Now Hiring: LIFEGUARD WANTED for Greentrees Country Day Camp Syosset, NY

Looking for a Summer Job? Greentrees Country Day Camp in Syosset, NY is looking for a Lifeguard to join their staff. If you or someone you know is interested call 516-921-4949 or email info@greentreesschoolandcamp.com

Patrick Slutter's Eagle Scout Car Wash & Bake Sale: June 16 2007

Harry Slutter's son Patrick is running an Eagle Scout Car Wash & Bake Sale on Saturday, June 16 2007 from 10am to 4pm at the North Fork Bank in the Waldbaums Shopping Center, Greenlawn, NY. Patrick's Eagle Project is to clean up the path that runs from the Methodist Church to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport. Patrick will build a fieldstone wall and replant. All you have to do is show up on Saturday and get your car washed or buy a cake. Not a bad deal at all!

CLICK the Link Below to view a full size of Patrick's Flyer show above:

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/yhst-11305236433341/SlutterEagleScoutCarWash.pdf

OWS Routes

I have placed a new image of three routes with resonable distance measurements. The new arials are taken in summer and have the bouys if you look closely.

Route #1 (Red Marker 3). From the beach to the bouy at the bottom of the picture ( normal bouy we swim to ). Round trip is 1.02 miles. Normal time is anywhere from 12mins to 18 mins each way. ( 24 mins to 36 mins )

Route #2 (Red Marker 2 ). From the beach to the bouy at the bottom of the picture , around the bouy head to the top left bouy and back to the beach. Round trip is 1.3 miles. Times for the trip are from 40 mins to 60 mins.

Route #3 (Red market 4 ). From the beach to the top left bouy , around that bouy and head to the bottom bouy. Return the way you came.. Round trip is 1.6 miles. Times for the trip are 50 mins to 70 mins.

I will post a few other routes that are different another day.

Rob

OWS Times Saturday

June 2nd : 5:30am West Neck Beach

June 2nd : 8:00am West Neck Beach

The Ironclad Triathlon: May 26th, 2007

Saturday May 26th, 2007, Long Island's latest triathlon, the Ironclad Triathlon was held at Webb Institute on Crescent Beach Road in Glen Cove, New York. The race was a fully USAT-sanctioned, sprint distance triathlon and our own Scott Kessler, (first in his age group), finished 5th overall in a time of 1:14:47. Congratulations Scott!

Cold swim in May

A good group of 5 met on Saturday morning to take in first season cold water swim. 53C but no waves and a sunny day made the swim very refreshing. If you forget the frozen face, feet and arms , it was very enjoybale.

We swam for 1/2 mile out and 1/2 mile back. Once warmed up and learning to breath when you cannot , it was a fun swim.

Next Saturday, same place, same time for those interested.

In the picture Brian ( I think ? ), Greg, Scott and Don.

Of course, we cannot leave the topic without my departing experience. I think I must have frozen some brain cells during the swim. I left my wetsuit behind ( thanks guys for taking it for me ) and lost my camera. Thankfully both are no longer lost , now if I can only find those brain cells and memor, I would be golden.

Rob

Start of OWS 2007

The start of the OWS season is upon us. First swim will be Saturday May 12th, 8am at West Neck beach.

Swim route is below with the meeting place for anyone new to the West Neck beach OWS scene.The planned route is just over a mile but depending on interest or coldnest, we can scale that back at the time. ( 1920 yards are marked in red ).

Water temp is low 50s so its wetsuit time unless you are really crazy. ( e.g I am definitely wearing a wetsuit ). Please remember to bring WARM after-gear. Double swim caps are advised as well.

See you all there

Rob

The Long Island Marathon

Despite gusty winds and cool -- if not downright cold -- temperatures for a sunny Sunday morning in May, the 35th edition of the Long Island Marathon was held in Nassau County. Among the more than 3,000 runners in the Half-Marathon were more than a few from the Huntington Masters Swim (and Tri) Team. I wish I could tell you exactly how many, but I went nearly blind just finding the results for Harry and Greg (see below). Isn't that the smallest type you've ever seen in Newsday? Ah well, just email me any new/revised results, and I'll be glad to post them... I just don't think I can find them!

