The Ocean City Beach Patrol will host the annual Boardwalk swim to honor Captain Robert Craig on July 12, 2014 at 6 p.m. on 14th Street and the Boardwalk. Competitors will swim a measured mile with the prevailing current to a finish line located at 14th Street and the beach. In addition to the annual one mile Boardwalk swim, the Ginny Craig quarter mile swim will take competitors on a 400m distance along the coast and also finish in the area of 14th Street and the beach.
Participants will compete under the watchful eye of surf rescue technicians deployed in the water, on the beach and in rescue boats. “This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in open-water swimming,” said Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin. “The Ginny Craig quarter mile swim is a good training distance to work up to the Captain Craig mile swim. What is really special is the one mile swim can also qualify participants for the first annual “Swim Ocean City” event, which is a three mile event, in addition to a nine mile race.”
The event is named in honor of the late Captain Craig who served as Captain of the Ocean City Beach Patrol from 1935-1986. Throughout his 52 years of service to the Town of Ocean City, Captain Craig molded the Ocean City Beach Patrol into what it is today. One of the first procedures he changed was the training and recruiting process, requiring each person interested in becoming a member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol to fill out a written application and complete a physical assessment. If they successfully completed the test, Captain Craig continued their education, by assigning an experienced guard for further instruction in spotting rip currents, knowledge of waves and what to look for so that preventive measures could be taken before difficulties occurred. Captain Craig also introduced semaphore to the patrol, and it is still used for communication between guards to supplement radio communication.
A registration form for the Boardwalk swim can be completed on-line at www.ococean.com/ocbp. Those participants who register early will be offered a discounted price if the form is completed before July 19, 2014. Participants will still be required to check-in on the day of the competition, pay the registration fee, which is $20 if pre-registered before July 9, 2014 or $25 race-day registration, and complete the proper paperwork before being permitted to compete. The registration fee includes certificates for the top three finishers in each category and a t-shirt for all participants.
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