“Hey,” I say. What’s going down. Big congratulations to Anthony Ervin and Nicolas Messer on the new Race Club record. As a team effort the three of us landed a grouper that tipped the scales at over 50 pounds, the largest fish in Race Club history. How it happened.

The three of us set out on The Race Club clipper looking for good times and fish, heading towards the Bahamas. We swam tirelessly throughout the day. Then, in the early afternoon we found a reef system teeming with life. We anchored and swam out scouting the perimeter. I located a decent sized grouper and shot it, splintering it’s tail. It swam for a ledge and made it. I shot it again through a hole in the ledge. The grouper was too large to pull out through the hole so I called for help and Anthony speared the fish again from under the ledge and we got the fish out and to the boat. I dove down to take a deeper look into this ledge. I tell you now before God that I saw a mighty fin. Not knowing the size of the beast I shot and made contact. My pole spear shook violently, thrashing back and forth as a combination of sand from the bottom and blood filled the waters around me. “Holy Indian!” I surfaced.

“Nicholas!” I yelled, “I need another spear!” He was in the boat now unloading the first grouper. “Anthony! Get over here, it’s a monster!” Blood now flowed from under the ledge. Anthony arrived and I told him that I had a spear in a big fish down there. “It’s mortally wounded and bleeding. Look at all that blood.” We were diving down waiting for the blood to clear a bit, enough for us to get a good look under the ledge. Then, I saw the massive head emerge from under the rock. I fired and put a six foot pole through the beast’s head. It thrashed and the blood thickened the water we were swimming in. Anthony quickly put another spear into the monster’s belly. The spears prevented the fish from retreating back further into the cavernous hole. Taking turns Anthony and I each heaved with our might at the pole spears trying our best to wrangle the fish from the depths to no avail.

As we pulled I was starting to get a better idea of the size on this creature. A monster! “Anthony. We need to get this fish out soon. With all this blood in the water it’s only a matter of minutes before the sharks arrive.” I was wrong. As the last words left my mouth the frenzied shark arrived. Nicholas had arrived with the spear. “Anthony, hold off the shark as I try one more time to wrench the fish from the rocks.” Anthony chased down the shark in his fins and jabbed at it with his spear as I dove down planting both my feet against the mighty embankment of the reef pulling with full force at the two spears that remained in the fish. No luck. I tried again. And again. This time, something. I could see the gills, I almost had the head free from the rocks. It took one more mighty pull to loosen the fish. As it was pulled into open water our last remaining spear was planted deep into the fishes head, finishing it off.

It was only a week before that I had taken the Race Clipper out by myself, which they tell you not to do. I was diving by myself, which they tell you not to do. I had a large snapper swimming off with my spear seeking shelter in one of those confounded ledges. I took a quick look around to make sure the coast was clear of sharks. Not seeing any I dove and was pulling on the spear when I felt something. It felt like someone had punched me very hard just above my knee. It shocked me and I spun suddenly to see the shark that had charged me swimming off. No damage, just a warning shot. Without a spear in my hands I felt less aggressive with this bold shark. I swam back to the boat, shook off the heebie jeebies, grabbed another spear and went back. Those sharks had already eaten my snapper. “Pirates!”

We wrestled our enormous grouper into the boat as the sharks circled and headed home as Hurricane Katrina loomed on the horizon. It would be a feast tonight.

Back now. The Camp

Hear ye! Announcing the launch of Camp Race Club. We had our first camp and I want to thank all of our friends that made their way down to our training center in Islamorada, FL. The first camps have gone incredibly well and the only one that has had a better time than the campers is your humble narrator. We are getting responses from people all over the country and everyone that has come down thus far has been a real pleasure to have.

It is difficult to explain the experience, but I thought that Ken Longo from our first camp did a fantastic job of it Ken’s article. Wait a minute though: Jane was a camper from NYC. She said that she was intimidated by the image of me on the front of the website, in the red, white and blue robe, looking mean. Well Jane, it is the Olympic Games. If there is a time to get mean, and lean, it’s for a race like that. For the record I am very friendly with the competitors both before and after the race. I am more friendly with the campers. We have a great time. Anyway, Jane left the camp thinking that I was pretty laid back. I can’t believe that I intimidated a New Yorker.

And then, a swim meet

I went to the Masters Nationals in Mission Viejo. I swam the 50 fly. It was the first time I had ever swum that event and it went better than the 100 IM I attempted in Indianapolis last year. I broke the World Record. Huzzah!

Thanks out to Coach Mark of the Nadadores who put on a fantastic event. I enjoyed hanging out with all the participants. And to answer all of those who were interested in whether I will continue swimming or not. I am a lifer. I’m going to keep swimming whether I make 2008 or not, whether I swim fast or not. I love swimming. I’m not going to quit.

My father was also present at the Masters meet. He’s right, the masters have it figured out. Swimming is meant to be enjoyed and I don’t think that anyone out in Mission Viejo missed that. Keep it up.

And then, The Race Club sponsored an open water swim that we all swam in.

Shock! Horror! Golly Gosh! The Race Club Mile? You heard it right. Nicholas, who is a top swimmer from Switzerland down training with us for a while, Anthony and myself all entered the murky churning waters post Hurricane Katrina to swim an open water mile in Biscayne Bay off Miami’s Key Biscayne. I had a top ten finish. Nicholas finished third I think and Anthony was less than a minute behind me. Ed Moses was there and finished a whopping, long 4 seconds behind me. It was a fantastic event and we all had a great time. We’ll be involved again with next year’s event. Oh, and by the way, an eleven year old girl won the event.

Michelle is back

Michelle Engelsman, a race club racer from Australia, is back in Islamorada training for a while. Welcome back to Michelle. For those of you who missed that whole Olympic thing last year, Michelle had an outstanding 50 free in Athens finishing 6th with a time of 25.06. Michelle’s endearing personality charmed many hearts in Islamorada and there are many that will be glad to have her back. As a matter of fact, I’ve been getting kind of tired of being asked, “When is Michelle going to be back?” She’s here fool! Michelle is back!

Swim. That is all.

Alright! And to all a good time. Onwards! Tally-ho! Charge!

Gary