Half-Marathon Results for Huntington Masters Swim (and Tri) Team:

Harry Slutter: 1:33:46

Greg Linakis: 1:42:45

Do Swimmers Go Golfing?

Hard to believe... but true. Swimmers do go golfing (but not all golfers swim!). In any event, it was a beautiful April morning and the greens were fast. (I sound like a golfer already -- not that you'd know it to look at my score!). My thanks to Tom, Bob and Chris for encouraging me to hop out of the pool for a day and try a little golf. Great weather, good friends and fast greens -- could a man ask for anything more. Well, maybe a little chlorine!

Such concentration. Tom has got a lock on sinking this putt. Or does he?

Hello ball. Get ready for the ride of your life. Or was this the shot that went in the drink? I'm not sure but Chris will no doubt remember!

And the winner is... well, today's winner was Tom with Bob a close second. Mike was fourth and Chris came in third thanks to a 9th hole meltdown of epic scale that included one ball in the lake and another behind a tree on a normally placid 9th hole. BTW, be sure to ask Chris what everybody else shot on the 9th hole. Did I hear three Par 3's and one EPIC Meltdown! Golf is a game of inches that will break your heart -- but there's always next week.

Thanks again guys, Mike

New Pictures from the Huntington YMCA Triathlon / Masters Group April 1, 2007 Swim Meet: THANKS EILEEN

The Backstroke start...

The Butterfly -- as close as you can get without getting wet!

Arthur has his starter's gun in the air and ready to fire. Behind him, Mike is at the scorer's table or as he put it, "The Table of Torture". Math and Organization were never his strong points!

Steady, steady... wait for the gun and GO!

Huntington YMCA Triathlon and Masters Group First Annual Swim Meet

Thanks to Bob Miller, (with a little help from his friends), the Huntington YMCA Triathlon / Masters Group held it's First Annual Swim Meet on Sunday, April 1, 2007. The 4-lane Norton Pool at the Huntington YMCA was the site for this well-attended event. See pictures below:








Sorry that there are so FEW pictures, but your intrepid reporter was busy doing his best keeping score. My apologies to all who received a wrong time listing. But no matter, this was billed as a Fun Meet and in that regard it merits a score of 100!

Once again, congratulation to all who competed -- especially to those "novices" who competed in their very FIRST Swim Meet. If you "catch the swim fever", The Huntington Masters Swim Team is waiting to welcome you with open arms!

A Link to Open Water Swims in 2007

Thanks to a tip from Harry, we have a nice link to Open Water Swims in 2007. Most of the swims are scheduled in New Jersey but there are a few in CT and RI. Interestingly enough, there are NO New York Open Water Swims listed -- so, this is a great list and link for those of you who LOVE driving to New Jersey:

http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~mcken/links/swims07.html

If you are looking for more local New York City Open Water Swims, take a trip, (via the link below at nycswim.org), To the Manhattan Island Foundation web site at:

http://www.nycswim.org/

Rob and I, (Mike), have completed several of the Manhattan Island Foundation events in both the Hudson and East River. Water was OK and the views are one-of-a-kind!

Best of all, it is already mid-March -- can our REALLY LOCAL Open Water Swims at West Neck Beach be only 8 to 10 weeks away? Yes! Get your wetsuits ready, our long winter of no OWS is almost over!

A Blast From The Past: January 16 1993

The year was 1993. Pre-Blogs. Pre-i-Pods. Probably even Pre-World Wide Web. We're talking a L-O-N-G, L-O-N-G time ago. But swimming was still swimming! And a couple of these Huntington Master's Swimmers should look a bit familiar. Younger maybe but still recognizable.

(L to R) Marilyn Cavallo ** Irena Jarvis ** Mike Engel ** Bob Miller

The place was the Hofstra Swim Center, Hofstra University in Nassau County NY at a two day meet held called the Hofstra Happy New Year USMS Swim Meet on Saturday and Sunday, January 16 and 17, 1993. And just how did our Happy Huntington Swimmer's do that year? Not bad, not bad at all. Marilyn Cavallo won 1 Gold and 1 Silver Medals, Irena Jarvis won 2 Gold Medals, Mike Engel won 2 Gold Medals, and Bob Miller won 2 Bronze Medals!

