Posts by Peter Rudd

The Kid’s Shore Splash! was such a huge success last year that we’ve expanded it for this year!

The Kid’s Shore Splash! is a fun, short, safe swim along the edge of the lake the morning of the swim on July 20th.

It’s a very scaled down version of the main swim! Registration is open to kids aged 5-12 and is meant for those who have no or very little swim event experience. There are two choices for distance, either a 25m or a 50m. The kids get a timing chip, gear bag, swim cap and towel, swim along the shore and finish under the arch like the big kids!

It’s a super fun, supervised, shallow swim – and the best of all – it’s FREE!

Online Registration is now open:
==> REGISTER NOW

Sunday, July 14th, 2019 is the final day to register for this year’s swim!

Don’t miss out on the 71st edition of this iconic summer event.

Join over 1300 participants from all over the world who are challenging themselves to swim the 2.1K distance from West Kelowna to City Park, Kelowna.

==> REGISTER NOW

Need some inspiration? Here is the CBC story of Linda Sharp, who was the final swimmer in last year’s swim.

Listen to the full feature story (7:42 mins):

Click to read the online article

Congratulations to CBC Kelowna’s Sarah Penton, who won a Dave Rogers Short Feature Award for this story.

Photo credit: Sarah Penton/CBC News

So who want’s to be a VIP? You do!

And now you can as we’ve just released a limited number of VIP Packages!

You’ll get:

• Reserved parking spot in City Park so you can avoid the parking chaos
• VIP bypass lines so you can zip to the front
• Free t-shirt
• Double pancakes
• A second award winning towel

All this for just $89
(does not include registration fee)

If you’ve already registered, you can easily add a VIP Package to your registration by logging in to events.com, then choose ‘Edit Registration’ the Add items.

If you haven’t registered yet, you can add the VIP Package when you register!

We are thrilled to announce that Fresh Air Kelowna is the new sponsor of our Open Water Swim Clinics.

Each year more than 700 swimmers attend the clinics which start this year on June 8th, 2019. The Fresh Air Open Water Swim Clinics run for 6 consecutive Saturday mornings with the last one on July 13th, 2019. Each clinic brings the best open water swim coaches to help swimmers get comfortable in the open water and teach skills such as how to sight and how to swim with others.

More than 50% of the Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim Kelowna participants are new swimmers and the free clinics ($5 entry if you are not registered for one of our swims) help swimmers transition from training in the pool to swimming in open water.

The Fresh Air Open Water Swim Clinics in Kelowna are included FREE when you register for one of our events.

Register for the Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim Kelowna

Photo credit: Alexis MacMillan

Interior Savings has signed on as title sponsor of the July 20, 2019 Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim Kelowna, rounding out a full decade of support for this event.

Since the Credit Union first partnered with Across the Lake Swim in Kelowna in 2010, the event has grown from 400 swimmers making the 2.1 km swim across Okanagan Lake to as many 1,500. It has become the largest and longest running open water swim event in Canada and has been named as one of the Top World Open Water Swims. Last year the swim celebrated its 70^th Anniversary!

According to Kathy Conway, CEO of Interior Savings, “This is an event all of us in the Okanagan should be proud of. Even with its success and notoriety on the global stage, it continues to be a truly iconic local event vested in the betterment of our community.”

The annual swim challenges young and old alike to achieve their personal best while also raising money to provide free swimming lessons to every grade three student in our school district. To date the Society, with the support of its community partners and sponsors, has provide 12,500 kids with free swim lessons.

“We’re excited to celebrate our tenth year of helping to drown proof the Okanagan,” continued Conway. “Given the abundance of water sports in the Okanagan, we recognize the critical role this event plays in providing water safety skills to our kids.”

Race Director Peter Rudd highlighted the important role Interior Savings plays in the event. “It’s the best gift we could receive for our swim, and for water safety in our community. Interior Savings not only provides financial support, they also support us with volunteers. It’s a real team effort,” said Rudd.

“You can help us in our mission to keep kids safe in the water by registering yourself, your family or giving the gift of registration to help someone else participate,” added Rudd, “but register before Feb 28th to take advantage of early bird pricing!”.

Registration is open for the Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim Kelowna July 20, 2019.

Photo Credit: Alexis MacMillan

Yass! The photos from the 2018 swim are finally available to view.

Big thank you to Carey Missler from DCD Productions for shooting the event from the air with their drone, and to Julie Pringle from SNAP Commercial Photography for taking the photos on land (and in the water!).

>> View the photos <<

What a fantastic day for a swim! The results for the 2018 Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim are now available online. View the 2018 results

Package pickup is from 3-7pm on Thursday, July 12th and 3-7pm on Friday, July 13th at the Capital News Centre, 4105 Gordon Drive, in Kelowna. Here is a map

In your swim package you’ll get your gear bag, swim cap, wave #, additional instructions and some other goodies :).

Orientation meetings will be held every 45 minutes and although not mandatory, we encourage first time participants to attend. Look for the signs in the Capital News Centre!

The Across the Lake Swim Shore Splash is a free event for kids aged 5-12. Kids swim about 25 metres in a roped off area along the shore in City Park. The event starts at 8am, the exact same time as the first wave of swimmers on the other side.

The kids will get a timing chip and cross under the finish line arch just like the big kids! They will finish just before the first Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim swimmers come in. Parents must walk along the beach beside their child during the swim (parents should expect to get their feet wet!).

The swim is in a roped off area in very shallow water along the shore and is supervised by lifeguards. Lifejackets are available.

Parents register your child the morning of the swim near the finish line.

Note that conditions must be deemed as safe before the event takes place. Organizers will cancel the event on the day if there are high waves or other adverse conditions.