BBS Results

Solos
Eric - 2.53
Spencer - 3.02
The Hoff - 3.05
Kevin- 3.15
Yvonne - 3.29
Chris - 3.35
Sally - 4.05
Dan - 4.38

Teams
Vidlers - 3.08

Great day with Yvonne winning her division
And Sally completing her longest swim .
I am not sure about non wet-suit results
But it was good to see more swimmers
Swimming without wet-suits considering
It was 35 degs and a beautiful summers day
Thanks to all the support crew and to Ian
Wallis for his support . Hope to see you all
Again in Perth in Feb for the Rotto Swim .

Swimming naturally
.

Bloody Big Swim

Black Ice has 7 solo swimmers and 1 relay team entered for the Bloody Big Swim
tomorrow.It will be a great warm up for next months Rotto swim as we have over 20 members flying over for the event.I will show the results next week and hopefully
can report some wins in certain categories as Ollie took out 1st place last year.
As per our strict club rules no Black Ice swimmer will be wearing the cheat suits.
Good luck and see you at the finish line around lunchtime.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Xmas Party

The Black Ice Xmas party will be held at
The Red Ox restaurant on Sunday the 11th
From 12 onwards . The Red Ox is located
At 502 Hampton St Hampton and it is a BYO
Please contact me for numbers and my new
Email Address is albert@midrockconstructions.com.au

Xmas Party

The Black Ice Christmas Party will be held
On Sunday the 11th of December for Lunch
At a venue yet to be decided . Please contact
Me for numbers
We will also be having a Xmas morning swim followed
By a champagne breakfast on the 24 th of December
At 8.00 am

Xmas Party

We need ideas for our Black Ice Xmas party ie.. venue ,time etc....so any ideas
please contact Harry,Terry or myself. Great news today with Ollie breaking the Manhattan swim
world record today which has been held for 16 years by Shelly Taylor-Smith.

Black Ice Bondi Swim

I am planning a double Bondi point to point swim
Hopefully in October . The swim will start from Bondi
Iceberger club to north Bondi and back which is about
1.8 kms . Anybody interested please contact me at training
Or on my mobile .We plan to leave on a Friday night with the
Swim been held on Saturday morning followed by lunch .

Pub to Pier to Pub

Black Ice had our winter swim at Lorne last
Weekend with 15 swimmers competing the
Double crossing . It was a beautiful
Day with great conditions and the race was won
In a close finish with Jonno 1st closely followed
By Eric and the Hoff . Last swimmer home was
Mike Gregory and I would like to thank Andy
D for allowing me to draft him .Next year the
Swim will be a triple so I'd better start overdosing
On my pine needles and Lose some weight
As I now realize the cold water is all in my head.

Hat-Trick

Great news
3 out of 3
Andrew Keegan 11hrs 38 mins
Craig Chapman 11 hrs 43 mins
Andrew Vidler 14 hrs 40 mins
I have now counted 20 English Channel
Solo swimmers from the Black Ice club
Out of 78 successful Australians which
Makes 25 % have come from our stable
In just ten years . We already have more swimmers
Booked for next year and beyond .Jonno
Has photos to come with the 3 boys in the White
Horse signing their names .
Alby

Finally

Great news with our three Black-Ice swimmers in the water on their way to France.Hopefully my next report will have three new members signing their names on the walls of the White Horse pub alongside the ever increasing successful Black Ice
swimmers.

The Long Wait

Unfortunately for Andrew his Channel attempt is still on hold due to
The poor weather but hopefully he may find an opening
Later this week on a spring tide . On a positive note Andrew will be
Joined by our Queensland Black Ice members Andrew and Craig
Who arrived this week for their attempts .If you were watching the British
Open Golf this week you could appreciate just how bad the weather is.
The open was played in Sandwich which only a short drive up the road from
Dover. Follow Andrew on his website for updates and I am sure the weather
Will change in his favor ( goggle swimavswim ) and send the boys a message .

Andrew Vidlers Web Site

Andrew Vidler is heading off on Wednesday for his English Channel Attempt
and you can follow him on his site which is provided below.
My blog/website is www.swimavswim.blogspot.com



It has a twitter feed (right-hand side down toward the bottom) so people can follow live with Caren giving updates on the day. If people join twitter (seriously easy) they can send messages on the day too. God knows I will need lots. Otherwise text messages to my mobile which Caren will also have. I am hoping that Chris Osmond on Seafarer II has a spot GPS. If so I will also link that to the website.

All members are welcome to join Andrew on Tuesday night at the baths from 4.45 pm
for his last swim followed by a few drinks.
I would also like to pass on our best wishes to Andrew Keegan and Craig Chapman
our Queensland members who head off on their attempts in a few weeks.
Well done to all Black-Ice members on their recent Manhatton Swims and thanks again to Harry and Cathy for another great night for Andrews going away dinner.

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Black Ice Dinner Party & Black Ice Winter Mile

Invitations will soon go out for our Black Ice Dinner
To see off Andrew Vidler on his Channel attempt
And the screening of Andrew Duigan and Michael
Gregorys Channel swims
This year Black Ice will be holding it's Winter Mile
On August 20 at Lorne and anyone is invited to swim
But only under club rules and the winner can only
Come from full members .The dinner will be held at Harrys
On the 17th of June and our next Swimmers Profile
Will be our soon to be full member Judy Allen-Graham
P.S Andrew Keegan wil also coming down fir the party from
Queensland

8 Hour Swim Results

On Saturday we were blessed with the most beautiful day for our annual 8 hour swim.
On behalf of all our members I would like to thank everybody who helped in any way
especially Gerard for supplying his beautiful boat and his assistants Jimmy and Mark.
Also I would like to thank Paul for supplying his boat which was used to ferry swimmers and friends during the day to and from the beach.A special mention should also go to Harry
for all his hard work in organizing another great day.Jonno will post photos from the day
on the web site shortly .The three 8 hour swimmers all pulled up well and we wish them all the success in England and New York in July .This is the Eleventh year that I have organized
this event and each year I say to myself that's it but when the dust settles I will be organizing next years swim .Good luck to Andrew V, Andrew k and Craig Chapman on their Channel
attempts and Ollie on his bid to win Manhattan .I have told Ollie he is not welcome back
in Australia without the trophy as he is heading back home to England after Manhattan.
Hope to see everybody back at training on Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday mornings
at the baths.P.S it was great to see two new members abide by our only rule and swim without the cheat suits.

Eight Hour Swim

The 8 hour swim is on Saturday and the weather is looking pretty good .
Swimmers can load their supplies on the boat on Friday night at 4.45 pm
or Saturday morning at 5.30 am so please contact Harry on 0419308450.
All swimmers and friends and family are invited for dinner at Milanos (Beach Rd Brighton )
at 6.30 pm Friday night. We will be supplying a punt to ferry passengers
to and from the mother ship so if you need a lift please call Paul Hoffman on 0405312543 or Terry on 0400142548 and they will organize to pick you up
from the beach opposite Orlando and beach Roads Hampton.

