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MISSION STATEMENT

Our Mission is to provide opportunity and incentive to pursue excellence
in competitive swimming.

We strive to promote:
* Health & fitness through competitive swimming,
* Enjoyment for everyone involved,
* Unique, quality competitive swimming opportunities.

RACE RULES

PURPOSE: Our Rules are designed to delineate boundaries that create an environment for fair and honest competition within which swimmers can enjoy competing safely, with dignity and respect.

MEMBER CONDUCT — Race participants are assumed to, and expected to, conduct themselves with integrity and in a manner consistent with the Rules and with the intent of our mission.

CONSTRUCTION — Rules shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with their purpose. Whenever the context so indicates, the masculine or feminine gender shall be construed to include the other and the singular or plural number shall be construed to include the other.

Start & Finish — Wherever possible race starts and finishes will be in-water. Swimmers must remain behind the designated starting line prior to the starting signal. It shall be cause for disqualification for any part, or all, of a swimmer’s body to be within the designated course beyond the starting line prior to the starting signal.

Drafting — Drafting is not permitted off other participants or vessels. There is plenty of room out there — make room for one another.

Interference — A swimmer or a swimmer’s escort craft shall not obstruct another swimmer’s progress, make intentional contact with another swimmer, or interfere with another swimmer in any way (including subjecting swimmers to exhaust fumes). Swimmers shall make no intentional physical contact with their escort safety vessels or crews. Any such interference shall lead to disqualification as per the referee’s judgment. 

Unassisted Performance — NO WRIST WATCHES, GPS GADGETS, heart monitors, etc. A swimmer may not use or wear any device to artificially enhance performance during the race. Suit, goggles, race cap (unless otherwise approved) allowed — everything else, leave on shore.

The swimmer shall not rest on or use for forward propulsion any land structures (side, bottom, rocks) or vessels (kayaks, canoes, or other escort vessels). This precludes the use any equipment, including, but not limited to, swim suits, that artificially enhance performance in any way, such as, but not limited to, aiding buoyancy, reducing drag to levels below that of bare skin, effecting muscle compression, or significantly altering the natural contour of the body to effect streamlining.

Suit & stuff — One bathing suit, goggles, one swim cap. Nose clip and earplugs are permitted. Swimmers shall be allowed to use grease or other such substances at the discretion of the referee. Swim suits shall not cover a man’s body higher than the top of the pelvic bone or the belly button and shall not cover any part of the body below the top of the knee. Swim suits shall not cover a woman’s body outside the shoulder-joints or above the shoulder-line and shall not cover the any part of the body below mid-thigh.  The material of suits may consist only of cotton, lycra, nylon, polyester, and spandex. NO TECH SUITS. No Wetsuits, triathlon suits, etc. not allowed unless specified.No zippers or material other than mentioned.  Contact the race coordinator if you have any questions about your swim attire being suitable. :)

Swim Buoy — The brightly-colored Swim Buoy is a swimming safety float which is tethered to the swimmer and floats behind. This buoy helps make swimmers visible to boaters, jet skis, paddlers, and surfers. It is required in WIN Open Water Swimming Events but shall not be used as a resting device.

Integrity of results — It is the swimmer’s responsibility to see to it that the results reflect a fair and honest competition in strict accordance with the rules. As such the swimmer is responsible for knowing the rules and adhering to them. A swimmer must complete the designated course.

Self-disqualification — Upon completion of a swim, if a swimmer is aware that any portion of his swim was performed in contravention to the rules, the swimmer shall report the violation to the referee for the purpose of disqualification. The swimmer shall see to it that the non-conforming swim is ineligible for awards and records and does not appear in the results unless denoted as having been disqualified. 

No Tobacco or alcohol — There shall be no smoking or use of other tobacco or alcohol products in any area used by swimmers during warm-up or during the course of an event.

Officials — There shall be one referee, a starter, and any other officials as determined by the referee in conjunction with the race director. The referee may act as the starter. The referee shall have full authority over the technical conduct of the meet and shall act to ensure a fair and honest competition conducted in strict conformity to the rules.

Allowances for disabilities — The person responsible for overseeing the event may allow deviations from the rules at his discretion for swimmers with disabilities.  Exception: The swimmer may not be provided with any unfair advantage over other swimmers the swimmer would not otherwise have.

General rules — Swimmers are eligible to compete after they have signed all appropriate waivers and are current on registration fees. Swimmers must, where designated, compete in designated age groupings as determined by dates of birth & event divisions.

MOST IMPORTANT RULE — Have Fun!

ALL FEES ARE non-refundable, non-transferrable; non-deferrable

Organizing any event requires a considerable amount of forward planning, risk and stress.  

As you may already know, your organizers highly respect the “swim under any condition” attitude of most open water swimmers and we do our best to provide every opportunity for our race participants to swim.  Should extreme weather be a factor, our first step is always to consider postponing the morning’s race start time within the limitations of weather predictions and venue permissions.  

From the moment an event host or coordinator begins to organize and promote an event, you likely can imagine that costs are incurred for race site scouting, course logistics, arrangements/permitting, communications, boat vendors, start & finish site logistics, Lake Authority communications, insurance, marketing, online admin. fees, race equipment, crew, boat expenses, and other race considerations.  

Race funding expenses unfortunately cannot be unspent.  It is for this reasons we must have a no refund, no deferrals, no transfers, policy.

​If you are unable to participate in the race for any reason or there are dangerous conditions, which cause cancellation of the race, there are no refunds, transfers, or deferrals. 

COVID & other contagious viruses warning

As well as abiding by local and state guidelines we may ask participants to take special precautions when gathering at race sites. Please check this site for further information. If you are sick, feeling sick, have been exposed to someone who has been sick, or someone who has been exposed, do not travel or attend the event. All participants take part in the event at their own risk.