January 1, 2008 AQUAMOON ADVENTURES announces event dates, information, and entry forms are now available for the following 2008 events: Bermuda Round the Sound Open Water Swim October 19, 2008 The 8th Annual Bonaire EcoSwim December 6, 2008 see: www.AquaMoonAdventures.com ~~~~~~ TESTIMONIALS from the 2007 Bonaire EcoSwim: This was my first Bonaire Eco Swim, and what a fantastic experience!  From meeting new and friendly people to swimming in truly tropical, warm water with colorful fish and turtles,   I can't imagine a better time!  It was very much worth the long haul there, and I'll be back next year, for sure!  A big thank you to the organizers and volunteers who made it such a huge success.  Everyone was friendly and fun!!  Hope to learn some Latin dance moves from the Venezuelans next year! See you in 2008!                                                                     Christine Tait  (2007 3K Winner)  Anchorage, Alaska My husband (a non-swimmer) and I used the Bonaire EcoSwim as an excuse for a vacation, and we were not disappointed.  We had a fabulous time exploring the pristine waters of Bonaire, taking advantage of one of the top-ranked scuba destinations in the world.  It was my first open water race in salt water, and I was thrilled with the visibility.  I saw a couple of turtles, an eagle ray, a barracuda, and countless other beautiful fish -- during the race!  Randy and his crew organize a wonderful event, and we can't wait to go again next year.  -Kristi Lee (2007 5K Overall Winner) Sawtooth Masters Swim Team, Boise, ID    As long as you have a love for coral reef and tropical fish, I highly recommend the Bonaire Ecoswim for beginner and experienced open water swimmers, family and singles.   My husband and I belong to the Ohio Master Swim but we are “pool swimmers”. To complicate things, we have two young children 6 and 9 years old. Our friends at the OM who had participated in the Ecoswim multiple times recommended that we go. It turned out to be a fabulous idea.  -Diana Pi MD Ohio Masters ~~~~~~ 2007 Bonaire EcoSwim RACE RE-CAP:   The 7th Annual Bonaire EcoSwims field of 107 participants, its largest ever, was greeted by sunshine, beautiful skies, and crystal clear waters.  Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles (Dutch Caribbean) is recognized as the shore diving capital of the world and a perfect location for fun, friendship, and fast open water swimming. This year’s course was new, going north taking the swimmers around a barge, over spectacular and lively reefs, colorful tropical fish, and several sea turtles. Jimmy Welborn 52, from Chattanooga TN won the 10K in 2:51:13 with 32 year old Kristi Lee from Idaho taking the 5K in 1:18:12. The 1K and 3K champions ranged in ages from 12 year old Christiaan Zweers (1K) to open water tough man Doug Hellerson (3K) age 61. (Complete results follow).   Competitors represented over 18 US states, a large contingent from Venezuela and Bonaire. In addition to the event swimmers were very active socially with the traditional sunset cruise on board the Samur. Also well attended were celebratory dinners at Capriccio with the best wine cellar in the Caribbean, and several nighttime snorkeling trips under the stars. ~~~~~~ >Earth Day, April 21, 2007 - Jimmy Welborn on his way to winning the 24 Mile Tampa Bay Swimming Marathon. Kayak support Randy Nutt. Photo courtesy of the Chattanooga Times Free Press: February 9, 2007 Aqua Moon Adventures announces its fall lineup of 2007 events: October 21, 2007 the Bermuda Round the Sound Open Water Swim November 10, 2007 the 7th Annual Bonaire EcoSwim Details are now posted: www.AquaMoonAdventures.com ~ 2006 Bonaire Eco-Swim: A Challenging, But Rewarding Experience for All By: Christine Manna Netherlands Antilles, October 21, 2006 It was the best of times…it was the worst of times. That would be the tone of this year’s Eco-Swim in Bonaire on Saturday, October 21st. “This was one of the fastest 5K swim races and one of the slowest 5K swim races that I have ever done,” said Heidi Williams, 37 from Durham, NC, a first time participant and who placed 3rd overall in the 