim at 10:33 PM, heading toward the west end of the island. After only a couple of hours, the swimmers encountered working squid boats and had to change course to avoid them. This added approximately 1.5 miles to the 47 mile swim. After rounding the west end of the island, the swimmers headed to the southeast and generally had trailing seas, helping push them along. After daybreak, the winds picked up and, for the next 7-8 hours, the swimmers swam with at least 10 knot winds and gusts of 15-18 knots. Rounding the east end of the island brought some shelter from the winds, but the team then faced a current that slowed their progress north. Passing Avalon was particularly challenging with the current resisting the team's progress and the sun dropping behind the island. Darkness returned with about 8 hours of swimming to go. The team continued to stroke their way toward the finish through the 64-67F degree water and, after 27 hours, 44 minutes, finished at 2:17 AM on Tuesday, October 19. A good time was had by all!

Laura Val's Record Breaking Romp In an accomplishment unprecedented in the history of USMS, Pacific's Laura Val shattered 16 FINA World Records in the space of 11 days. At the Long Course Nationals in Cleveland, Laura set new records in 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 free, the 50 (twice), 100 and 200 back, and the 100 fly. The following weekend in Walnut Creek she broke SCM records in 50, 100 and 200 back as well as the 100 fly, 100 and 200 IM. For good measure, she helped Tamalpais Aquatic Masters to a new FINA record in the 200 LCM Mixed Free relay along with teammates Alan Bernard, Charlotte Davis and Rich Burns. Their relay record was the only one set at the Cleveland Nationals. TAM's quartet collected 18 first place medals to place 9th out of 144 local clubs.

Our Video Gallery During the past year, Pacific Masters Swimming has held many online Coaches Clinics and Community Talks. Check out this list of recordings of those talks. You can learn technical tips, coaching tips, be inspired by the stories of other swimmers, find ways to contribute to your team and more. Let us know your ideas for 2022 talks.

CLUBS AND COACHES

Coach's Clinic: Digital Marketing, Social Media & Your Club Wednesday, December 1, 2021 7:00-8:00 PM Social media is an effective way to communicate, share information and exchange ideas. The next generation of Masters swimmers is active on various social media platforms which can help USMS clubs engage with new swimmers and connect current swimmers outside of the pool. USMS Chief Marketing Officer, Kyle Deery, will join us to provide insights on how clubs can best utilize social media and leverage digital marketing provided by the USMS national office to expand your club's swimming community. Kyle will also discuss other digital marketing techniques. Register here to receive the Zoom link for this webinar scheduled for Wednesday, December 1, 7:00-8:00 pm. If you have questions you'd like Kyle to address, please submit them here. If you cannot attend and this topic is important to you, register to receive the webinar after it is produced.

USMS NEWS

2022 USMS Swimmer Registration Now open Individual 2022 USMS membership opened on November 1. Renew your membership for $60 and take your swimming to the next level. Here are just some of the great benefits you'll receive: Technique and training advice in SWIMMER magazine, STREAMLINES newsletters, and at usms.org  A vast Workout Library that features seven specialties and loads of workouts for every swimming level Ability to participate in USMS pool, open water, or virtual events Access to local club workouts Exclusive discounts from our partners Ability to link your account with Swim.com and analyze your workout or race information  Discussion forums to communicate with coaches and members nationwide FUN social interaction with like-minded adults And much more USMS has gone green and no longer mails membership cards, but you can download your card to your phone, tablet, or computer!

Adult Learn to Swim (ALTS) Grant Application October 14-December 15 USMS Adult Learn to Swim (ALTS) Grant Application window is open from October 14-December 15, 2021. ALTS Grants can help you start or continue a program to teach adult swimming lessons at your club (e.g., to pay for pool time, lifeguard, or instructor fees). Grant recipients also receive one free tuition for an ALTS Instructor Certification course. The maximum grant award is $5000, and recent grants have ranged from $250-$4000. Application instructions can be found here.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Surfacing an Aquatic Diaspora Elaine Howley Kevin Dawson grew up surfing in Southern California. What distinguished him from all the other young men bobbing on their boards, waiting for their next wave? Dawson is Black and for his whole life has bucked the stereotype that Black people don't swim (or surf). Take some time to read Elaine Howley's award-winning article about Kevin Dawson's relationship to water, "Surfacing an Aquatic Diaspora". Like many Update readers, Dawson has spent most of his life in and around water. Howley's article reflects on Dawson's aquatic life while also tracing and dispelling the roots of the myth that Black people don't swim. Interested in learning more about Kevin Dawson's experiences? Check out his book, Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora (The Early Modern Americas).