Fabulous Four Finally Feted In The Catalina Channel

CATALINA Channel. February 23. THE Catalina Channel Swimming Federation (CCSF) updated its archives after a rigorous review of evidence that proved channel crossings over 50 years ago.

In its February 2012 newsletter, Forrest Nelson and his colleagues on the CCSF board of directors announced their recent research met the exacting criteria of Catalina Channel crossings that the CCSF requires of every swim.

The CCSF certified four 'new' swims to its list of legitimate crossings, bringing the total number of Catalina Channel swimmers to 227.

' Leo Vigil of Cuba, July 22nd 1957 in 17 hours 14 minutes
' Stewart Evans, August 26th, 1959 in 20 hours 55 minutes
' Greta Andersen, October 16th 1959 in 11 hours 7 minutes
' Isaac Papke, June 30th 1963 in 12 hours 45 minutes

Vigl, Evans, Andersen and Papke had all proven their abilities to swim marathon distances in both warm and cold waters and with marine life … and their exploits in the Catalina Channel are well-deservedly recognized by the official governing body.>

Interestingly enough, each had swum with sharks in their marathon swimming careers: Evans and Papke in their Farallon Islands swims, Andersen in her Molokai Channel attempt, and Vigil with his teammates in a 1950 attempt across the Florida Straits.

Courageous, daring, dashing exploits by heroes and heroines of marathon swimming's past.

Courtesy of Open Water Source

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