Nice Day in Paradise... Hurricane Man 2009
May 9, 2009. This year's Hurricane man race catches a beautiful day after a windy winter and a cancelled swim at St A's Triathlon two weeks ago. This year you could see the swimmers and the packs from a mile away.
There were two distinct groups. The larger boat buoy pack and the faster shore hugging pack. Then there was that lone 17 year old, Vince Donnelly 48:11, way out front with his family following on the beach. Mom I'm pretty sure he couldn't hear you. Good luck cheering for the Purdue swim team next year. Where was your Boilermakers T- Shirt?
The men were aggressive off the beach but Teddy still thinks Jessica beat him. Don't anybody tell him. More to come with final results.
The first Hurricane man race was in 1996. Do to some hurricane issues it was moved to the spring before hurricane season. Stories of recent past events and results are available below. Be sure to check out the Aerial Photo of the 2005 race start.
Hurricane Man Results If you find a mistake email John at jreich1124@msn.com
Photos of Hurricane Man 2009
And read Open-water swimming offers different challenge a St Pete Times article on open water swimming featuring our own Tim Kennedy.
Hurricane Man 2008 full story.
2008 Hurricane Man Results
Hurricane Man 2007 full story.
2007 Overall 2.4 mile Results
2007 USMS 2.4 mile Hurricane Man Results
2007 USA 2.4 mile Hurricane Man Results
2007 USMS 1000M Pass-A-Grille Challenge Results
2007 USA 1000M Pass-A-Grille Challenge Results
Hurricane Man 2006 full story.
2006 USMS 2.4 mile Hurricane Man Results
2006 USA 2.4 mile Hurricane Man Results
2006 USMS 1000M Pass-A-Grille Challenge Results
2006 USA 1000M Pass-A-Grille Challenge Results
Aerial Photos of 2005 race.
Hurricane Man 2005 full story.
2005 USMS 2.4 mile Hurricane Man Results
2005 USA 2.4 mile Hurricane Man Results
2005 USMS 1000M Pass-A-Grille Challenge Results
2005 USA 1000M Pass-A-Grille Challenge Results
2004 2.4 mile Hurricane Man Results
2004 1000M Pass-A-Grille Challenge Results
2003 Results
2002 Results
For those who don't know anything about Hurricane Man. There are two races: Pass-a-Grille (1000 yards) and Hurricane Man (2.4 miles). ENTRY FEE: MUST BE POSTMARKED by April 30, 2008; $30 for USA/USMS registered, $45 for unregistered swimmers over age 18. Make checks payable to St. Pete Masters. Map to Packet pick up and finish line. Satellite Race Map from Google Earth.
The Hurricane man race starts at the county park at 4700 Gulf BLVD and finishes at 8th Ave and Gulf Way, St Pete Beach across the street from the hurricane restaurant. The 2.4 mile race starts at 7:30 am with 3 waves two minutes apart: all USA swimmers, Men USMS, and Women USMS. The race course is closed at 9:30 am.
Race packet pick up is at the finish line day of race. There is NO RACE DAY ENTRY. Don't even think about it. Rides will be available for swimmers to the 2.4 mile start. Most 1000 yd swimmers walk to the start. You must stay within the "no boat buoys". Lifeguards will turn you toward shore if you wander outside these buoys.
Post race events will be at the Hurricane restaurant immediately after the race. Awards with be given as soon as possible after the race.
Race History: The first race was scheduled for September 1997, and was called “Swim The Beach”, and was to be a 3.5 mile swim covering St. Pete Beach from north to south, along with a 1000 meter swim which we called the “Pass-a-Grille Challenge” even then. However, due to the strong El Nino weather pattern, the morning of the race presented us with 3-4 foot breaking waves, flooded parking lots and gusty winds. The 3.5 mile race was cancelled, and everyone who swam did the 1000 M swim. Due to the south to north waves and current, some swimmers never finished, often ending up swimming in place. This was our roughest swim by far, yet at the end everyone had a great time and lots of stories to tell at the breakfast at the Hurricane Restaurant later.
In September 1998, the race was renamed “The El Nino Rough Water Swim” in honor of our 1997 experience. But in late September, Hurricane Georges, which was a Cat. 2 storm at the time came across the Keys and St. Pete Beach was evacuated during race weekend, so that swim was never held.
Recognizing that September was simply too stormy to hold reliable open water swims, the race was switched to May 1999, and had only one swim of 2.4 miles length, which we named “Hurricane-Man” in honor of Hurricane Georges which had blown us away the previous fall. This swim was a great success with perfect water and weather. By 2001 the Pass-a-Grille Challenge was brought back as a 1000 M swim again to compliment the 2.4 mile effort. This swim has been going strong ever since.
Bruce Day first got the urge to create an open water swim after swimming Ron Collin’s and Tampa Bay Watch’s “Tampa Bay Challenge” which was a 3.5 mile across Tampa Bay swim in the spring of 1996. He knew that St. Pete Beach would be a great venue for a swim, and was friends with the owners of the Hurricane Restaurant after having lived on Pass-a-Grille for 5 years in the past. At one point, these races were the largest open water swims in the southeast United States. Bruce Day and Livia Zien were race directors until 2007 when their jobs were shared by board members of SPM.
Be sure to check out the Aerial Photo of the 2005 race start.
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