by David Scott
The 2023 Oregon Masters Association SCY Championship, was held outdoors May 19-21 at the Juniper Swim & Fitness Center in beautiful Bend, OR. The deck temperatures started out quite chilly in the early AM and warmed up each day as the sun came out. I did not attend the Friday evening portion of the meet, but I was told all events were cancelled due to lightning – part of the same inclement weather we noted on our drive into town that same evening. From what I could piece together, the only Puget Sound Masters swimmer (David Hoover), other that myself, was signed up solely for the 1650 Freestyle on Friday evening. What a bummer it would be to drive all that way and have your only event cancelled!
On Sunday, PNA President Sally Dillon stopped by the meet to say hello to everybody, and I got to chat with her for a while in the morning. Sally was near the end of long journey involving many days and many miles as she returned from California.
When set up for short course, the Juniper 50-meter pool provided generous capacity for warm ups and warm downs. Six of the eight lanes on the racing end were utilized, allowing for two buffer lanes on each side of the pool. Those buffer lanes afforded a comfortable holding area for swimmers too tired to climb out of the pool before the start of the next heat.
Although I was the only PSM swimmer present over the weekend, I managed to find a familiar face seated near an equipment area. I asked Evan Edwards if I could set up my chair next to his and he remarked that I was welcome to – it turned out he was also there as the only member of his group. I first met Evan a year or so ago when he was up north at a meet in Snohomish, when he asked the TWIM group if somebody could count the 500 for him, to which I agreed. Since then, I’ve said “hi” to him at various meets including the recent SCY Nationals in Irvine, CA. I got to know Evan better at this meet, including the fact that Evan is very serious about training for distance events, and in my estimation, he is certainly a “fast cat” in the water.
In order to spread the nerdy joy of 3D-printed bag-tags to our neighbors down south, I handed off a sack of loot to the coach of the Oregon City Tankers, Tim Waud. The Tankers logo readily adapts to the plastic mediums used in fused deposition modeling (FDM). Who doesn’t love a miniature kickboard with their name on it?
So, you must be wondering what “belly-up” refers to in the title of this blog entry…or, if you swim for TWIM you may have already deduced the meaning, after struggling with disbelief that it could actually imply, that.
I swam my first backstroke event.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
TWIM has so many backstrokers. A lot of backstroke swimmers. TWIM is lousy with backstrokers. I figured they needed a lousy backstroker. That’s where I come in.
For the 50 Backstroke, which was near the end of the meet, I was, with the help of a kindly Official, able to figure out how to use the footrest and was able to haul myself somewhat out of the water for the start. A footrest, really? Backstrokers these days insist on all the finest accoutrements. I almost expected somebody to offer to wipe the water from my brow before the race started. Perhaps the Backstrokers are working on that, behind the scenes. How’d you like to volunteer….no no, not a timer – a backstroke brow-wiper?
It may happen if they’re left unchecked.
My initial attempt at the 50 resulted in a time of 37 seconds plus change, which put me squarely on track to surpass Carl, Holly, and Maoz as elite TWIM backstroke sprinters. I only have to drop another 10 seconds.
Shocking, nonetheless, to challenge the hot shots right out of the gate. I am known for my ability to surprise, and apparently, I have loads of untapped backstroke skill.
That’s the solo report on the action at Bend. See you at the next meet, where I likely will not be swimming the backstroke.