8 Hour Swim

The 8 hour swim will be held off Hampton beach at 6.00 am on Saturday the 30Th
of April.In the event of poor conditions we will follow on to the next day.
We will have a 60 foot boat parked about 300 m off the beach as a base for the 8 hours .We will assemble at Sandringham Yacht Club at 5.30 am to load all support crew and food onto the boat .During the day a punt will be supplied to ferry crew
to and from the boat and beach .For interstate swimmers and crew I have organised a special deal at Brighton Bay Serviced Apartments .Please call Jason Douglas on
(03 9596 6099 ) and
mention my name ,the Brighton Bay is about 3 kms from the beach .Any other questions
please contact me on 0414 590509 .

Cohuna Bridge to Bridge 8km.

Four Black-Ice members made the trip to northern Victoria for the
annual Bridge to Bridge 8km swim down the Gunbower Creek at Cohuna.
The team performed well against a host of wetsuit wearers with their
15 percent advantage.

Our results were:
1hr 48min Jonathon Hayward
2hr 04min Kevin Cassidy
2hr 09min Yvonne Mooyman
2hr 25min Sally Catt

This was Kevin’s ninth swim at Cohuna and Yvonne’s fourth.

Jonno and Sally were making their first appearances at Cohuna. The
seasoned Jonno came home fourth while Sally did extremely well never
before having swum so far but still smiling at the finish.

"It was tough, but I think I enjoyed it" she stated flatly as she climbed out of the water.

More Black Ice representation came from Sandra Stewart who picked up a silver medal in the 1.5km swim then immediately jumped on her bike for the 25km cycling event.

Roll on next year.......

Kevin

Rotto Results

The Black Ice swim club had another great weekend away in Perth with some fantastic results.
Black Ice Whales 7 hrs 38 Min's
Andrew Keegan 6 hrs 19 Min's
0llie Wilkenson 4 hrs 56 Min's
Andrew Vidler 9 hrs 01 Min's
Ollie came in second overall which was a fantastic result so we know you will go one better and take out the Manhattan
swim this year .Special mention to Kerrie White with a time of 6 hrs 35 Min's and to Andrew and Harry for supplying
those great Hawaiian shirts which received many laughs.
The new Black Ice clothing is ready to pick up this week so please have your money ready .
The 8 hour swim has been bought forward due to the clash with Easter to either Saturday April the 30Th
or Sunday May the 1st . The swim will take place off Hampton beach with a large boat parked about 400 m
from the beach where swimmers will use each half hour for their feeds.After the swim the soloist will be
invited back to my new home across the road with the use of a spa and lap pool to recover.
Don't forget Saturday March the 26Th for our annual Eildon swim followed by the BBQ on Ian's houseboat,
Contact Mini me for details

Rotto Results

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Rotto Swim

It's off to Rotto again this week with another
Large team of Black Ice swimmers competing
In solo and teams events . I will be placing a large
Order of Black Ice clothing this week so if
You missed out please contact me asap .
This years 8 hour qualifying swim will be held
On Saturday the 23 rd of April off Hampton
Beach . We have 4 swimmers training for their
Channel attempts and one for his Manhattan
Swim. Because we have so many swimmers
We will have a boat parked a few hundred
Metres off the beach . Swimmers will use
This each half hour as a feeding station instead
Of leaving the water for their feeds .

Floods

Due to the constant rain in Melbourne which has polluted
The Bay swimming has been cancelled indefinetly
My assistant Mimi Me will text members with updates
On training venues and times but Tuesday and Thursday mornings
Have been switched to Hampton beach . Last week
Many Black Ice members competed on the Bloody
Big Swim with some great results especially Ollie
Winning the solo . Ollie broke team rules by wearing
A wetsuit but he has assured me will
Make up for this by winning the Manhatton
Swim in New York later this year .In a few
Weeks our team of swimmers will head off
To Perth for our annual Rotto swim. I will keep
All swimmers posted on a date for this years Anzac
Day swim as we have 3 flying in from QLD .
Please call me and place your order for Black Ice
Bathers and clothes and don't forget my new email
Address albertbardoel@gmail.com

Xmas Lunch

The Black Ice swimming club will hold its annual Xmas lunch
at Ah'Loys Malaysian Restaurant in Bay street Brighton on the 12th of December.I have
organised a banquet which I can assure you will love at $45.00
a head . Ah'loys are not open for business on Sunday afternoons
but Alan the owner has been kind enough to open only for our club
It will be a 1.00pm start and anybody that is interested please
contact myself or my personal assistant Terry (mini me ) O'Brien.
This year we will be announcing the Black Ice member of the year for
his or her services to our club .Its also BYO wine

Andrew Vidler English Channel Solo 2011

Black Ice swimming club is pleased to announce that our recent new member Andrew Vidler
has booked to swim the English Channel solo in mid July 2011.That makes 3 solos and 1
team booked for next year from the Black Ice stable.We have been having a little competition
with The Irish swimming club headed up by Ned Denison as to see how successful solo swimmers
come out of each club.After tomorrows swim at breakfast we will decide where our Xmas party will be held .Also great news about Ollie making the cut for Manhattan in 2011 where we believe he has a great chance to win .

New e-mail address

I have changed my e-mail address to albertbardoel@gmail.com .Due to my move summer
Training will move to Harrys starting in the first week of November
Training will change to Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6.00 am
Until further notice , hopefully training will resume at our new headquarters at 15 beach road Hampton .Saturday morning training location is yet to be decided .I am sorry if I have not replied to your e-mails because of my move so please contact me on the e-mail address above .

Andrew D gets to France

To all,
Thanks for all the messages of congratulations etc.
Could not have done it without the support of Black Ice Swimming club collectively.
My support team on the boat did an amazing, son Eric, Terry O and Greg & Liz .
At times when things were tough the pilot Mike Oram stepped in and was great, and the beautiful official observer Pam. Now for the offical signing of the name in the White Horse

Andy Duigan Swims From England To France

Andy welcome to the club and all the Black Ice team are very proud of your achievement
Andy's time was 17 hrs 7 Min's under very difficult conditions so go and sign your name on the wall at the White Horse and cannot wait for the photos and the DVD.Hopefully
Andy can right a report on his swim after he recovers and thanks to all who helped him over in Dover .

Andrew & Eric D in the cultural hub of Dover.
We attended the Dover comedy festival last night. It was headlined by that famous Fawlty Towers waiter that Kevin thought so much about in an Italian Restaurant. He had the table in stitches.
Felt better in the water today. A few laps of the harbor. Weather changeable.

Andrew D leaving update

I'm being taught how to use this thing !

2011 Black Ice Relay Of The English Channel

I am happy to announce that Black Ice have officially entered a team to swim the
English Channel in 2011.Our tide will be from June 21 to July 1 and we are No 1
with CSPF legend pilot Mike Oram . I will be calling a meeting after Saturdays swim
so anybody interested swimming the Channel can put their name forward.If you cannot
make it please contact me on my mobile for more information. Next year will be ten years since Team Extreme swam the double (read on the black ice website on www.black-ice.com.au about our experience)I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed that experience.
Today I received a text from Somer Mcmaster to remind myself and Jonno that on this day 7 years ago we swam the English Channel solo which Jonno and myself had completely
forgot due to the great win by Holland to make the World cup final.Yesterday was also Somers anniversary which bring back great memories of all our times together in Dover.

Black Ice Beer

Black Ice is now brewing its own beer and will be on sale in about one month.
I have already sampled our first batch and its fantastic so see Harry for more
details and orders. The Beer will be $ 2.00 a bottle and it is based on Whit beer.
Simply wines will also donate 5 % off all sales back to the club so support the
boys from Brighton and their details are on our sponsors page.I loved the look
on Harry's and Terry's face when I beat them home today until they found out I took a short cut .

