Forrest Nelson
From Openwaterpedia
Forrest Nelson is an Honor Swimmer and Gold Patron of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
Forrest Nelson, Catalina Channel Swimming Federation observer, support crew and former long-time president
Forrest Nelson, Becky Jackman-Beeler, Mike Mitchell, Kent Nicholas, Emily Evans, and Tina Neill were members of Team FTD that completed a 6-way crossing of the Catalina Channel and was captained by John Pittman aboard the Outrider. Source: Marathon Swimmers Forum by Evan Morrison
Forrest Nelson is an American channel swimmer and is a Renaissance Man in the discipline of marathon swimming.
Contents
Open Water Swimming Highlights
- He received the 2025 Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award from the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
- He served on the Board of Directors of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame prior to organizational structural changes in 2015.
- He is a Patron of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
- He is a member of the 24-hour club.
- He was president and member of the board of directors of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation from 2011 to end 2022.
- He is an Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.
- He was recognized and spoke at the 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference and the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on the RMS Queen Mary on 22 September 2012 in Long Beach, California.
- He has assisted on several dozens of Catalina Channel crossings including that of Team Tripod, Stephen Redmond, and Hank Wise.
- He was nominated for the 2011 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
- He achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming (English Channel + Catalina Channel + Manhattan Island Marathon Swim) and the Grand Slam of Open Water Swimming (English Channel + Catalina Channel + Manhattan Island Marathon Swim + Tampa Bay Marathon Swim):
- On 5 October 2004, he completed a 32.4 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the California mainland in 10 hours 35 minutes 16 seconds at the age of 49.
- On 16 April 2005, he won the 36 km Tampa Bay Marathon Swim in Florida in 10 hours 21 minutes at the age of 39.
- On 14 July 2005, he crossed the English Channel from England to France in 10 hours 34 minutes at the age of 39.
- On 16 June 2006, he finished 9th in the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York in 9 hours 31 minutes 36 seconds at the age of 41.
- He has completed several other marathon swims and channel relays of note, including the following:
- a Kaulakahi Channel crossing from Kauai to Niihau
- on 21 August 2012, he crossed the 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel from Honshu to Hokkaido in 9 hours 26 minutes 2 seconds with escort pilot Captain Suto and support crew members Michelle Macy and Mikiko Yanagida.
- three 42 km Molokai Channel crossings - achieved in both directions
- a 24-hour 64.6 km double-crossing of the Catalina Channel
- a 77.2 km 25 hour 45 minute circumnavigation swim of Catalina Island (record)
- the first Catalina Island - California mainland - Catalina Island crossing by a male
- a December crossingof the Catalina Channel
- a 23 km Cook Strait crossing
- the 38.6 km Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, winner of the event in 2005 in 10 hours 21 minutes
- Anacapa Island-California Mainland in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands (his second swim of the Southern California Eight
- Palilolo Channel, starting on Maui
- a 33.5 km English Channel crossing in 12 hours 41 minutes
- participated in the California Screamin' Relay, a six-person relay with Tina Neill, Kent Nicholas, Ernie Hoftyzer, Emily Evans, and Melodee Nugent when the team swam from Doctor's Cove on Santa Catalina Island around Santa Catalina Island to around Santa Barbara Island to return around the remaining part of Santa Catalina Island to finish at the Isthmus in 51 hours 55 minutes in 2015.
- participated in the six-member HTC Relay team with Tina Neill (captain), Emily Evans, Steve Lowe, and Kent Nicholas that set a new course record of 25 hours 48 minutes from a swim from San Clemente Island, around the western edge of Catalina Island, to the Southern California mainland at Cabrillo Beach on 25 July 2012. The HTC Relay broke the record of the Swim for Hope relay for the 52 statute mile channel swim.
- participated in the Team FTD, an open water swimming relay together with Becky Jackman-Beeler, Mike Mitchell, Kent Nicholas, Emily Evans, and Tina Neill. They completed an unprecedented 6-way Catalina Channel crossing in 61 hours 6 minutes from 10-14 July 2014. Source: Evan Morrison of the Marathon Swimmers Forum on 14 July 2014.
- he unselfishly volunteers to be an escort crew member and official observer on a number of solo swims and relays from the Catalina Channel to the Santa Barbara Channel and the Hawaiian Islands. When he is serving in those capacities, he never sleeps or rests no matter how long or rough the swim is. His eyes are always on the swimmer while he frequently consults with the pilot in order to help navigate the optimal course for his athletes. He is the epitome of an ideal support crew member.
- He completed a 41.8 km crossing of Santa Monica Bay in Southern California with Jen Schumacher in an unprecedented tandem swim, swimming from Point Dume in Malibu to Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Peninsula in 14 hours 10 minutes 45 seconds on 16 March 2014.
- He was a member of the ATI Team 1, a 6-person team that completed a 64.6 km circumnavigation swim relay around Santa Catalina Island in the Pacific Ocean off of Southern California on 16 September 2018 in 41 hours 54 minutes 45 seconds that included Gary Workman, Tom Hecker, Kris Berglund, Lynn Kubasek, and Sabrina Young.
Honors
- Nelson was voted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in 2014.
- Nelson received the Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025.
WOWSA Award Nominee
Oahu-to-Molokai Crossings
- Harry Huffaker, 32 at time of crossing, USA in 1972 in 16 hours 15 minutes
- Forrest Nelson, 40 at time of crossing, USA in 2006 in 16 hours 36 minutes
- Graco Morlan, 49 at time of crossing, Mexico in 2024 in 15 hours 33 minutes.
