LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
Barracudas, Low Tide, and Salmon Change Your Latitude and Attitudes
KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
More than 60 swimmers, half from outside Alaska, braved Sunday’s coastal waters off Sitka for the annual Change Your Latitude open water swim race.
“It was fun bringing together a community of swimmers from all over,” race director Kevin Knox said. “Wetsuit or no wetsuit we all share a love for swimming in a forever changing and shifting environment and find a lot of joy and challenge in it.”
Swimmers in the 3K race at the 2018 Change Your Latitude – 57° North Open Water Challenge enter the water Sunday morning on the beach behind the Sitka Sound Science Center. 1K, 3K, 6K and 10K races were held all morning Sunday. Nearly half of the more than 60 competitors came to Sitka from California. A story and more photos are printed in today’s Sentinel Sports on page 4. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
The low tides made for an interesting race as competitors were exposed to marine life along the route, including closer viewing by fans on the shore, interesting sights of mollusks on the ocean floor, and the bumping of shoulders and fins as swimmers and salmon shared the same space.
Kris Calvin, 56, topped the 10K-long course in a time of two hours 34 minutes.
Calvin, now living in Sisters, Oregon, has competed each year the race has been held.
“It’s fun to come back to my hometown and do something that I never imagined doing as a kid,” he said. “I was a swimmer in Sitka as a young guy and it never occurred to me that I would be swimming open ocean swims.”
Calvin grew up in Sitka, graduating from Sitka High in 1980.
“The challenge of the swim is that it allows me to do many things in one fell swoop,” Calvin said. “It allows me to enjoy a sport that I have enjoyed all of my life. It allows me to promote Sitka as a destination for a lot of people from out of state, it allows me to have a lot of fun with all these people that come in, and it allows me to support the Baranof Barracudas.”
His mother, Mary Ann Calvin, was among a small group of parents who founded the Baranof Barracuda Swim Club in 1978. The race is a fundraiser for the club.
“I am a product of that club, as are many who swim in this race,” Calvin said. “You have to keep in mind that I was wearing a wetsuit. The guys who are really deserving of credit are those crazy people who swam the 10K without a wetsuit – there is a huge distance. When I swim in a wetsuit, it’s a long distance, no doubt, but I can’t imagine trying to do that without thermal protection.”
Scott Zornig, 58, was top male 10K non-wetsuit, or skin, and Audrey Viers, 34, top female, in 2:56:14 and 3:25:04 respectively.
Calvin said his advice to future open ocean swimmers is to enjoy the moment of the first lap around the course.
“In that rare situation in Sitka when the water is calm and everything comes together, when people haven’t started ripples, that first lap is special,” he said. “Now it gets worse every lap, and there have been races when it was a struggle from start to finish, but at the end of the race you are pretty happy you did it.”
Barracuda alum Skylar Moore, 18, was top female and overall winner of the 6K in 1:38:33 and Reid Brewer, 46, top male in 2:03:50.
Nicholas Theders, 17, was top male and fastest skin in the 6K in 1:55:07, and Wendy Theders, 50, top female with 2:14:07.
John Morales, 60, was top male and had the fastest time in the 3K with 0:45:53 and Madison McConnell, 29, top female in 0:52:04.
Susanne Blair, 58, was top female 3K skin swimmer in 0:58:12 and Mike Mitchell, 61, top male with 1:00:37.
Another Barracuda, Matthew Rice, 13, had the fastest 1K time with 14 minutes 56 seconds in his third Change Your Latitude short course.
“This is the first year I have won it,” Rice said. “I just do the race once a year, I don’t really practice for it outside.”
His initial reaction was the same as most of the athletes competing.
“It was super cold,” Rice said. “Once when you’re not really moving, like at the beginning, it is really cold. Your blood is not flowing that much.”
Rice wanted to touch a salmon.
“They were pretty deep, like five or six feet down,” he said.
Instead he concentrated on his Baranof Barracuda Swim Club teammate Emma Gassman who was matching him stroke for stroke.
“We were even for half way and then I pulled ahead,” he said.
Gassman said it was fun to swim in the ocean with people who had put in the hard work to organize the event and liked the challenge of racing her club teammate.