Black Ice Lunch

The Black Ice dinner has been bought forward to Sunday the 11Th at 12.30 for lunch
at Harry's . The Black Ice winter Mile will be held on August the 22ND at Lorne which
is open to anybody so long as you abide by our club rule NO WETSUITS.

Black Ice Dinner

The Black Ice dinner will be held on Saturday Night April 10 at Harry's Home.
The address is 188 Beach Road Sandringham .Next Saturdays swim at 8.00am will
also be held at Harry's home due to the repairs at team headquarters.

CSPF Annual Awards

I am happy to announce that Eddie Spelling of the Cspf has won the Pilot of the year
at their recent annual awards night.Eddie was my assistant pilot on my solo and was
inspirational on my crossing so well done Eddie.Also my good friend Sally Minty-Gravett
has started her new web site (www.swimmingminty.com/)so check it out .Sally has a very impressive swimming CV and her husband is the Chairman of the Cspf.Kevin was right on
his second guess and I knew the answer to his question but did not reply because it was not a swimming related question so try a bit harder Kev.The date for the Black Ice
dinner will be listed on Saturday as it is hard to find a day where all members are in town at the same time.For the next 4 to 5 weeks Saturday swimming at 8.00 am in Black Rock
will be held off the life saving club instead of my home.

Rogue Cyclist

Alby, I believe that cyclist could well be the incomparable Terry O'Brien.

Now for a question of my own. Two weeks ago, Andy, Dan and I travelled to the small town of Cohuna for their annual 8km swim down the Gunbower Creek. What facility in Cohuna is the largest in Australia which effectively makes it the largest in the World?

Oliver Wilkinson Wins Bonbeach !200m

Just received news from the Almanac that Ollie easily wins the Bonbeach LSC 1200m
swim in a time of 13Min's 13 secs. Ollie successfully swam the Channel last year and
has decided to settle in Melbourne for a few years to run his veterinarian service
in Albert Park .Ollie joined our small group last year and has also decided to
sponsor our club so well done to you .Question time Kevin,which Black Ice member was caught jumping the fence so to speak this morning riding a bike.He has been severely
reprimanded but charges were later dropped because he was wearing one of the sponsors
shirts.So Kevin if you can name the member and the sponsors name I will shout you
breakfast next week .

Sponsors

I would like to thank all our sponsors who pledged their support at short notice.
The response was amazing with 9 coming on board and helping to finance
the website,our new sponsors banner and the sponsors big night out coming soon.It will be held at Harry's
where all wines to be supplied by Simply Wines and boutique beers supplied by Gino.
We have hired famous Pizza chef Luke who will make up his specialty Pizza or your
own style in Harry's new fully imported Italian Pizza oven. The Date for the big night out will be in about 2 to 3 weeks depending on school holidays and Easter .I think I
may be able to have a special door prize on the night if I can convince some sponsors
to donate some of their products.

Rotto Report 2010

The Black Ice team have just returned from another successful swimming trip with Ollie finishing in 5th place as a solo competitor. Harry and Alex managed 11th in the duo. Sally, Andrew, Sandra and Peter finished in the top 20 in the team of 4s .

I cannot report how much fun we had on this trip but it's best summed up by Harry, with what happens on the trip, goes onto facebook when we arrive home.

I would like to thank our boat crew of pilot Brian the skipper his assistant Geoff and Jan our paddler. We managed to lose Alex over board with his new iphone and designer shorts before the start of the swim, but apart from that (and my bruises) all went well. I think we will have a much larger team in Perth next year with planning already underway .This weekend is Pier to Perignon followed by a 6 hour swim at Lake Lysterfield.

Stay tuned for photos from Rotto going up on the site this weekend.

Alby

Sponsors

The Black Ice swimming club has now got a new section on our website for sponsorship. The money generated from this will go back into managing the site and purchasing an advertising banner with our sponsors names on it.

This club is a strictly non profit organisation and sponsorships will be $100.00. All businesses will have their logos displayed on the page with a link to their website. We have already received a lot of interest, so it's not too late to show your support. If you are interested, please send us an email for futher info.

Next weekend is our annual trip to Perth for the Rottnest Island Swim where twelve Black-Ice members will be competing. Anyone staying in Melbourne, please contact Yvonne to join her in the Saturday morning swim .

The Rotto swim is a strictly non wetsuit event, with all swimmers competing on an even playing field. That gives us a better chance with one of our members, (Ollie) right up there to win the race.

Watch this space...!

Alby


.

Bloody Big Swim

Firstly I would like to thank the committee for recognising swimmers who swim without wetsuits. I have been fighting for this in Victoria for many years without much luck and as I have stated before, we do not have any issue with them so long as they recognise swimmers who swim choose not to wear them.

It was a beautiful day and with the weather reaching 38 degrees I still can not understand why you would even contemplate putting on a wetsuit, other than the obvious (swim a faster time). Anyway, under Black Ice rules, (no wetsuits) we are happy to announce that Ollie Wilkinson won the race in 2 hours and 24 minutes . Ollie who swam the Channel last year in about 10 hours had a fantastic swim considering he has just arrived back from England and has little time to train with his busy work schedule.

Other Black Ice members to complete the solo were Kevin, Yvonne, Andy and first timer Harry who was supported by Jonno Terry Andy and myself. And Ian, our new pilot did a brilliant job!

Up until 6 Weeks ago Harry had not swam more than an hour so it was a huge effort. Good luck in 3 weeks when you join Alex for your duo across Rotto.

Black Ice has a large team travelling to Perth. We will be staying in the City instead of our usual base in Fremantle so the boys can train in the Swan river. Ollie must be right up there for line honours at Rotto where suits are not permitted, and this will give him a even playing field. It will also be interesting to see who wins between our duo and fours team. I will take bets now but with our experienced pilot Brian, I think we may have an edge.

Its all over when you hit Dover

I have received many e-mails in response to a recent blog. (I promised myself not to respond but I couldn't help myself with the one below)

As a matter of interest I am a member of The Dover Library, Dover FC, The Royal Cinque Yacht Club, The CSPF and also a regular at the White Horse Pub, where my name is displayed on the wall (see earlier blog re the how the signing of the wall started) and my name is engraved on a plaque at Hubert House Bed & Breakfast.

After our successful Team Extreme relay crossing in 2001 I was made 'blood brother' with Terry. (one of the local hoods in Dover, read the Team Extreme diary) After travelling half way around the world to Dover on seven separate occassions, I believe what is written below is a bit harsh. Dover is my second home and I will be back after I serve my five year suspension. (Hopefully earlier after appeal.)


The committee has imposed an IMMEDIATE punishment as follows:

You are barred from the Dover ballet, opera and symphony for a period of 5 years.

Futher you are barred for 2 years from the Amusement Park and Disney Dover.

And finally......you are not permitted FOR LIFE to buy a half pint in the White Horse.

Bad boy!

Ned Denison

Alby

Holidays

I was having a great time on my annual break when I received a few interesting texts. It's amazing how much support I have received from the swimming community right around the world after I read some interesting things about myself (just after a shark swam a few metres past me while on holidays at club med.)

