Sitting on the plane coming home from Hvar, Croatia all the emotions from the swimrun season opener splash to the surface.
What a spectacular weekend and what a start to the season.
Mother Nature was kind on April 7th and 8th, giving us a window of calm between the days of windy Jugo with near perfect conditions, both for the Sprint and the World Series events. With flat seas and picture-postcard blue skies, around 90% of the teams finished, proof that nature was on our side.
It’s always exciting to get started after months of hibernation, especially when new systems and new ideas are put to the test in real time conditions. It seems as though our new cup policy worked quite well, and we’ll iron out a few glitches to make it even easier for everyone next time.
On the Friday, 350-500 kg of plastic garbage – the result of winds from the south pushing weekly tonnages of plastic onto the beaches – was cleaned up from the south side of Pakleni Island. #cleantheocean is a must!
In the Saturday Sprint, we had the honour of seeing the next generation of swimrunners pushing their fathers: Hanna, 13, and good friends Emile and Gabriel, 15.
Across the weekend, Pierre Mangez went wild with his camera capturing the moment and the very stunning location while Spocks family went all-in and made an ÖTILLÖ-style webcast with studio and live footage. Amazing work. What did you think?
Our deepest gratitude to you all for your performance, to the town and people of Hvar for their love, and to our sponsors for making it all possible!
Congratulations to our podium winners. The chase for the Golden Bib is on!
See you in a couple of weeks for more action at ÖTILLÖ Utö, the very special island where swimrun was born. Do not miss May 19-20!
Let’s go 2018!
With respect,
Michael & Mats, Race Directors ÖTILLÖ
Article first published in Swimrun Life Magazine Issue #7 (May 2018)
