Pioneer and early-pioneer swim routes still available in the Channel Islands

In one sense, the California Channel Islands have one of the longest and most storied histories in the sport of marathon swimming - dating at least to September 1926, when the “Wrigley” relay swam the Catalina Channel, and the “Kelp Club” relay swam the Santa Barbara Channel two weeks later.

In another sense, with the exception of the two most popular routes (Catalina and Anacapa), most of the Channel Islands waters are still rarely swum.

Santa Cruz Island has seen 11 solo channel swims and 20 relays - still pretty rare swims (in the context of 80 years), but nonetheless our second most popular route.

But here’s the kicker: Besides one-way Catalina, Anacapa, and Santa Cruz Island channel swims, every other swim route in the Channel Islands has fewer than 5 swims on record!

This is tremendously exciting. Even in 2017, when the Triple Crown list is nearly 150 names long, there are still pioneer or early-pioneer swims available to soloists or relays, in a major marathon swimming destination.

You could be:

• the first man to swim from San Miguel Island to the mainland;
• the first woman from Santa Rosa Island to the mainland;
• or the first man from Santa Barbara Island to the mainland!

The Channel Islands are still wide open, folks. Come and get it!

Summary of swim routes and successes:

Anacapa Island

• 70 solo one-way channel swims (67 from the island, 3 from the mainland)
• 2 two-way solo channel swims (Cindy Cleveland and Paul Lewis)
• 4 circumnavigations

Santa Cruz Island

• 11 solo channel swims (7 to Oxnard, 4 to Santa Barbara)
  • never done in the mainland-to-island direction
• Never done as a two-way or circumnavigation (solo or relay)

Santa Rosa Island

• 1 channel swim (Marc Lewis)
• Never done as a two-way or circumnavigation
• Never done as a relay, any route

San Miguel Island

• 1 channel swim (Penny Palfrey)
• Never done as a two-way or circumnavigation
• Never done as a relay, any route

Santa Barbara Island

• 1 solo channel swim (Penny Palfrey), 2 relays
• 2 solo circumnavigation, 2 relays
• Never done as a two-way (solo or relay). Incredibly, this 80-mile swim is now conceivable as a solo, given Sarah Thomas’ and Chloe McCardel’s recent achievements.

San Clemente Island

• 1 solo channel swim (Tina Neill), 2 relays
• Never done as a circumnavigation or two-way

San Nicolas Island

• 1 relay channel swim (Deep Enders)
• Never done as a solo
• Never done as a circumnavigation (solo or relay)

Island Hopper Swims

• Anacapa-Santa Cruz: 3 solos
• Santa Cruz-Santa Rosa: 3 solos
• San Miguel-Santa Rosa: 1 solo (Julian Rusinek)
• Santa Barbara-Catalina: 1 solo (Peter Hayden), 2 relays
• Santa Barbara-Anacapa: 2 relays (Arch Academy Zombies)
• Other inter-island routes: so many possibilities… never done!

For a complete list of swim successes, see santabarbarachannelswim.org/results.

You may also wish to consult the recently-revamped Swim Routes section on our website.