I will not bother to reply to rubbish other to say that this place is slightly better than Dover. Back on the weekend for another season with all my swimming friends at Black Ice.

Sharks

A large shark was sighted swimming around Cerberus on Wednesday at Half Moon Bay Black Rock so beware. Just when we have nearly seen the last of the Jellies along comes a shark, so we have too ban Yvonne from swimming because she always attracts them. Also when I return from my holiday I will call a meeting re the Black Ice relay team across the English Channel which is gaining a lot of response.

Looking forward to 2010 as our group will have two top line swimmers from Qld joining us for our annual 8 hour swim on Anzac day - and Ollie is back from England.

Lisa Cummins the superstar from Ireland may be in Melbourne later this year to join us for a swim. Lisa is a national hero who broke the world record in becoming the 1st person to swim the Channel both ways without attempting a solo.After 35 hours in the water she made it across landing 40 kms from Dover and smiled the whole way. I was lucky enough to meet and swim with Lisa last year and I love her attitude - a true champion with no fuss or fanfare. Read her story on swimmers profile alongside other successful female double Channel swimmers like Alison Streeter, Marcy McDonald and Anne Cleveland.

Merry Xmas

Looking forward to next year with some big swims booked and I think
the Black Ice relay across the English Channel is back on so if you are
interested please contact me as we have a spot booked in early August.
We have the No 1 pilot booked in Mike Oram from the CSPF who will guide us across to France.
We already have a few Black Ice swimmers booked for their solo's in the same tide
so it would be great to be there to support them . I was part of team extreme in
2001 and i cannot tell you how much fun I had on that trip. Since our double relay
crossing 4 of the 6 members went on to swim the Channel solo.If we have enough interest
then I will call a meeting and fill you in with all there is to know about the swim .
Merry Xmas and a happy New Year from Alby and my assistant Mini Me ,where are my keys and
the wind is coming from the south and the north Terry .

Lake Lysterfield

The whole Black-Ice team will be down supporting Andy at Lake Lysterfield tomorrow morning for five hours as he ramps up his training for the Channel in 2010.

As usual our close knit group will be there to help him to achieve his dream. We would love to see Andy succeed next year after the weather ruined his Cook Strait attempt last year.

Next weekends swim will be followed by our Xmas breakfast and I hope all members can attend as there will be a surprise in store. Even Kev does not know....

I would also like to thank all Black Ice members for their overwhelming support recently.

.

Back to Black Rock

Its great to be back to our home ground where the water is cleaner and warmer.

Jellies have gone and so have a few other creatures that annoy us. Its good to see Andrew back and he will be teaming up with the Shoe man in Rotto .

Swimmers Profile Lisa Cummins

Soon we will have Lisa Cummins on Swimmers Profile as our next guest
and something I forgot to mention is that she is from Black Rock Ireland
which is an incredible coincidence so read her amazing story.Also on the
weekend I nearly fell out of my chair after watching the National news
where I saw someone resembling me in a pair of speedos. It had to be a stunt
double or I will have to visit Jenny Craig because my phone has not stopped
with some pretty rude jokes.

White Horse Pub

I am happy to report for now that the names on the wall will not be painted over

The Money Or The Box

Alby,

I believe it is Jian Zhang from the peoples republic of China.

I am still awaiting on the number of excuses listed on the back of the CSPF T-shirt

And keeping on the Channel theme..... What sized globe is used in the red beacon that lights Calais Harbour???

Temptation

Kevin you are half right about the spoil with the English side and the reason
for Samfire Hoe was twofold.One it was too hard to dispose of the spoil because of the White Cliffs and
secondly they could produce all the concrete tunnels on ground level and save on costs.
The Frogs just spread it over their farms.When they met in the middle the Poms supplied
tea and dried biscuits where as the Frogs supplied Champagne and Hors-d'oevres.
Question the 1st Asian swam the Channel in 2001 so which Asian country did he or she come from.

Mastermind

Correct Alby,

I knew you’d google all that sub 50 second info. It is something I can vividly recall as if it was yesterday.

HA HA, HA. The “Awesome Foursome” are the rowing team. To correct a popular misconception, Norman May never actually screamed “Gold” on three consecutive occasions.

No, it wasn’t the “Mean Machine”, it was the 4 x 200 metre men’s relay team and Norman was cheering home Neil Brookes whose freestyle anchor leg overpowered the communist block countries therefore preventing them making a clean sweep of the men’s pool events.


The Chunnel opened in 1994. I’ve no idea what the French and English workers exchanged when the met under the seabed but I’ll guess it was escargot washed down with a pint of the best pommi guinness!!!

I didn’t check in France but the English spoil was deposited amongst the numerous lagoons below Shakespears Cliff. The area now covers 90 acres of walking trails known as Samphire Hoe. The high clay content of the spoil meant that it was almost impenetrable by water which was perfect for using to reclaim some wet areas.

So to remain on the Channel theme, the official CSPF T-shirt has all the excuses used by non finishers on the back. How many excuses are there? And NO, having a suspected heart attack is not one of them!!

Its Academic

Jim Montgomery, USA, Montreal games,1976,49.99secs
Gold Gold Gold i think was the awesome 4some Moscow
4+100 relay freestyle I cheated on the 1st answer
but I was guessing on the second or they were called
the mean machine .OK Kev what year did the Chunnel
open and what did the English and French exchange
when they met half way under the Chunnel Clue it was
food and drinks and where did the 2 countries dispose
of their spoil from the Chunnel and why.Kev you are making
it harder so questions must be related to the English Channel.

Sale of the Century

Well done Alby. Murray Weideman is correct. I thought I might catch you out with the October date in 1990. His other "sport" was wrestling. Not the real type that we see at the Olympics, but that micky-mouse variety that Jack Little would host every Sunday at noon on Channel Nine.

It was the entire Essendon team that kicked five goals in the 1990 Grand Final. It was all they could muster...what a weak effort!!

OK, back to swimming. Who was the first man to break 50 seconds for the 100 metres freestyle? What country did he represent? What year did he do it? Where did he do it? and what was his actual time?

Also, Norman May's excited call of "GOLD, GOLD TO AUSTRALIA, GOLD, GOLD" occurred at which Olympics? In which event? and exactly who was he cheering for?

Bob Dyers Pick a Box

Kevin you are right on the first and second females but John Koorey made it across
on his 3rd attempt and similar to Jonno he cannot remember much about his first two attempts
other than waking up in hospital.He thought he could just go over and smash the world record
but weighed only 60 kgs and could not handle the cold .I have met John a few times and is an incredible man
not only through his swimming but with his inventions.Ok Kevin back to your question re the
last Collingwood captain in September , the answer is Murray Weideman in 1958 because I was there
in 1990 and it was held in October .Ok Kevin what other sport did Murray Weideman play if you
can call it a sport and who kicked 5 goals in the 1990 Grand final. By the way I promised not
to have none swimming questions on this site so this will be the last time.

More answers for Alby

Yes Alby, I believe our own Black Ice member in Yvonne Mooyman is the first woman to complete the Channel-Rotto-Cook Strait treble. Second was Penny Palfrey from Townsville. John Koorey was first aussie male to swim the channel on Sept 6th 1969 in, I believe, his first attempt.

Ok, here's one of my own.

Who captained Collingwood Football Club in their most recent triumph on that one day in September?

