Beyond the Lanes: Rivi's Open-Water Legacy
Nine hours in the water.
No lane ropes. No wall to push off from. No black line along the bottom telling you where you're going.
Just cold, choppy water, wind and the distant coast of France.
In August 2006, Indianapolis swimmer Jim Barber crossed the English Channel, completing one of the world's most iconic open-water swims in just over nine hours.
On September 20, Barber will be at The Rivi to help swimmers get as close to the open-water experience as you can without actually leaving the pool.
The outdoor pool will be turned into a continuous open-water-style course. Barber will lead two 90-minute clinics designed to introduce swimmers to some of the skills that make open-water swimming different — sighting, navigating buoys, drafting and swimming in a pack. The sessions will include instruction along with plenty of time to swim the course.
And Barber knows open water.
He is a member of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, has completed five of the Oceans Seven channels and holds the record for a double crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar.
But here's something you might not know: Open-water swimming has a remarkable history at The Rivi.
By 1960, Riviera Club swimmers had won six national long-distance, open water team championships dating back to 1941.
One of the most accomplished was Donna Graham, who learned to swim at The Rivi when she was just four years old. By 1960, the Broad Ripple High School graduate had won the women's National AAU Long Distance Swimming Championship three consecutive years.
Her first national long-distance championship took her into the cold, salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean at New Haven, Connecticut. Another was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her third came at Lake Clare in Huntington, Indiana, where she once again won the individual title and helped Rivi capture another national team championship.
The conditions were part of the competition.
“We had so much trouble with the tide at New Haven, Conn.,” Graham told The Indianapolis News after her 1960 victory. “And Grand Rapids, Mich., was just too windy.”
So What Makes Open Water Different?
In a pool, almost everything helps a swimmer know where to go. There are lane ropes on either side, a black line underneath and a wall waiting at a predictable distance.
Open water takes those things away.
Swimmers have to periodically lift their heads to sight where they're going. They navigate around buoys rather than turning at a wall. They learn how to draft behind or beside other swimmers to conserve energy and how to swim comfortably in a pack.
Then there are the things no swimmer can control: water temperature, wind, waves, currents, tides and weather.
That's part of what makes open-water swimming both challenging and appealing. The course may have a measured distance, but no two swims are exactly alike.
But you don't have to cross the English Channel to experience it.
On September 20, experienced swimmers can give it a try at The Rivi. The size and shape of the pool give swimmers an unusual opportunity to practice open-water skills in a controlled environment.
For the September Sunrise Swim clinic, swimmers will travel around the entire pool — from the north end toward the deep end, around the island, back along the east side and across the north end to complete the loop.
One circuit is estimated at approximately 175 meters. Participants should be experienced and able to swim at least 500m.
But distance isn't really the point. Barber will use the course to help swimmers practice navigating, sighting, turning, drafting and swimming with others without the familiar boundaries of a lane. The official clinic schedule includes multiple 20-minute swims, instruction and opportunities to reverse the course and swim as a pack.
The Legacy Continues
Rivi's open-water story didn't end with those national championship teams.
There are open-water swimmers among us today — probably more than most of us realize.
Just weeks ago, Rivi Member Tracy Knight completed the English Channel, joining a very small group of swimmers who have made the crossing that Barber completed 20 years earlier. Like Barber, she earned her Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
This August, Rivi Swim Team members Laura Calili, Noa Calili, Sophia Spataro and Clara Haley completed the 5K course at the Swim to the Moon Open Water Swim Festival in Michigan, according to Coach Therese Love.
Nearly a century after The Rivi began building its reputation as a place where swimmers learn, train and compete, they're still taking what they learn here beyond the lanes.
On September 20, more swimmers will have a chance to find out what that's like.
The Sunrise September Swim offers two sessions, from 7–8:30 a.m. or 9–10:30 a.m., with 25 participants in each session. Cost is $15 for Members, $40 for non-members.
Bring your goggles. Bring a wetsuit if you'd like.
And for one morning at least, forget about following the black line.
You've got buoys to swim around.
Registration. Questions about the clinic? Contact Coach Therese Love.
