The 61st Annual Across the Lake Swim took place on July 18, and turned out to be the biggest and (we think) best race ever! People signed up in record numbers, and we had everybody racing from total novices (who were reportedly jumping up and down with excitement during the ferry ride to the start line) to seasoned open water swimmers, looking for a new personal best. And personal bests they got! The majority of repeat swimmers improved their times, thanks to the favourable conditions and seamless organization. Connor Vander Zalm was the first to exit adding to his consecutive wins.

The houseboat option proved to be popular and much appreciated; the entertainment and food options at the finish line made the time fly by; and the weather was perfect with a variably cloudy sky that kept the temperatures down. The water was warm enough to swim without wetsuits; however, most swimmers chose to wear a wetsuit nevertheless.

Favourite moments happened when swimmers got off the houseboat on the west side of the lake in “lemmings” style, walking to the edge of the deck and jumping one at a time into the warm water; when our announcer Nick Rabinovitch finally discovered that he himself was the recipient of this year’s Jan Morrow Award; when the oldest participant, Charlie Burns arrived as the last finisher with 44 seconds to spare to the cutoff time; and how the crowds cheered on as the youngest swimmer, 8 year old Taryn O’Neill, exited the water after swimming the entire distance. We have lots of wonderful pictures that will be posted on this website as soon as they become available.

Thank you again to all our sponsors – this would not have been possible without you. We also much appreciated the coverage in the local media, print and radio, and hope that you will continue to support this seasoned local tradition.

A huge thanks to all the volunteers! We’ve had so much positive feedback about how friendly and organized you all were! We really do appreciate all your efforts in making this race the best open water swim event in Canada.

Rest your tired arms – stay safely out of the fire’s way – and enjoy the rest of the summer.
The ATLS team.