Posts by Peter Rudd

We are super excited to announce the launch of our incredible VIP Package! How would you like to just drive into your own reserved parking spot? Or bypass the line up a gear check? Those are just a few perks you’ll get when you purchase a VIP Package for just $79!

Here is everything you get:

• Reserved parking spot in City Park
• VIP quick gear check in and check out
• Free t-shirt
• 15% off everything in the store
• Double the pancakes (if breakfast purchased)
• Additional towel
• VIP line for package pickup
• VIP bus loading line

Sales of the VIP package support sending kids for free swim lessons.

There are only 30 packages available. So buy yours soon!

You can easily add it to your existing registration or if you haven’t registered yet just add it when checking out.

>> BUY NOW <<

We recently announced that we are offering “free registration for all swimmers born in 1949, the first year of the Across the Lake Swim.” We also said we would “like to celebrate with a few more 70-year-olds” at this year’s event on July 14, 2018.

For anyone doing the math, this doesn’t quite add up. It is the 70th anniversary of the swim since year 1 occurred in 1949. However, if you were born in 1949 this will be your 69th birthday year.

This math malfunction led to a number of emails from some astute 69 and 70 year old swimmers. “I have done the swim many times and would like to take advantage of the fact I am seventy and the swim is about to celebrate being 70 years old,” said Dwight Carroll.

“It had me questioning my age. For a second, I really thought I might be turning 70 this year” said a soon to be 69 year old swimmer, who asked to remain anonymous.

“There’s really no excuse for it,” said Alexis MacMillan, Media Volunteer for the swim and writer of the announcement. “I actually really like math.” Fortunately, Peter Rudd, Race Director for the swim, has made the decision to include both groups. “We’re going to do the right thing. If you’re born in 1949 OR if you’re 70 we would love you to come swim for free,” said Rudd. Our whole team told me “Let’s make the celebration even bigger because that aligns with the spirit of our event.”

To obtain a free registration, send proof of birthdate to registrar@acrossthelakeswim.com

The 70th celebrations are ramping up for the Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim Kelowna on July 14, 2018. “First off, we are offering free registration for all swimmers born in 1949, the first year of the Across the Lake Swim,” says Peter Rudd, Race Director. “We have swimmers of all ages enter the event and this year we’d like to celebrate with those that were born the year the swim started!”

“For the first year ever, we’re adding a Silver and Gold Club status for people who have entered the swim for 10+ and 20+ years,” says Rudd. “This includes some extra benefits as well as distinctive silver and gold swim caps. We want to highlight their commitment to the swim and to helping us raise funds for the YMCA Okanagan Swims program, which provides basic water safety instruction to all grade 3 and grade 4 students in School District 23.”

Rudd continues, “This 70th year is going to be special and we hope our community continues to support us by registering for the swim, coming out to cheer, and sharing our event with Kelowna friends and visitors. As Canada’s largest and longest running open water swim, there’s really nothing else like it.”

To obtain a free registration, send proof of birthdate in 1949 to registrar@acrossthelakeswim.com

Our best pricing is coming to an end! Save yourself $15 when you register before the end of February. After that, the price goes up to the regular price and you’ll be $15 poorer :(

Come celebrate our 70th Anniversary with us!

> REGISTER TODAY! <<

Package pickup is Thursday, July 13th and Friday, July 14th from 3-7pm at the Capital News Centre on Gordon Drive in Kelowna.

If someone else if picking up your package, they must have your confirmation ID you received when you registered.

Registration for this year’s swim close midnight July 9th so register soon.

There is no registration at package pickup or the morning of the swim.

Well here we are already! The first blueseventy Open Water Swim Clinic is tomorrow, Saturday June 3rd at Gyro Beach in Kelowna.

Yes, the Lake is high and the beach is filled with debris. The lake height doesn’t affect swimming much as it’s, well, water. The beach is always filled with debris this time of year anyway and doesn’t get cleaned up by the City for a couple of weeks still. The markers are all misaligned but we won’t be swimming that far out for the first few clinics. The water temperature is about 15C which is 1 degree less than the norm for the first clinic (with the exception of last year when it was a scorching 19C!).

The clinic starts at 7:00am but we encourage you to be there well before 6:45am to get signed in. The first clinic is a little busy as we need to get all waivers completed, so do arrive early.

To speed things up, please download, fill in and sign the waiver and bring it with you. Download the waiver here. Be sure to add your emergency contact information including name and phone number. Also, add your phone number. Make sure it’s readable!

You will be given a clinic specific swim cap you should bring to each clinic. This is not your swim day cap! You will receive a new one for the actual swim on July 15th. Note: The caps are latex. If you are allergic to latex please let us know and we will give you a silicone one.

Bring your wetsuit, goggles, towel and change of clothes. Definitely bring a jacket or sweater to keep you warm after the clinic.

Freshair will be there to demo blueseventy wetsuits. You can try a wetsuit on a first come, first served basis.

If you miss a clinic, that’s ok, although we will miss you. Each clinic is taught individually by the coaches and there is no set curriculum although the content will be fairly similar for each. Our goals are to get you comfortable swimming in open water, swimming with others, sighting, breathing (important!), swimming in waves, drafting, etc. Don’t worry, there is no test at the end. Well, there actually is a test, but it’s a fun one on July 15th!

These clinics are included in your registration so there is no charge! If you have a friend who’d like to take the clinics with you, they are welcome to join for a measly $5.

Moksha Yoga will be there for Yoga for Swimmers which will start at 8:15am-ish. Bring a yoga mat or just use your towel. This is also free!

Van Houtte coffee will be there to warm us up (yesss..). Sorry, no tea. Or Baileys. Darn.

As usual, get ready for some fun, and some exciting prize giveaways when you answer some extremely tough questions.

We are continually assessing the current Okanagan Lake conditions and currently, there are no significant changes to the blueseventy Open Water Swim Clinics which start this Saturday, June 3rd.

Current conditions:

• The higher lake level has brought in a larger amount of debris which, as is typical for this time of year, has washed up on shore. There is little debris floating in the lake.
• Several markers around the Gyro Swim Loop have been dislodged and the City of Kelowna will not be re-positioning them until the levels lower.
• Previously, you could wade out to the first 50 metre marker (to get acclimatized and let the water slowly creep into your wetsuit zipper) and you’d be just chest deep, but now just 12 metres in the water is neck deep (on a 5′ 10′ person).
• Several trees at the shoreline are in the water and their roots are exposed, so be careful when wading in around the trees.

We have created an exclusive, short on-site video discussing the current conditions:

The clinics start this Saturday, June 3rd at 6:45am (earlier the better!) at Gyro Beach in Kelowna, BC and are included with your registration. More information on the clinics page.

Check back here and on our social media channels to get the latest updates.

We’re celebrating Canada 150 by offering the next 150 spots at $15 off! Missed out on the Early Bird price? Now you can get the same discount, but hurry as there’s about 50 spots left and once they’re gone, they’re gone! Register now and use discount code: canada150

The Across the Lake Swim Society AGM is scheduled for 7-9pm on Tuesday, November 15th, 2016 in Room E207 at Okanagan College on KLO Road in Kelowna.

At the meeting we will be electing new members of the board for 2017 and we will be outlining roles for both the Interior Savings Across the Lake Swim and the Interior Savings Rattlesnake Island Swim.

As our events have been rapidly growing, we are looking to add new positions and fill some vacant ones for both event organizing committees, so if you would like to get involved we’d love to have you!