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32 take part in Eagle Ray 7km ocean swim
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Posted on Dec 10 2006
A few big swells and countless wildlife welcomed two waves of intrepid swimmers on Saturday as the second annual Eagle Ray 7km Ocean Swim brought endurance aficionados to the shores of Managaha Island from Pau Pau Beach.
In all, a total of 32 swimmers took the plunge from Pau Pau under cloudy skies guided by a large number of kayakers who provided safety, support, and direction to the seemingly tireless trippers.
While the swim was not a race, the first four finishers to reach Managaha were Richard Sikkel, Rachael Bandelin, and Saipan Swim Club stars Cooper Graf and Sarah Johnson.
While the fastest of the bunch reached the beach in a little more than two hours, the final strokes found relief nearly three hours after leaving the Nikko Hotel Saipan behind. The manual trip to Managaha took the swimmers more than four miles along the inside of the reef line and some participants used a combination of fins, snorkels, and wetsuits while others went au natural with nothing more than goggles, cap, and swim suit.
Along the way, the swimmers paused a handful of times to replenish their fluids but many told tales of fighting through their cramps and exhaustion along the way, determined to complete what they started.
The swim was dubbed the Eagle Ray 7km due to the numerous sightings along the southerly course during last year’s inaugural event, and the graceful creatures failed to disappoint again over the weekend.