10K with a time of 2:28.32. Approximately 100 swimmers gathered together that morning at the dock of Captain Don’s Habitat, anxiously waiting for the 8:00 am start, to participate in either the one mile, 5K, 10K or kids pier-to-pier swim along the shoreline of Bonaire, the Caribbean island located in the Netherland Antilles. This event has steadily grown throughout the years, and this year marked the largest participation ever! As active as these swimmers were during the race, so was the current! “As a seasoned swimmer, this was the hardest swim I've ever done,” said Sue Welker, head coach of Naperville Waves Swim Club and 2006 Coach of the Year, who participated this year and placed 12th overall in the 10K with a time of 4:02.39. “That’s the excitement about coming down here, you don’t know how the current is going to be. It can be a challenge of a lifetime or just a weekend get-away, either way two thumbs up for the island of Bonaire!” But the current didn’t stop the determination of Miriam Nowak, the 29 year-old who became the overall winner of the 10K with a time of 2:09.34. She took the first place position away from Jimmy Welborn, 51, who placed second this year with a time of 2:10.37. Last year, Nowak finished 11 seconds behind Welborn. George Weber, a master’s swimmer with the Central Oregon Masters Aquatics was a just one week shy of his 76th birthday, when he decided to travel to Bonaire to swim the metric mile swim, where he finished with a time of 53.56. “Each year, I have a birthday swim and this year the swim was going to be in Bonaire,” stated Weber. “The race was a lot of fun, my breathing was easier since I was swimming at a lower altitude then what I am used to in Oregon and my buoyancy was better, where my feet didn’t drag. My swim was very enjoyable during the first ½ mile, until the turn around point and then it became tough with the current. As the oldest participant of the race, I want to be an encouragement to older swimmers by saying, just keep on going!” The thrill didn’t stop there, the day after the race, swimmers took part in climbing onboard the Siamese Sailing Junk called the “Samur,” where the ship set sail for a 3 ½ hour cruise, where everyone got to enjoy cocktails, appetizers and the sunset. During the middle of the cruise, the Samur dropped anchor and everyone got to enjoy snorkeling and learning how to ride a new water toy called the “Surf-Wing.” Randy Nutt, Event Director had this to say to the swimmers after the event, “On behalf of Aqua Moon Adventures and all the volunteers, I’d like to say a big “Thank You.” I never tire of mentioning that it is the swimmers who create the adventurous and wonderful atmosphere at these events. Your smiles, laughter, and enthusiasm create happiness and inspiration for everyone. It is our hope that we added a little excitement and friendship into your life as you did ours.” “What I liked best about this trip other than touching the orange buoy at the finish was all the camaraderie. I never experienced such a more organized race,” added Heidi. The Bonaire community including the Marine Park and local boaters, as well as kayakers played a significant role in keeping the waters safe for the swimmers who participated. One of the kayakers, Gabriel from Bonaire, gave his knowledge about the local current situation to the swimmers. Bob Bruce, head coach of the Central Oregon Masters Aquatics participated in his first Bonaire race and placed 5th overall in the 5K. “This was a great place for a race. I swim in Open Water races all the time and enjoy the outdoor surroundings of Oregon, but nothing compares to looking at the beautiful scenery while swimming around this island. This trip was right down our line of interest.” We hope to see you next year! Information for next year’s event will be posted at www.aquamoonadventures.com ~ --- Lane 9 News ---SwimmingWorldMagazine.com--- Bonaire EcoSwim a Major Success -- November 12, 2005 By Christine Manna NETHERLANDS, Antilles, November 12. FUN, friendships, food and fine wine. These are just a few of the things that made up this year's Bonaire Eco-Swim, where over 