Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association

From Openwaterpedia
Josh Heynes, historian, and Swimmer of Lake Erie and the Co-Founder of the Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association (LEOWSA)
The Great Lakes consists of Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario

The Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association (LEOWSA) is the sanctioning body and observation body of marathon swimming in Lake Erie made up of local successful marathon swimmers in conjunction with its parent group World Open Water Swimming Association. LEOWSA sanctions, observes, and provides services for solo marathon swims in collaboration with the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA).

LEOWSA Co-Founder

Josh Heynes is a clinical cardiac exercise physiologist, high school All American (in2 sports), former NCAA Division I college swimmer @ Univ of Pittsburgh, a triathlete, and marathon swimmer who has swum across Lake Erie twice (2006 in 11:53:36 and 2011 in 11:16:40). He is the course record holder of the 24.3-mile course with his 11 hours 16 minute charity swim from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to North East Township's Freeport Beach in Pennsylvania, USA. He broke the previous record of 11:23.33 set in 2009 by Randy McElwain.

LEOWSA

The Lake Erie Open Water Swimming Association was established by Josh Heynes in 2012 and discontinued in 2024. It was established upon the recommendation of multiple local United States cities, municipalities, and other local government organizations (US Border Patrol, US Coast Guard), due to the increasing popularity, interest, and number of swim crossings of Lake Erie. With its main focus as a safety organization, the LEOWSA was recognized as the provincial swimming body for observing, monitoring, and providing services for individuals/relays participating in long distance solo swims in Lake Erie.

Any swim conducted between July 2012 and March 2024 without the knowledge/consent and or participation of LEOWSA, LOCO, and or Solo Swims Ontario, was considered unsanctioned and unofficial by LEOWSA. For safety reasons, local authorities, the US Border Patrol and the US Coast Guard did not permit a marathon swim in Lake Erie without the swimmer(s) to be involved with and insured with any of the previous mentioned proper sanctioning/monitoring group(s).

LEOWSA’s mandate was to independently insure, observe, sanction, and verify all individual open water swims across Lake Erie, and to endure that such swims are conducted safely according to strict guidelines according to the Rules of Marathon Swimming as established by the Marathon Swimmers Federation.

LEOWSA established a standard course which is from the tip of Long Point, Ontario Canada to Freeport Beach in Northeast Twp, Pennsylvania, a distance of 24.3 miles. However LEOWSA was willing to support any course and distance and swimmer chooses.

For more information, email Josh Heynes at jheynes1@gmail.com.

Lake Erie

Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake (by surface area) of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes. It is bounded by Ontario to the north, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York to the south, and Michigan to the west. The lake is named after the Erie tribe of Native Americans who lived along its southern shore. The outflow from the lake provides hydroelectric power to Canada and the U.S. as it spins huge turbines at Niagara Falls.

Marathon Swims Across Central Lake Erie

  • 1975: Pat Budney swam 41.8 km in 25 hours 52 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Presque Isle State Park - Beach 10, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA on 20 August 1975. Note: his finish beach is now named Budney Beach in his honor.
  • 1989: Bob North and Harvey Snell swam 39.1 km from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach, North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 12 August 1989
  • 1992: Bob Weir 49, Canada swam 43 km in 23 hours 41 minutes from Dunkirk, NY, USA to Mohawk Point, Ontario Canada 26-27 August
  • 1993: Halli Reid swam 39.1 km in 17 hours from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach, North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 9 August 1993 as the first woman. Note: Nearby Park is now named in her honor.
  • 1995: Greg Sarbak swam 39.1 km in 13 hours 30 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 21 August 1995
  • 1998: Paula Stephanson: swam 43 km in 18 hours 23 minutes from Dunkirk, New York, USA to Rock Point Provincial Park, Ontario Canada 18-19 July
  • 2002: Paula Jongerden swam 39.1 km in 23 hours 36 minutes from Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA to Long Point, Ontario, Canada on 21 August 2002
  • 2005: Sara McClure swam 39.1 km from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 8 August 2005
  • 2006: Josh Heynes swam 39.1 km in 11 hours 53 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 9 August 2006
  • 2007: Dan Nichols swam 51.4 km in 20 hours 45 minutes 57 seconds from Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA to Abigail Becker Parkway, Long Point, Ontario on 5 August 2007
  • 2007: Sonya Pyle swam 39.1 km in 14 hours 9 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 6 August 2007
  • 2009: Randy McElwain swam 39.1 km in 11 hours 23 minutes 33 seconds from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 24 August 2009
  • 2010: Mitch Ranzenberger swam 39.1 km in 17 hours 47 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 1 August 2010
  • 2011: Josh Heynes swam 39.1 km in 11 hours 16 minutes 40 seconds from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 9 July 2011 (course record time)
  • 2011: Melanie Reade swam 39.1 km in 13 hours 35 minutes 33 seconds from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 31 July 2011 (course record time for women)
  • 2011: Randy McElwain swam 51.5 km in 16 hours 26 minutes 6 seconds from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Dobbin's Landing - Erie, Pennsylvania, USA on 30 August 2011 (longest distance across Lake Erie)
  • 2012: Eric Mizuba swam 39.1 km in 14 hours 34 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 29 July 2012
  • 2013: Mike Ferritto swam 39.1 km in 15 hours 20 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 1 August 2013
  • 2013: Steve Wargo swam 39.1 km in 19 hours 7 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 1 August 2013
  • 2014: Elliot Spaeder swam 39.1 km in 11 hours 28 minutes from Long Point, Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach - North East Twp., Pennsylvania, USA on 22 July 2014
  • 2017: Chuck Beatty swam 39.1 km in in 11 hours 48 minutes 51 seconds from Long Point in Ontario, Canada to Freeport Beach, Pennsylvania, USA on 26 July 2017 observed by Thomas Spence and piloted by Dave Runser with Kevin McCardle, Mark Schenk, Fristen Bergman as support crew members.