An Email From Simon Re: Water Polo

I received the following email from Simon Butterworth regarding our annual Water Polo Game:

Mike:

I'm jealous, our pool is not even open today. The attached picture will explain why. I did get out for my first serious attempt at snowshoeing today, there were even a few die hard bicyclists on our street this morning. Otherwise not much is moving out here in Colorado.

Starting Jan 8th I will be coaching a Masters Swim group in Lafayette, the town just to our east. I will, if the towns insurance will permit it, be introducing a Christmas Water Polo game in 12 months. Perhaps someday we can have a tournament.

Hope you all are having a great holiday season.

Simon

Has the Water Polo Gauntlet been thrown? Based on this picture of Simon in the snow, does anybody, (except a few ski buffs), want to journey to Colorado in the Winter? Stay tuned!

Water Polo: Saturday, December 30, 2006

Bob's pretty sure that this isn't legal but it does make for an unusual opening picture.


Ok, ok. Let's play this game according to the rules and I'm pretty sure that means NO Flippers!

Where's the ball?

Ooops, there it goes. Looks like somebody was hiding it underwater!

More Water Polo Pictures from 12/30/06

Get that ball...

Shoot that ball...

It's up...

It's a goal!

Water Polo is almost done... are you ready for a workout?

I'll say it's done! Everybody's looking for a spot on the wall to hang on to.

This would have been a heck-of-a-lot easier if we played in the shallow end.

All right Water Polo is officially over for 2006 -- let's swim!

December 29, 2006: a Get-Together at Meehan's!

Pass out those beers -- it's Friday night on a 3-day New Year's weekend and we're ready to start partying! Who cares if our annual Water Polo Game is just 12 hours away?

I've got a beer. You got a beer? Yeah, I've got a beer. We've ALL got beers... Party On!


OK, no beers here -- but we are supposed to be athletes, (some more than others!)

More Pictures From Meehan's Party Friday 12/29/06

Lynn and Eileen come up with a pair of winning smiles!

Chris is quite impressed at how many quarters Nancy has collected for another worthy cause.

Neither Bob nor Mike can remember exactly how long they've been swimming together at the "Y" but they're pretty sure it started some time in the early 1980's. It's for sure that there is no one around to challenge that estimation!

It's only about 12 hours till the Annual Water Polo contest, (scheduled for 6AM Saturday Morning), and already Sal is trying to get the best of Paul. Little does Sal know that Paul plans on being out and running by 4:30AM BEFORE he starts Water Polo!

Huntington Masters Swim Team Holiday Brunch

The 22nd Annual, (where did Bob come up with that number?), Huntington Masters Swim Team Holiday Brunch was held at the Black Forest Brew Haus in Farmingdale on Sunday, December 10th 2006. Great fun and a GREAT turnout!

Thanks to all who made the trek to Farmingdale on such a miserable day weatherwise -- just kidding, it was in the fifties and not a cloud in the sky, feeling more like late September than December -- and the warmth showed through as you can tell from the happy group pictured above (or was it the endless Bloody Mary's?).

To those of you who were not able to attend this year, we hope to see you at next year's party (if not before!). Special thanks to Bob Miller for setting up this year's Christmas Party.

Do we have a volunteer for 2007?

Rob's 2nd Annual December OWS

Dateline West Neck Beach, Huntington NY, December 2, 2006

For the second year in a row, our own Rob Martell braved a blustery cold December wind for an Open Water Swim at West Neck Beach.

Although Winter is still officially a bit more than two weeks away, the wind-wipped chop of Cold Spring Harbor and the dark water told the real tale -- this is not an average Open Water Swim, this is man against the elements. And this December 2nd, the "elements" were VERY chilly!


Rob was VERY happy to get out of the water and on his way to an already heating auto! The time was around 8:35am on this December 2nd Saturday morning and, without a cloud in the sky, the outside temperature hovered around 43 degrees. Don't even ask about the wind chill!


Chris and Tim were there to cheer Rob on. And if you want to ask about the wind chill, talk to Tim or take a look at the picture below. One picture IS worth a 1,000 words!

Do I hear the word "three-pete"? If so, we'll see you again in December 2007!