80 swimmers, ranging in ages from 4 -71, representing 17 states and five countries, participated in either the one mile, 5K, 10K or kids pier to pier swim along the beautiful coastline of Bonaire, the Caribbean island located in the Netherlands Antilles. On an overcast Saturday morning on November 5th at 8:00 a.m., swimmers started their engines from the water together near the dock of Captain Don's Habitat, the start and finish location of the race. Starting with the 10K swim, there were 19 competitors participating, with the overall winner being Jimmy Welborn, 50, from Chattanooga, Tenn. Welborn defended his title with a time of 2:03.20. It was a close race with 28-year old Miriam Nowak finishing 11 seconds behind, as she touched second overall and finished as the top female with a time of 2:03.31. Competing in the 5K were 26 swimmers, where Juan Chavez, 38, from Medellin, Colombia took the prize as top finisher with a time of 1:02.40. Former Canadian Olympian, Carol Carr from Franklin, Tenn., age 42, wasn't too far back, as she finished second overall with a time of 1:06.14. Jamal Trenidad, 13, the youngest Bonairean participant in the 5K did a fabulous job with fins and ended up in third place. Twenty-two swimmers participated in the one-mile race, as Pieter Zweers, 48, from Bonaire won with a time of 29:30. The top female finisher in this category was Sheila Peters, 46, from Austin, Texas with a time of 29:49. "This was the largest participation we've ever had for this race in Bonaire," said Randy Nutt, event director who has been organizing the Bonaire races for the last five years. "We even had a vacationing couple, Nancy and Paul Ronan from Brooklyn, NY, who was celebrating their 16th year anniversary on the day of the race that had heard about the swim two days before and participated." "We loved every minute of the week from the spectacular fish to the wonderful new friends we have met," said Sue Welker, head coach of the Naperville Waves Swim Club. "About 200 yards into our first group swim of the week, I turned to one of my swimmers, Michelle Sims and said, this is what adult swimming is all about, being fit and healthy enough to do swims like this and enjoy the fabulous water here in Bonaire. Masters swimming at its best was found on this island. Thanks so much to Randy Nutt and the harem of helpers." The day after the race, swimmers took part in coming aboard an authentic Siamese Sailing Junk, called the Samur that was built in Bangkok, Thailand in 1968. The ship set sail for a 3½ hour cruise, where everyone got to enjoy refreshing cocktails and delicious appetizers. During the middle of the cruise, the Samur dropped anchor and everyone got to enjoy snorkeling on the other side of the Bonaire Island. ~ TESTIMONIALS "Swimming the shores of Bonaire is the most spectacular swimming I have ever done in my 40 years of swimming! This event is open water swimming at its finest. Spectacular snorkeling, fabulous people and great organization! Don't miss it in 2006!" Sue Welker, Illinois Head Coach Naperville Waves Swim Club "Just wanted to say thanks again for a great swim! Bonaire is great, whether you are swimming on top of the water, or diving below the surface. And I met so many wonderful people - swimmers are always the most fun! Still thinking about next year!" Diana Corbin, Maryland "The Bonaire 5K swim was by far the most enjoyable and beautiful swim race that I have had the opportunity to compete in. The race coordination, administration and support during the race was excellent. In addition the 5k course was along the beautiful coral encrusted shoreline that created a backdrop for amazing fish sightings; I saw a spotted ray eel, sea turtle and a ship wreck during the swim! The Caribbean water is soooo blue and incredibly clear that you really have to experience it for yourself to appreciate it. No postcard could ever do this water and location justice. I am looking forward to the challenge and new undersea adventures waiting for me to discover during the next Bonaire Eco Swim!" Carol Carr, Nashville, TN Westside Swim Coach -'80 & '84 Olympic Swimmer "Athletes