Marathon Swims Across Eastern basin of Lake Erie

Ratified by Solo Swims Ontario

Eastern Lake Erie

  • Vicki Keith, 27 from Canada on 1-2 July 1988 in 10 hours 24 minutes, 26 km from Port Colborne in Ontario, Canada to Sturgeon Point in New York, USA
  • Kim Middleton, 27 from Canada on 7 August 1988 in 18 hours 0 minutes, 35 km two-way crossing from Point Abino in Ontario, Canada to Sturgeon Point in New York, US returning to Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada
  • Rick Wood, 32 from Canada on 25 August 1990 in 16 hours 46 minutes, 35 km two-way crossing from Point Abino in Ontario, Canada to Sturgeon Point in New York, USA returning to Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada
  • Ashley Cowan, 15y 223d from Canada on 7 September 2001 in 14 hours 20 minutes, 19.2 km from Sturgeon Point in New York, USA to Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada (note: quadruple amputee paraswimmer)
  • Terri-Lynn Langdon, 20 from Canada on 31 August 2002 in 12 hours 55 minutes, 19.2 km from Sturgeon Point in New York, USA to Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada (note cerebral palsy paraswimmer)
  • John Munro, 52 from Canada on 13 July 2009 in 9 hours 33 minutes, 19.2 km from Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada to Sturgeon Point in New York, USA
  • Chris Stockdale, 62 from England on 21 September 2006 in 14 hours 15 minutes, 26 km from Port Colborne in Ontario, Canada to Sturgeon Point in New York, USA
  • Susanne Robinson, 36 from Canada on 30 July 2007 in 8 hours 14 minutes, 19.2 km from Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada to Sturgeon Point in New York, USA
  • Natalie Lambert, 14y 341d from Canada on 6 July 2008 in 7 hours 47 minutes 30 seconds swimming butterfly & Ladie]s north-south freestyle record, 19.2 km from Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada to Sturgeon Point in New York, USA
  • Jade Scognamillo, 14y 217d from England on 12 July 2008 in 5 hours 40 minutes 35 seconds setting the south-north freestyle record, 19.2 km from Sturgeon Point in New York, USA to Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada
  • Natalie Lambert, 15 from Canada on 9 July 2009 in 6 hours 40 minutes 59 seconds, 19.2 km from the Boat Ramp, Crystal Beach in Ontario to Beach east of harbour, Sturgeon Point in New York, USA
  • Thie Convery, 43 from Canada on 4 July 2010 in 7 hours 20 minutes, 18.5 km from 1 km east of Sturgeon Point in New York, USA, 42.69635°N, 79.030767 W to Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada 42.8602166°N, 79.0593°W
  • Greg Willoughby, 40 from Canada on 15 July 2011 in 6 hours 17 minutes 40 seconds setting the north-south men's freestyle record, (19.2 km from Crystal Beach in Ontario, Canada 42° 51' 42" N, 79° 03' 50" W to Sturgeon Point in New York, USA 42° 41' 30" N, 79° 02' 36" W

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.openwaterpedia.com/index.php?title=Lake_Erie_Open_Water_Swimming_Association&oldid=567467"