Finally Kevin Is Wrong

Sorry Kevin but the answer is twice and its good to see you come clean on the google.
It was her last attempt when she was pushed back by a storm but i will keep them coming
Who was the 1st and 2ND female to swim the Channel,Rotto and the Cook Strait.Google will not help you on this one and i am happy for you to fire one straight back.Name the 1st Aussie male to swim the Channel and on what attempt did he succeed.

Alby's trivia...again

Alby,

I can't believe that you have only just woken up to the powers of Google!!

However, I don't need Google for your latest question. Alison Streeter's one aborted attempt at the channel was when the boat propeller hit her leg inflicting injuries that prevented her continuing.

Cheers from Kevin.....and keep those question coming!!!

More on Alby' trivia questions

Alby,

Annette Kellerman made three unsuccessful attempts at the channel and spent time at Mentone Girls Grammar School [just down the road], so i guess it is their pool that boasts her name. Also, I once swam at a pool in Marrickville up in Sydney several years ago which was named after her.

Given that she is regarded as the founder of synchronished swimming, I am guessing she was played by Esther Williams in the movie

Channel Questions

Ok Kevin you got on the last on but i will keep trying until I stump you.
Annette Kellerman was the 1st female to attempt the English Channel in 1905
she failed on how many attempts and which private girls school did she attend
in Melbourne where they named the pool in her honour, and finally which actress played her in the movie Million Dollar Mermaid. Alby

Alby's trivia questions

Alby, you need to think up some tougher questions.....

ROLEX......of course!!!

Question Time

I have just spoken to Kevin and he has pulled up quite well apart from
swelling of the lips and tongue.I could not resist asking a question
because I know how much Kevin (the almanac) Cassidy loves this but I
think this one will stump him.Which watch company in 1927 used the a English
Channel solo swimmer to test their new watch.Kevin you have 48 hours to correctly
answer this one or shout the whole black ice team coffees on your return.
Your answer must appear on this site seeing that you now have access to it.

Question Time

Kevins Swim Begins

I have just received a text from Sandra to say that Kevin has just entered
the water for his epic crossing of the English Channel.Kevin was to start
at 8.00am English time which is 5.00pm Melbourne time so you can follow his
progress via this web site www.ais-doverstraits.co.uk/ for 10 min updates.
Then you need to click on his boat which is Gallivant and we will know where
he is in the Channel so wen you wake up early tomorrow morning hopefully Kevin
will be closing in on the French coast. Alby

More from Dover

Kevin Cassidy checking in from Dover.

Conditions look good for tomorrow morning and the number one in my window has decided to take the opportunity at breaking the current world record. As a result, I won’t be going tomorrow morning.

Mike Oram says that if the record is broken, he will be back in Dover by noon. In this case, I will leave on the 4pm tide and swim into the night….which doesn’t bother me at all.

Failing that, the next chance will be early Saturday morning. Sunday is expected to see a cold front come in with some rougher weather but Monday and Tuesday are looking good.

Today has been a tense day of “what ifs” but I am more relaxed about things now.

Kevin in Dover

Kevin Cassidy checking in from Dover….via Alby’s page!!!

The mental torture of not knowing when I will start sure is a new experience for me. After three days in Dover, the main thing I have learnt from both Freda Streeter and Mike Oram is that this summer’s weather forecasts have been completely unreliable for a wide range of reasons.

The channel may look calm from Dover but it can be howling out on the French side. Swims are stating between 1:30am and 2am. Some swims due to go two days ago were canceled with just two hours notice as the winds kicked up.

My window opens tomorrow and I am the number two swimmer. The number one swimmer is trying to reclaim his world record [Christov is his name, I think]. As a result, he will only swim if conditions are perfect. This effectively means that I am number one on any less than perfect days which are still quite swimmable.

Mike Oram suggested that I could go tomorrow morning at 2am if I wished but he wasn’t sure if the 23 knot wins would drop!! Basically, he seemed to think that I should wait given that I was going to be around for a while. Friday is quite possible with the weekend expected to rough up a bit. Monday and Tuesday next week are predicted to provide good conditions……however, no one is paying much attention to the already inaccurate forecasts. If Friday is swimmable without being perfect, then I will be hitting the water.

Due to the fact that several September booked swimmers have already swum, Mike has told me that there are no ends to anyone’s windows. This is news I am glad to hear as I am able to stay longer if need be.

I’ve had two 30 minute swims in the harbour as well as checking out the town. We went for a meal at a small Italian restaurant last night where the two waiters made Manuel from Fawlty Towers look competent. Honestly, it was a case of Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber!!!!

As for the local townsfolk, the obvious preferred hobby appears to be smoking and throwing your butts on the ground!

swimmers profile

World Swimming Championships Farce

When I was a kid growing up, I couldn’t wait for the Olympics Games, Tour De France etc. These days, I don't bother because of all the drugs that have ruined these sports.

Now swimming has gone one better by bypassing the drugs with the stupid new swim suits. They might as well let them wear wings so they can fly from one end of the pool to the other. Swimming is now another sport stuffed up by stupid officials who are more worried about their sponsors than the integrity of the sport.

The medals should not go to the swimmers but to the swimwear designers who have allowed these swimmers to go so fast.

Years ago, when an Aussie broke a world record, it was front page news but just a few days ago, an Aussie broke the 100m breaststroke world record and it didn’t even make the back page. In fact, I don't even remember his name!

The English Channel rules have remained the same for 135 years. Hopefully no one will turn up to Dover with one of these swim suits.

Question: Can anybody tell me of a sport where they don't cheat? If so, I would like to follow it.

There have been a few idiots who have swam across the Channel in a wetsuit but they have not been acknowledged and rightly so. At least the pilots have taken their money and shame on them for putting their names on the wall of the White Horse pub which is rapidly running out of room.

They will soon take down the relay team names and also those of the cheats in wetsuits to make way for the solo swimmers.

Kevin flies out this week and all his Black-Ice friends wish him all the best. You can follow his progress on www.ais-doverstraits.co.uk .

Sandra will text our group with his starting time and then you can follow his progress but clicking onto his boat which will be either “Gallivant” or “Sea Satin” [I will confirm next week] Updates of his position are given every 10 minutes.

Black-Ice relay across the English Channel

I'm inviting all Black-Ice members to join me in a relay across the English Channel in either 2010 or 2011.

The first six members to sign up need to call me for a meeting. Only full Black-Ice members can sign up with costs being around $4000. This will include airfares, accommodation, pilot fees and food etc...so start saving.

You will need to set aside two weeks maximum and I can guarantee the trip of a lifetime.

I know our group already has four members booked for solo channel swims next year, so maybe we can join them.

Black-Ice already swims the Rotto race each year in a relay, so it's about time we swam across the Channel.

Also, well done to Chloe who finished first in the Lorne pier to pub winter swim and Jonno for coming in third.

It's not long before Kevin heads off the Dover for his solo English Channel attempt.

Annual Brighton Baths Winter Mile

It was another great day for the Black-Ice Swimming Club with Chloe [overall winner and first female] and Jonno [first male] starring at the Brighton Baths Winter Mile. I’ll have more Black-Ice results when they come through.

Chloe is just warming up for her double assault on the Channel this year where we believe she will give Susie Maroney’s world record a good shake. Susie is by far our greatest marathon swimmer and we hope to have her as a guest on
“Swimmers' Profile.”