who have participated in Randy Nutt's Bonaire Eco-Swim now agree with divers across the world that Bonaire is an aquatic paradise. While swimming in the waters of Bonaire, it is hard to take the time to turn your head for a breath, the reefs & fish below are mesmerizing. I won't miss this event next year!" Ralph "LaneLine" MacIntyre Atlanta, GA "Randy and his gang put together yet another wonderful swim for all of us who decide swimming a 10K (or a 5K or a mile) at a glorious, tropical island is the way to go. It was an adventure that warms your heart and strengthens your soul. I'll be back next year for sure." Gretchen Van De Carr Durham, NC "The Bonaire Open Water Swim is a wonderful opportunity to swim one's choice in distances in a truly beautiful setting. Besides this, the island offers a great chance to get away from the world as we know it and really relax and enjoy the water, the people, the fish and the assortment of restaurants. Highly recommended!!" Russ Frazier, Tampa Coach SunCoast Y Swimfit ~ Industry News: SwimPaddles.com debuts on the World Wide Web. November 1st 2004 Swim Paddles.com is an equipment manufacturing and distribution division of Aqua Moon Adventures. We are committed to bringing you the highest quality technical hand and swimming paddles. They can help you improve technique, build strength, increase conditioning and swim faster, all while having fun in the water! In addition we will carry other products we deem exciting and worthwhile for those with an active lifestyle. Check us out: www.swimpaddles.com ~ --- SwimInfo.com--Lane 9 News --- USA Swimming Open Water Camp Produces Big Results -- June 7, 2004 By Mark Gill FORT MYERS, Fla., June 7. NO walls, no pads, no blocks ~ just water. That was the motto of the 2004 USA Swimming National Open Water Camp held last week in Fort Meyers, FL. Sixteen swimmers from around the country were invited to participate in the camp coached by Randy Nutt, Jeremy Vail and me. Training consisted of both pool session and ocean swims totaling five hours each day. At the end of the week of training, the athletes competed in the Open Water National Championships held as part of the Estero Island Open Water Festival. In the 5K Nationals, camp participants dominated the awards stand, winning 10 of a possible 16 medals. In the women’s competition, Katie Swensen took second, Megan Loehndorf was third, Caren Guyett was fourth, Jamie Keily was sixth, Justine Schluntz, was seventh, Aleksa Akerfelds was ninth and Jenn Flaherty was 13th. Women’s 5K 1 Byrum, Beth 18 KA-GU 1:06:44.00 2 Swensen, Katie 16 PS 1:07:59.00 3 Loehndorf, Megan 20 GSC 1:09:12.00 4 Guyett, Caren 14 BGCNW-MR 1:09:24.00 5 Turnadzic, Maida 14 Swim Florida-FL 1:09:25.00 6 Keily, Jaime 16 CFSC-GU 1:09:42.00 7 Schluntz, Justine 17 DUKE-NM 1:10:13.00 8 Trefzger, Eleanor 18 YS 1:11:21.00 The men camp participants did almost as well. Sweeping places third through seventh plus was Jeremy Gregory, Brooks Stovall, Mack LeBlanc, Robert and Kyle Young. Drew Seasea finished in tenth place. Men’s 5K 1 DeMarco, Dan 23 LIAC-MR 58:13.00 2 Peterson, Charles 16 CCS 1:00:28.00 3 Gregory, Jeremy 16 TSC-PN 1:01:15.00 4 Stovall, Brooks 16 MTS-SE 1:03:48.00 5 LeBlanc, Mackenzie 16 CPSC-NT 1:04:02.00 6 Looney, Robert 15 CSST 1:05:11.00 7 Young, Kyle 17 YTO-FL 1:05:48.00 8 McLeod, Steven 25 MVN-CA 1:05:49.00 With every swimmer from camp placing in the top 15 in the 5K, excitement built as the 10K approached. In this race, only four camp attendees raced, all of them reaching the medal podium. For the women, Laura Pacheco was third and Jaime Keily was fifth. In the men’s race, Kyle Young was fourth and Robert Looney was sixth. Women’s 10K 1 Rose, Erica 21 UN-LE-LE 2:04:56.00 2 Bergen, Briley 20 UN-FL-FL 2:05:17.00 3 Pacheco, Laura M 16 Swim Florida-FL 2:08:06.00 4 Smiddy, Rebecca 15 Miami Metro-FG 2:10:11.00 5 Keily, Jaime 16 CFSC-GU 2:16:38.00 6 Rice, Rose 30 Unattached 2:17:48.00 7 Mathery, Megan 17 YTO-FL 2:18:13.00 8 Kirsch (Widden), Lisa 24 YTO-FL 2:18:20.00 Men’s 10K 1 DeMarco, Dan 23 LIAC-MR 1:53:17.00 2 Kenny, John 23 UN-MA-MA 1:58:26.00 3 Langsett, Robert 20 FLST-FG 2:01:03.00 