Registration forms for the 5th Annual Open Water Swim are available at local surf shops, bike shops, and athletic and swim clubs, states a release from Namolokama O’ Hanalei Canoe Club.
The Open Water Swim will take place on July 30 at the Hanalei Pier with registration at 7 a.m. and the first swimming events starting at 9 a.m.
Swimming events include Keiki 8 and Under and Keiki 9 to 12 years old swimming the length of the Hanalei Pier and back; Young swimmers 13 and Over doing a 1⁄2-mile swim and Youth and Adult division swimmers doing either a one- or two-mile course.
Medals will be awarded to each event’s first three finishers.
Additionally, each keiki swimmer will receive a participant’s ribbon, a commemorative t-shirt and food and drinks.
The pre-registration fee is $10 for Youth swimmers, $25 for the 1⁄2-mle swim, and $30 for the one- or two-mile swims.
Registration fees climb to $15 for Youth, $35 for the 1⁄2-mile and $40 for the distance swims after July 13.
Completed registration forms and checks need to be mailed to Barbara Smith, P.O. Box 729, Hanalei, HI 96714.
Proceeds from the event go toward supporting the paddling programs of the Namolokama Canoe Club with a portion used to help defray the expenses of sending keiki and adult teams to compete at the Hawai‘i Canoe Racing Association state races on Maui.
“In the past, a portion of contributions from this event has been awarded to the Kaua‘i Food Bank and the American Cancer Society-Kaua‘i Chapter,” said Dick Smith, event chair and president of Namolokama. “We plan to select a similar worthy cause this year. We not only want to bring the community together on the day of the event, we want to help the community at large by contributing some of the proceeds to a local organization which benefit Kaua‘i residents.”
Over the four years the event has been hosted by Namolokama Canoe Club, more than 500 swimmers ages 4 through 80 have participated in the open water swim.
“The goal of this event is to promote family, health, water safety and fun,” Smith said.
“We are very proud of our accomplishments in the past four years of bringing together swimmers from Waimea to Ha‘ena, other Neighbor Islands, the Mainland, Canada and Australia. This is the only community ocean swim event of its kind on Kaua‘i and people love it.”
Smith said Namolokama Canoe Club appreciates all of the individual and business contributors who helped to make the event successful.
He said volunteers are also welcome.
Visit www.namolokama.com or call Barbara Smith at 826-7585 for more information.