We also hope to have Murph Renford amongst our profiles soon. Murph is the son of swimming royalty, Des Renford. Des swam the English Channel 19 times!

Thank you to Harry and Cathy for a great night at their home recently with nearly all members in attendance.

Terry O’Brien is recovering well after his recent hip operation and we miss him in the water already. What we DON’T miss is his standard of driving on route to training!!

Kevin's English Channel attempt is only six weeks away. Anybody who knows Kevin will know that he has been training well and we believe he is ready to add his name to the wall of the White Horse Pub in Dover.

Quiz question this week: Who was chosen to play the role of Linda McGill (first Australian to swim the English Channel) in the life story about the Gold Coast marathon swimming legend?

P.S. I’m expecting a text message soon from the almanac, Kevin, after this posting.

Black-Ice Dinner

On the 12th of June, the Black-Ice team will be holding a going away
dinner for the three members who will be making the big trip
to Dover for their English Channel solo attempts. The dinner has been brought forward due to Terry's hip operation which will force him out of action
out of action for about three months.

Many thanks to Harry and Cathy for hosting the party in their new home which overlooks our beloved Port Phillip Bay.

Good luck and a speedy recovery to Terry and all the best of luck to Kevin, Chloe and Paul with their English Channel attempts. They have all been training very hard.

I am so thrilled at the opportunity to be in Dover for Paul and Chloe's attempts and with a bit of luck, Kevin will be back in Dover after his holiday to cheer on the others.

Hopefully, the Black-Ice Swimming Club will have over ten successful solo
English Channel swimmers within the next 12 months, the most assembled anywhere in Australia.

Next week, Paul McQueeney will be inducted into full Black-Ice colours by
completing a one hour cold water swim at the Brighton Sea Baths.

Go to your limits, and then exceed them.

Hattrick

I am happy to say that I will be in Dover for Paul, Ollie and Chloe's English Channel attempts in September.

Hopefully these three swimmers will join Kevin (August 13 to the 18th) in conquering the channel.

Next year, the Black-Ice team will have another three swimmers making English Channel attempts.

Good luck

Anzac Day Qualifying Swim

Once again, the Black-Ice swimming club held their annual English Channel qualifying swim for Kevin and Paul.

With the water temperature at 15 degrees, the wind blowing up to 30 knots and no sun, conditions were testing.

Both guys came through with flying colours and are now set for the ultimate test later on this year.

Paul and Kevin were well supported with almost all Black-Ice members assisting them during the day. Terry O'Brien was the only one missing. His horse was running in Sydney and it clocked up a win on Sydney Cup day.

This Saturday, the Black-Ice team returns to the Brighton Sea Baths for the winter season. We'll see you there.

Eight Hour Qualifying Swim

On Anzac day, the Black-Ice team will be heading down to Black Rock for our annual eight hour English Channel qualifying swim.

This year, we will have Kevin, Dan, Paul, Chloe and Andy attempting the eight hour time frame. Unfortunately, Ollie will just miss out as he is heading back to England.

The great news this week is that Dover FC have won through to a promotion with six games in hand. I will be receiving a signed shirt from their leading goal scorer. It will look good hanging in the Black-Ice headquarters beside our new Black-Ice framed logo. This logo was supplied by Harry from Colorpak.

Keep an eye on Terry's horse, Amberino, as she attempts to win another big race. She has now won $400,000. Imagine how much it would have won if the jockey knew how to steer it the right way!! Not bad for a nag worth less than $10,000

Rats, Sharks, Jellyfish and Wolves (woff)

The Black-Ice team has just returned from another Rottnest Channel swim. I must
say that this trip just gets better every year. The weather was perfect
and water was beautiful.

The team crammed in four weeks of activity into just over four days . Jonno will be posting photos on the web when he arrives back from Perth late next week. Along with all the swimming photos, we have a special one to add

Anyway, the Rat is the Dutch word for Rott or Rottnest. The Shark was a Hammerhead which Kevin swam over two thirds of the way through the race. The Jellyfish were out there again in force and the Woff was my Hells Angel mate we met in Fremantle. The Woff is the oldest and shortest bikie in the world but he’s still the scariest.

Our team had our slowest time ever because the currents were against us. This didn’t worry us because we had a great time and I didn't want to come home.

I forgot to mention that our training sessions went a little over time but we eventually made it back to our rooms, even though we were on the wrong floor of our hotel….thanks to Harry and Terry.

Special thanks to our great support team with Brian our Skipper, Geoff his assistant
and Jan our Paddler. They were fantastic, and to you, Jan, I have something special in store for you next year! Thanks also to Jan’s husband, Don, for driving the boys around.

I can’t wait until next year and hope we can spend more time in this beautiful city.

At the Friday morning briefing, the race director brought music to our ears when she
told the crowd that any swimmer that wore a WETSUIT would be automatically disqualified.

Well done to Kevin on a great effort in finishing the solo swim for the second consecutive year. It was a good hit out in preparation for this year’s English Channel.

Kevin only needs to complete his eight hour swim on Anzac Day and he’ll be on his way. We’re very confident that he’ll join his fellow Black-Ice members who have
swum the Channel.

Bring on next year’s Rotto swim because Black-Ice would like to enter two teams
and race each over to the island.

Thank you to Alex, Harry, Terry, Jonno, Kevin, Sandra, Brian, Geoff, Jan, Don and the staff at our “team headquarters”, the “Little Creatures” bar.

See you all next year.

Alby

Jennifer Figge.....or Fraud?

I had to laugh the other day when I heard that Jennifer Figge, a 56 year old from Colorado (I know some real marathon legends from Colorado and Jennifer Figge, you are not one of them), swam 2,100 miles across the Atlantic Ocean!

After reading the fine print, it was pointed out that she had swam less than ten percent of the entire distance. It’s amazing how certain so called swimmers talk themselves up. I know quite a few of them.

Firstly. she claims that she did not see a shark on the entire swim. Mind you, it would have been hard when she was sun baking on the back of her catamaran. Even when she did enter the water, she was in a shark cage with a wetsuit on.

Of the 24 days that she sailed across the ocean, she only swam on 19 of them. One time, she was only in the water for 19 minutes, about the time it takes me to have a bath! I don't wear a wet suit when I enter my bath so I do actually get wet.

There have been a lot of e-mails on the English Channel chat site. One in particular, by Cliff Golding, was very funny. He summed up Jennifer Figge’s incredible story quite descriptively.

Of course, there has to be one idiot who believes her swim
should be acknowledged. Yes, it was that serial pest, “Clarke Kent” from Canada, who still wears that chip on his shoulder because he failed in his English Channel attempt. He even called we successful English Channel swimmers snobs!!.

Well Clarke [or is it Rob?, certainly not Superman], we are not snobs.

Mr Kent, I suggest you hook up with Jennifer Figge and compare wet suits. Maybe then you can claim to have crossed the English Channel…….in a plane, of course.

Jennifer Figge’s swim was nearly as good as "Percy McRoberts"
100 long courses at Brighton one winter. A free coffee to anyone who can guess the cryptic clue behind this name.

Here’s a clue: He claims to have swam better than Yvonne across the English Channel which is quite amazing considering he laid on his back the whole way!

The Bloody Big Swim

As I reported last week, that the Black Ice team won the teams event and Jonno Hayward won the solo event at the Bloody Big Swim.