- Paul Leonard, 52, Great Britain in 2025 in 13 hours 50 minutes
- Bogusław Ogrodnik, 60, Poland in 2025 in 21 hours 59 minutes
- Edie Hu, 50, USA in 2025 in 16 hours 9 minutes
- Loren King, 57, Canada in 2026 in 13 hours 18 minutes
External links
- Edie Hu Becomes First Woman to Cross from Oahu To Molokai
- Paul Leonard’s Molokai Channel Redux Is A Success
- From Jersey to San Diego, IMSHOF On The Move
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Inductees to be Honored on Jersey in the English Channel
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- Ernie Hoftyzer On Getting Started and Keep Going
- Patrick Woepse Led a Life with Tremendous Impact on Others
- Forrest Nelson Honored With Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award
- A Life Taken Too Soon, Patrick Woepse
- The Most Influential Open Water Swimming Personalities from 1950 to 2020
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Patrons
- CCSF Has So Much to Give, Offer and Share
- The History and Future of the Kaiwi Channel Association
- Crossings Continue In The Catalina Channel
- Open Water Swimming
- Catalina Channel Swimming Federation
- Cargo Clogs Catalina Creating Chaos - But Catalina Channel Crossings Continue
- Youth Returns To The Catalina Channel
- Having The Strength To Say ‘I Can’t’
- Hawaiian Channel Swimming, A View By Dr. Steven Minaglia
- Lynn Kubasek, The Mother Of All Volunteers
- When Marathon Swimmers Swim With Great White Sharks
- Catalina Channel Is Open For Business
- California Pioneer Cindy Cleveland
- Swimming Out Of Your Comfort Level
- Kings And Queens Of The Hawaiian Island Channels
- Swim Alternatives To Cross Kealaikahiki Channel and Alalakeiki Channel In Hawaii
- Have Fun, Be Safe, Live The Adventure
- Penny Palfrey Across The Kaieiewaho Channel
- Cancelled: Catalina Channel Crossings For 2020
- The Impact Of COVID-19 On The Channels
- Antonio Argüelles Readies For A Double With A Two-Way
- Fastest Times Of The Grand Slam Of Open Water Swimming
- Forrest Nelson Courageous Circumnavigation Around Catalina
- Double Crossing of the Catalina Channel
- Christmas Channel Crossing by Fabulous Forrest
- Forrest Nelson Does Anacapa Island
- Forrest Nelson Across The Molokai Channel
- Courageous Channel Challenge
- Forrest's Day Out
- Oceans 6 Swimmers
- NYC Swim bio
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- Channel Swimming In The Year 2050
- Open Water Swimming
- Marathon Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Catalina Channel Swimming Federation
- Channel Swimming Association
- Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- Updated 24-Hour Club
- San Clemente Crossed For The Second Time
- Triumph! Tackling Tsugaru Twice
- Open Water Swimming Safety Discussed In Global Conference
- How To Be Safe In The Open Water
- Forrest Nelson Joins Hall of Fame Board of Directors
- 40 Open Water Swimmers Known By One Name
- Anticipating And Dealing With The Cold
- Greatest Feeling In The World Outside Your Comfort Zone
- Ka'iwi Channel Swim, Ready For An Epic Undertaking
- Publicizing Heroes And Heroines Of Open Water Swimming
- California Channel Islands Swims 2014
- Sing Their Praises, Team Is Defined By FTD
- That Moment Of Exhilaration...And Afterwards
- Swimming With Seals, Afraid Of Apex
- Masayuki Moriya Navigating The Pacific With Ocean-navi
- When Failure Is An Option
- 24-hour Club…Swimming All Day And Night
- Ka’iwi Channel Swim 2.0, Insanely Interesting
- Highlights And History Of the Ka'iwi Channel
- Triple Crowners Showcase Their Fountain Of Youth - Age of Triple Crowners
- What Are Swimmers Known As?
- Young Helped The Young
- Whose Record Will Chloë McCardel Break?
- Forrest Nelson Voted Into Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame
- The Remarkable Life Of Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González
- Dennis Miller Receives Davids-Wheeler Memorial Award
- IMSHOF Honours Best Little Swimming Club In The World
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- The Evolution Of Distance, The Sea Hawks Soar To Record
- What Is The Fairest Channel Of Them All?
- What If...In The Molokai Channel?
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- 2016 Tampa Bay Marathon Swim Race Date Announced
- Greta Andersen To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award
- Channel Swimming In The Year 2050
- Marathon Swimming
- Olympic 10K Marathon Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- The California Open Water Swimming Oasis
- Carlos Costa Jokes About His Catalina Swim
- Pittmans Inducted In Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame
- Updated 24-Hour Club
- 24-hour Club…Swimming All Day And Night
- Swimming For More Than 24 Hours
- Cindy Cleveland Honored By The Hall Of Fame
- Penny Palfrey Part 2
- Will Hank Wise Go Six For Six?
- Catalina Channel Kayak Clinic On June 9th
- Swimming For Sammy In Santa Monica
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- They Hit Grand Slams In The Open Water
- Grand Slam Of Open Water Swimming Updated List
- Able-Bodied In The Open Water
- Lynn Kubasek Is Always At Our Side
- Linda Kaiser Lived A Life of Aloha
- Great Deal, Great Perspective Across The Catalina Channel
