just for general interest..mike spalding, dad of lauren, is swimming the 30 + miles of the alenuihaha channel today starting at 4:00 this afternoon from upolu point hawaii.. conditions look good. please think good thoughts for him. we hope he finishes in 16-18 hours.
Submitted by H20LADY on Mon, 03/16/2009 - 9:07am
Good luck to Mike. Please let us know how it goes.
#1 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 9:39am
Indeed, Good Luck to Mike.
This is a link to a history of people who have swum some of the channels in Hawaii. www.hanahou.com/pages/Magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=674&Maga...
I was recently able to correspond with Dr Harry Huffaker. When I was around 10 years old I remember him swimming the Molokai Channel. We used to drive out to Bellows Beach a lot back then and I would look across the channel in amazement that someone could swim that far. I was all the more amazed when I actually paddled it. I know for most paddler crossing the channel in a 6man let alone doing it solo is an admirable feat but can you imagine what it takes to swim any of the channels in Hawaii?
Again, Good Luck and major respect to Mike Spalding.
#2 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 6:56pm
Any update on Mike's attempt? It has been 18 hours since he was scheduled to start.
#3 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 10:05am
Believe he was bitten by a shark and stopped. Not a bad bite and he's ok as was told to me.
30 mile channel would be a major thing for most of us in a canoe. Here's a 60+ guy swimming it. Only been swum once before. If that's not fricken hardcore, I don't know what is.
#4 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 10:18am
yep- about 10 miles into the swim at about 8:15 a shark nipped Mike I understand in the calf- first report cookcutter size per Mike so knowing Mike who likes to downplay it, I heard more like beercan size chunk. He is very hardcore-runs in the family! Legendary stories about his sailing canoe adventures. Not able to get ahold of Lauren or the family yet so we pray he is OK. He is going to Tavarua in about 10 days-knowing Mike, if he can walk he'll ducttape a trash bag around his wound so he can go surfing at Cloudbreak! IF he can't walk, he'll boogieboard!
#5 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 11:07am
This is an article found on Mauinews.com about the aborted swim.
http://mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/516174.html?nav=10
#6 Wed, 03/18/2009 - 7:35am