Although two other teams finished ahead of us, under Black Ice rules
(NO WETSUITS), we don't acknowledge cheats or the stupid rules that allow swimmers to compete with wetsuits (mind you, it was about 35 degs!!!).

As I have said many times before, we don’t care if others wear those stupid
Suits, but why isn’t there any acknowledgment for those who swim naturally without the aid of a cheat suit.

In the solo event, there were only four swimmers who swam without
suits and three were from the Black Ice team which includes Paul McQeeney, who has just joined our team from Sydney. Chris Palfrey from Queensland was the other, so well done to those four.

Drafting is another pet hate of mine. It was great to see a certain swimmer
copping his own medicine and spitting his dummy out there. Didn’t he look
a picture in his “tip to toe” designer wetsuit.

It’s funny looking at all the pictures of the swimmers after the race without their wetsuits on .

It’s now off to Rottnest Island in two weeks where we can swim amongst thousands of other swimmers who don't dare wear anything other than official swimming costumes. Hopefully the organisers of Victorian swims will get the message and bring back natural swimming.

For any swimmers out there journeying interstate, please leave your wetsuit behind.

Chloe's Rotto Swim

On Saturday night, after the Black-Ice team wins the mixed team section of the Bloody Big Swim [with Chloe leading off], Chloe will then travel to Perth for her world record attempt at a triple crossing of the Rottnest Channel.

My contacts over in Perth tell me that Monday the third of February is looking really good for her attempt. We all have our fingers crossed and hope she can achieve this incredible feat.

Chloe has already appeared on two radio shows this week and has given the Black-Ice team a good plug. Chloe has also agreed to donate her “Shark Shield” to the Black-Ice team after her triple Rotto swim. It may come in handy when we try the South Channel Island swim, a swim that has been put on hold for three months now due to poor conditions and the limited opportunities in having all our swimmers together at one time.

Last night, the temperature reached 43.5 degrees at 6pm at our beach in Black Rock. This was the second highest temperature recorded in Melbourne's history. Despite the heat, there was a group of 30 to 40 wimps putting on wetsuits for a squad session. It’s bad enough that people wear these cheat suits at any time, let alone on one of the hottest days ever. Don’t wear wetsuits in our town or on our beach.

To all those other tourists who come down and leave cigarette butts on our beautiful beach, I will now be approaching the local council and lobbying to have smoking banned not only on our beach, but all beaches . It was hard enough to breathe in the stifling heat last night, let alone having smoke blown in your face. These pigs then leave their butts in the sand.

If you throw rubbish on the beach, you get fined. These pigs think they can legally butt their cigarettes in the sand. I just don’t get it, just like I don’t get why the wimps wear wetsuits on a 40 degree day .

I bet that the Black-Ice team will be the only swimmers not wearing wetsuits in Saturday’s Bloody Big Swim, which will also be around 40 degrees.

If you wear a wetsuit, you should be put into another category.

Travel up to Sydney and see if you can find anybody wearing a wetsuit in any of their open water swims.

Next time you travel down to the beach, try swimming without your stupid wetsuit and I’m sure you will feel so much better swimming naturally.

I bet you don't turn up to the pool wearing your suit!!

Who cares if it takes another minute or two to complete your swim? At least you’ll know that you’re not cheating and the sharks won’t mistake you for a seal

Bondi, Sydney

I’ve just arrived back from Sydney where I spent my new years holidays in Bondi.

I swam everyday from point to point and I was lucky enough to swim with
the boys from the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club who made me most welcome.

The water was great, the seas calm and no wetsuits in sight.

It was back to Black-Ice this morning. For once it was calm, so I hope to see
all our swimmers back at training after the holidays.

It’s obvious that the people I referred to earlier in regard to those stupid comments on the English Channel chat site have not read my article because when I opened up my e-mail, they were at it again with more stupid comments that embarrass us.

I hope the other chat site members from around the world don't think that we are all like these wankers.

Watch out for the Black-Ice team in the “Bloody Big Swim.” Also, we have again entered the Rotto swim, so see you in the water.

Christmas and New Year

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hopefully a much better one than 2008 for so many reasons but I won't have to state the obvious.

Next year, we have many Black-Ice swimmers attempting some big swims with Chloe's triple Rotto and her double Channel and Kevin's solo Channel attempt just to name a few. I am confident that they'll be successful as they have done the hard work and have the attitude and commitment that is required .

Earlier this year, we had an unsuccessful channel swimmer fail in his attempt for so many reasons. His attempt was best summed up by his observer’s “YouTube” report. The six "P's". “Perfect planning prevents piss poor performance”.

I have mentioned before that this is no walk in the park and unless you have ticked all the boxes, you should not even consider attempting the English Channel. If you say that at least you’ve made an attempt, well that doesn’t sit with me .

Don’t waste your time or money. Besides the swim, it’s just a struggle coming
to terms with living in Dover. When I made my attempt, I struggled for a short period and nothing could get me going until my observer yelled out “Do you want to crawl up in a corner for the rest of your life and make excuses”. This was the best motivation that I’d ever heard. He hit a nerve and had me so fired up, I put my head down and swam another eight hours until I landed in France. It felt like heaven.

See you all early next year as we look forward to the Bloody Big Swim
and the Rotto swim.

P.S

I’ve been reading many of the e-mails sent to the English Channel chat site and although many of the topics of discussion are quite interesting and relevant, I am getting a little bit sick of a few Aussies who make me cringe with some of their stupid comments that embarrass our fellow swimmers . For this reason, I have had to block the site because I am receiving too many ridiculous e-mails from imbeciles.

Talk is cheap, so try swimming more than the length of my bath or shut up.

Merry Christmas and go Dover Football Club who are still on top.

Shark Bait

Black Ice have indirectly made the front page news today with our resident
shark bait member, Yvonne Mooyman, being plucked out of the bay by a helicopter last night after a bronze whaler came within 15 metres of her just off Parkdale beach. This is the second time this has happened to Yvonne . If it's not sharks chasing her, it's those bloody jellyfish she attracts. Hopefully she still has seven lives left. It did not stop her from training again this morning, but she insisted that we stay in close but you know that once you set foot in salt water you are always swimming with sharks.

Thanks to Andy and Janine for putting on a great Christmas party for Black Ice. More thanks to Terry's horse for finally winning, but no one backed it. Dover are still way out on top in the soccer.

Last week the team had a three hour swim at lake Lysterfield in the fresh water with all swimmers complaining of stiff muscles due to the saltless water. Harry is back from his second honeymoon cruise (Which he won. He also picked up the free coffee at Watercress)

The Black Ice name is popping up everywhere with Black Ice beer, condoms, lollies,
music (the new AC-DC album) Swimming Team. So if you can find any more, please e-mail us at our website or at our comments section.

Remember the Black Ice champagne Xmas breakfast in two weeks time at Watercress.

Also thanks to Steve Munatones for accepting Black Ice on his website at www.10Kswimmer.com and joining the swimmers' profile. Many thanks to my English teacher, Kevin Cassidy, for his spelling corrections. I only went to a public school, not the Bluestone College Private School like you, Kevin.

Rotto Swim

Black Ice have been accepted for next years Rotto swim
and our Team of Harry, Terry, Alex, Alby and reserve
Lachie will be back for another swim to the island. Training
will be, as always, at Little Creatures Brewery for some long
sessions.