4 Young, Kyle 17 YTO-FL 2:01:38.00 5 Rice, Michael 19 FLST-FG 2:04:59.00 6 Looney, Robert 15 CSST 2:06:57.00 7 Drury, Elliott 23 UN-MV-MV 2:07:13.00 8 Buslepp, Brandon 22 FLST-FG 2:08:15.00 The 25K will take place on Tuesday with Sean Seaver as the only camp participant racing. Jacque Grossman, the camp organizer indicated the selection for next year’s camp will be based on performance at sectional meets. For more information, check the USA Swimming website at www.usaswimming.org. Courtesy of swiminfo.com ~ Event director brings exotic fun to the world of open-water swimming By Alex Kostich Active.com If Randy Nutt has his way, open-water swimming will cease being relegated to the summer months and become a year-round sport. Nutt, whose surname befits his enthusiasm for all things aquatic, is an event organizer and race director for some of the sport's most breathtaking open-water swims, which span from the turquoise waters of the Caribbean to the panoramic sea worlds of the South Pacific. Rather than hold his events in the swim-friendly months between June and September, Nutt goes out of his way to plan races that fly in the face of convention and take place in October, November, and beyond ... in locations where it never gets cold. A former collegiate swimmer, Nutt planned his first open-water race back in 1993 around Key West, Fla. What is now known as the Annual Swim Around Key West is largely Nutt's doing. Attracting swimmers from around the country (and a few from around the world), the swim has grown from 35 swimmers in its inaugural year to 400 currently (at which point entries are closed for safety and logistical reasons). After a career as stockbroker with a grueling schedule that cut down on his time outdoors, Nutt traded in the business suit for a swimsuit and never looked back. "I have always liked travel, and in college my swim team went to Brazil and taught swimming in the ocean to the locals," he said. "We had such a great time that I went back during summer break for a month and swam in the ocean every day. At that moment I knew I would do something involving travel, adventure, and swimming." And swimming is only a small part of Nutt's popular events. The Swim Around Key West is a 13-mile adventure charting a full 360-degree circle around the southernmost tip of the United States. The course is full of evolving and unpredictable conditions - at times warm, cool, current-prone, deep, and even shallow enough to the point of forcing swimmers to crawl through boggy sandbars. And yes, there's also the occasional (benign) shark sighting. The annual five-mile Coral Reef Swim in St. Croix is another event growing in size and prestige thanks to Nutt's founding efforts. Although a bit more novice-friendly than the Swim Around Key West, the Coral Reef Swim offers spectacular underwater views of a tropical channel linking the marine preserve Buck Island to the picturesque shores of the Buccaneer resort (St. Croix's oldest and most luxurious hotel). While casual swimmers may shudder to think of the physical demands required to complete such events, not to mention the cash required to compete in them, Nutt has thought of ways to make such experiences physically and fiscally nonpartisan. Working closely with local tourism boards, resort owners, and airlines, he's created all-in-one travel packages that appeal to the athlete rather than the corporate executive who has money to burn. As far as completing those waterlogged five to 13 miles, there are three- and six-member relay team divisions as well as a fin division. Whatever floats your boat - the important thing is that you finish and have a great time. "A big, big motivation for me is creating something people can use as a goal and then helping them achieve their goal," Nutt says. "I remember getting a call from Sharon Luka, a blind swimmer who asked if I would let her enter the Key West race. She had been turned down by several event directors for other events and when I said sure, she was thrilled. Well, she did the swim in under eight hours, and I'll never forget her smile and hug after finishing something that so