Big Course
From Openwaterpedia
noun - The Big Course is a 2.1 km sea swimming course used by the Brighton Icebergers, a year-round open water swimming pod founded by John Locco where they train in the sea between temperatures from 7ºC and 22ºC.
Courses
The Icebergers have a series of open water swimming courses including the 250m Morning Glory course, the 1.5 km No Brainer course, the 2.1 km Big Course out to the Reef Marker, or the 2.4 km Super Course.
Annual Iceberger Events
- The John Locco Invitational Winter Classic: the Icebergers premier event held mid-winter with 3 courses: 2 km, 1.4 km and 1 km in sea temperatures of 8-9ºC. It is the longest and oldest cold water swimming event in Australia.
- Olsen – Hooper Summer Handicap: Inaugurated in 2003, it is a handicap event which is swum out to the reef marker over a 2 km course. Originally called the Summer Handicap, it was renamed in 2004 the Olsen – Hooper Handicap recognising the mateship over 50 years of two of the Club’s senior and best performing swimmers, Rob Hooper and John Olsen. Handicapping provides even the slowest swimmer with some chance of a podium finish.
- New Year’s Eve Midnight Swim: a 1.25 km swim in the phospherous flecked black sea starts from the pier at 11:45 pm and pauses at midnight at the “silver pole” marker located out at sea 1 km+ from the start. As fireworks light the night sky and city skyline marking the New Year, the swim is completed followed by a few beers and glasses of bubbly back onshore.
- Family Day Swim: Iceberger families come out to play and swim in various races as a team.
- Solstice Swim: the Winter Solstice evening swim
- Monthly Medal Handicap Races: All handicap times calculated by Ross on his Grey supercomputer
- Heavy Weight Championship of the Bay: the meanest, fastest and keenest top 10 swimmers slog it out at breakneck speed around the 2 km to claim the Title Belt.
- Lorne invitational: private social race & get together down the coast.
- Christmas Relay Race: a group sprint race between the landings as team leaders and tactics are crucial
- Annual Inter-club Race with Pirates & Mount Martha: Annual Inter-club races with other chapter groups