“I planned to stay with him,” Gassman said. “The most exciting part of the race was at the turn buoy when I was getting a head of him. But I started heading the wrong way, so I had to go the right way and then catch up. Everyone has their own strengths and some go faster at the end. It was fun though.”
Rice offered advice to others who want to swim the event.
“You should probably train for it, at least in a pool,” he said. “I’m probably going to do the 3K next year. I have swum that distance in the pool, just not in the ocean before.
Knox, also the BBSC coach, said a great time was had by all and those watching are forever inspired by the swims of the athletes.
“To those who swam fast, to those who swam strong, and to those who also listened to their bodies and knew it wasn’t their day, I applaud them for every stroke, kick, and breath,” he said.
The results that follow are listed by time. The race had wetsuit and non-wetsuit (skin) divisions, with age categories of over and under 18.
Change Your Latitude Results
(Name, age, sex, time):
10K wetsuit
Kris Calvin, 56, M, 2:34:00
Brian Hauck, 50, M, 2:35:49
Jordan Iverson, 25, F, 2:37:42
Josh Nordell, 40, M, 2:58:45
Bernard McGraw, 48, M, 3:07:45
Janet Rumble, 50, F, 3:16:50
Lila Johnson, 34, F, 3:19:40
Dana Jaworski, 41, F, 3:42:13
Justin Harris, 47, M, 4:11:00
10K skin
Scott Zornig, 58, M, 2:56:14
Audrey Viers, 34, F, 3:25:04
Barbara Lastelic, 51, F, 3:26:21
Cherie Edborg, 43, F, DNF
6K wetsuit
Skylar Moore, 18, F, 1:38:33
Megan Jones, 16, F, 1:44:44
Reid Brewer, 46, M, 2:03:50
Dean Orbison, 64, M, 2:05:50
Peter Weiland, 52, M, 2:20:57
Ellyce Shulman, 41, F, 2:28:15
Kathryn Ostrom, 48, F, 3:18:24
Chip Pettibone, 18, M, DNF
6K skin
Nicholas Theders, 17, M, 1:55:07
Wendy Theders, 50, F, 2:14:07
Alice Ma, 46, F, 2:46:27
3K wetsuit
John Morales, 60, M, 0:45:53
Leif Calvin, 53, M, 0:50:49
Madison McConnell, 29, F, 0:52:04
Sara Jones, 49, F, 0:52:07
Razie Guillory, 14, F, 0:52:27
Gabe Calvin, 15, M, 0:54:50
Amber Theders, 20, F, 0:55:35
Tom Lorish, 57, M, 0:57:47
Valerie Edwards, 40, F, 1:00:30
Kate Martin, 47, F, 1:03:54
Leslie Tappan Lorish, 50, F, 1:04:10
Kobi Weiland, 15, M, 1:04:17
Wendy Toohey, 47, F, 1:04:19
Quinn Evangelakos, 20, F, 1:14:53
Denise Turley, 49, F, 1:20:42
Sharon Radcliff, 55, F, 1:23:30
Diane Kohler, 51, F, 1:38:30
Raymond Kilz, 70, M, 1:43:14
3K skin
Susanne Blair, 58, F, 0:58:12
Mike Mitchell, 61, M, 1:00:37
Lauren Anderson, 37, F, 1:05:21
Alicia Bartley, 41, F, 1:08:16
Ivana Vu, 32, F, 1:15:11
Kris Berglund, 59, F, 1:22:21
Kristine Buckley, 58, F, 1:22:40
Alison Peterson, 34, F, 1:22:43
John Blair, 59, M, DQ buoy
Julie Flanagan, 44, F, DNF
1K wetsuit
Matthew Rice, 13, M, 0:14:56
Emma Gassman, 13, F, 0:15:04
Kaitlin Bourne, 37, F, 0:16:04
Aleah Shull, 13, F, 0:17:52
Reba Trani, 30, F, 0:18:26
Rachel Pilch, 31, F, 0:18:35
Courtney Heinz, 33, F, 0:19:57
Jesse Ranke, 38, M, 0:20:37
Lillian Turley, 18, F, 0:25:30
Jenny McBride, 56, F, 0:29:08
April Egbert, 51, F, 0:32:50
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.