Cold Water Swimming Championships 2011
Tooting Bec Lido, London, 22 January 2011
The 5th UK Cold Water Swimming Championships took place on Saturday 22 January 2011 at Tooting Bec Lido. Hosted by the South London Swimming Club, the event attracted over 450 competitors from all over the UK, and from as far afield as Ireland, Germany, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Sweden and the USA.
This biennial event has become a must for cold water swimmers, attracting both the experienced cold water swimmer and people who are trying it for the first time. Age and ability is no barrier – two of the oldest competitors were Cyril and Yvonne Wood, 87 and 88 years old respectively and the youngest, Damir Kurleutov from Almaty in Kazakhstan, was just seven. With water temperatures as low as 3°C, jumping in for the 30 yard races was a challenge in itself, but that did not stop 46 hardy swimmers from taking part in the gruelling 500m Endurance Challenge.
The Cold Water Swimming Championships celebrates the fun and camaraderie of cold water swimming. This year saw an amazing array of hats for the Best Hat of the Day Competition and there was the sauna and hot tub to warm up those who braved the icy water.
Entertainment outside the water included a free bicycle powered cinema, a host of interesting stalls and lots of good food.
Here is a taste of the SLSC Cold Water Swimming Championships.
The next UK Cold Water Swimming Championships will be held at Tooting Bec Lido in January 2013.