many people said she could not do." Nutt also puts his money where his mouth is; proceeds from his events are donated to local charities and programs. The Swim Around Key West raises funds for a local high school swim team, and it has been such a successful program that Nutt is turning it over to another Aquatics Director so that he can devote more attention on developing newer races with a cause. The upcoming inaugural Bonaire EcoSwim (Nov. 30) will raise money and awareness for an organization for marine preservation. Bonaire, a small island in the Dutch Caribbean, came about after Bonhata, its Hotel and Tourism Association, contacted Nutt and asked if he could help put on an event there. The popularity of the neighboring St. Croix event had island tongues wagging, and locals wanted to be in on the fund-raising fun. "Fun" is the operative word here, in case you haven't gathered that by now. "Being a swimmer and open-water competitor, you really gain an appreciation for what a swimmer might like in an event," Nutt explains. "I keep that in mind when I plan these things, and really just try to cover expenses and put on a great race. The Bonaire EcoSwim came about because I wanted to have a positive impact on our environment while incorporating an open-water swim with beautiful locations. Bringing swimmers to these areas harbors an appreciation for conservation in those areas." Fun also comes in the way Nutt and his staff present each event. A group of volunteers is put to work arranging pre-race meals, post-race leisure-time activities, and clinics. One of the volunteers, John Ceraolo, has worked with Nutt for years, honing a stand-up comedy routine with humorous pre-race pep talks about the swim courses and event rules. He is also one of the only volunteers who completes trial runs of future race courses. The day before this year's St. Croix event, Ceraolo completed the five-mile course not once, but twice, and encountered a 9-foot shark that he wisely avoided mentioning in that night's pre-race talk. With a proven track record of several successful events and a growing list of sponsors that includes American Airlines and The Victor Swimwear, Nutt has founded an event-planning company called Aquamoon Adventures (www.randynutt.com). Swimmers interested in learning more about upcoming Adventures can sign up to be on the site's mailing list, although you can register online at Active.com for the inaugural Bonaire event (entry slots for that fantastic voyage are still available as of press time). Indeed, Nutt has had some adventures of his own while planning and participating in his events. In Bimini one year he was supporting Florida's open-water legend Gail Rice on a groundbreaking long-distance swim. Signing his name to and shepherding the 110-foot yacht that escorted Gail on her challenge, Nutt read in news reports shortly after the trip that boats such as his recently had been targeted by drug-smuggling, hijacking, murderous pirates ... very likely missing his own crew by only a few nautical miles. In another instance he tagged along with National Geographic on a Bimini expedition to research shark behavior (and presumably to test the waters for an upcoming race there). Surrounded by more than 30 large sharks without a shark cage, Nutt decided against hosting a swim there (at least not without an enormous insurance policy). To date, there has not been a Bimini swim in his name! Aquamoon Adventures is just a conduit for Nutt's motto: "Life is precious, and so it should be interesting!" With St. Croix wrapped up last weekend and Bonaire launching at the end of November, it's time to start thinking about the next "Eat-Your-Heart-Out, Survivor!" excursion. Sure enough, 2002 promises Aquamoon's first Galapagos Islands Ecoswim, as well as a still-under-wraps "Swim With the Whales" expedition - location undisclosed. At the very least, you know you can expect warm water. Besides that, expect the unexpected from Randy Nutt. Copyright © 2001. The Active Network Copyright © 1999-2008 by Aqua Moon Adventures All rights reserved. Reproduction of material without permission is prohibited.