Hopefully our team mascot, Essy, will be at the Island
to greet the team when we arrive at the Quokka Arms Hotel
for our debriefing.

Also Sandra was the winner of the coffee at Watercress today with the final going into round three.

Due to the strong winds, yet again, the South Channel Island
swim was postponed but we have not thrown in the towel. It's
been an exciting week swimming with shark sightings and
lightning which forced us out of the water. The good news
is that there have been no jellyfish.

Open water swimmer of year

Voting has just started for the male and female open water swimmer of the year.

You can register your vote on www.10Kswimmer.com and for the females there
is only one girl that stands out above the pack: Penny Palfrey, who has appeared
this year on swimmers' profile.

Penny's achievements this year have been outstanding and currently she is running second in the voting, so come on fellow Black-Ice members, get behind Penny and support a true Champion.

For the males, I can't go passed the Dutch Olympic champion, Maarten Van Der Weijden .

Swimming With Sharks

Last night at work, I was signing up a new client and he asked me
if we have ever come across sharks while we are swimming. I told him of a few incidents over the years but no sightings recently.

Anyway, at the end of our early morning swim today we were about
30 metres from shore and in the corner of my eye I spotted a shark. He was only two feet long and I think we scared him more than he scared us. He did not seem to mind
as I grabbed him by the tail . It's amazing what you see in the water but it did not get any better than this morning at our beach in Black Rock.

This weeks winner of the free coffee at Watercress was Terry O'Brien.
It has only occurred to me that people have been writing comments
beside my rants, so I am sorry for not replying. I will from now
on but some have remained anonymous.

For Eddy, who ever you are, you can purchase Black Ice gear without being a fully fledged member. Just e-mail us your details and I will see what we can do for you.

To the other anonymous comment who asked me to write more because
the world was waiting , if you were to give me an indication of what you
would like me to discuss, I would be more than happy to accomadate.

Back To Headquarters

Black- Ice were back training at Black Rock today and will be for the next six months.

We have two new members swimming with us in Chloe and Bardy who have both set the bar very high. Bardy is attempting to become the oldest Aussie
to swim the Channel but he will have to wait a few years until he turns 67
years of age. Chloe who will attempt a double crossing of the Channel
next year to become only the second Aussie (along with Susie Maroney who still
holds the world record). Chloe is also planning to become the first
person, male or female, to swim Rotto three ways and we believe it has only been
done as a two-way by three swimmers. Good luck to Chloe as she will be in good hands
with Brian Taylor as her pilot. Brian and his crew have taken many Black Ice swimmers across to Rotto.

The Black Ice team were back to the favorite restaurant, The Watercress, with our host, Rebecca, offering a free coffee to the winner of our weekly question which was won by Jonno who guessed Rebecca's age!!

Any members who want cheap fuel, please see Kevin for more
details.

Next weeks question is name the song by the group Skyhooks
which has something in common with a dud swimmer today?

No, only joking, because I bet Kevin will text me with the answer before next Saturday.

Has Terry O'Brien found his keys yet? Did he swim back to Elwood to find them and my
Vaseline.

Will Angus Young of AC\DC swap his schoolboy outfit for some speedo's and join the real Black-Ice tour down at Black Rock where we sing underwater?

South Channel Swim

Due to strong winds, the Black Ice team have called off the South Channel Island Swim
but we will be back next weekend for another crack. Instead, the team swam
from Elwood back to Brighton Baths for our last Saturday swim before returning to Black Rock for the summer.

The Artist

On Thursday night, the Black Ice team were invited to the Ho Gallery
(www.hogallery.com/) to view the fantastic works of Jonno Hayward.

Jonno also designed our website, so it was not a surprise
to witness Jonno's other talent .

Check out this website or even travel down to St Kilda to see Jonno's art on display .

Black Ice will be back to Black Rock on Saturday November 1st for the start of our summer training.

Bad news this week, with Dover getting knocked out of the FA Cup third
round rematch, losing to Wimbledon 2-0 . I thought Wimbledon was a tennis club
but not to worry because Dover is still on top of their group and heading
for promotion.

Today's tip is race 10, No 2, Amberino at Caulfield so get on
Terry's horse.

South Channel Island Swim

In about a month or so, the Black Ice team will attempt the South Channel Island swim in Port Phillip Bay. It's a man made island built over one hundred years ago to protect the entrance to Port Phillip Bay from other countries invading Melbourne.

We will attempt to swim the from the island and hope land somewhere along the shores of Sorrento. We believe this swim has never been attempted and although it's only about six kms, the strong tides may cause some concerns.

We will be following the boat and staying as one tight bunch with about ten swimmers. The island is next to Mud Island which is the breeding ground for Bronze Whaler Sharks. With that in the back of our minds, this makes the swim more exiting. Hopefully, we'll have the story and photos up soon, weather permitting.

You can google search the island and measure the distance of the swim but with the tides, who knows where we will finish.

North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club

We are happy to announce that the North Surf Lifesaving Club
are to add Black Ice to their links. Hopefully, we will have some
type of reciprocal rights with this great club. Warwick, who
is one of our interstate Black Ice members is also a member at North Bondi.
Also, I believe that the observer on John Jameson's recent attempt across the Channel was posted on You Tube. Google search it and it plays for about three minutes. It has an interesting finish.

After 133 years, the 1,000th person successfully crossed the English
Channel. I have been reading a lot of the failed swimmers excuses and, once
again, the majority of them said they didn't have enough body fat.

When attempting the English Channel or any other distance swim, you must cover every
base and listen to the experts. Gather every bit of information you can get.
Work on your weaknesses, whether it's bilateral breathing, swimming at night, your body weight or feeding etc......don't leave a stone unturned. Always keep
plenty in reserve just in case you miss the tide or you have an injury.

I always say, the first question people ask is "Did you make it"? not what time you
swam. If it takes another hour or so, big deal. It's only one day in your life.

It's just like going to school and learning for a few years then sitting that final
exam. It's no different with swimming long distances, you must be PREPARED

NO EXCUSEs, it's you verses the water.

P.S Dover are on top of the ladder and have made it to the third round of the FA cup, so get on board and support The Whites.

Birthdays and Babys

Happy 50th birthday to Andrew Nissen and congratulations to Laura Hanson on the safe arrival of her third son, Lars.

I first met Laura in 2002 in Dover while supporting my brother Peter for his channel attempt while Laura was supporting Voni Oerman. We made a pact to come back together and swim the Channel solo in 2003 which we both did, but not at the same time due to business commitments.

CSA vs CSPF

Earlier on, I spoke about why I would recommend the CSPF ahead of the CSA. There are many reasons, but the one that really annoys me is that the CSA do not recognise the CSPF swims even though the CSPF recognises both organizations.

The CSPF are there for the swimmers. Whether they swim with either group, they recognise any swimmer that swims the English Channel within the rules. So try telling me or any other swimmer that has swam with the CSPF that our swims don't count.

As long as they stick to the rules and don't allow wetsuits, I couldn't care less. I hope somebody from the CSA reads this because I would be happy to discuss the matter. I don't like hearing people telling me that you will not be recognised if you swim with the CSPF.

I was even told by the CSA that if you swim the Channel, you could sign your name on the wall at the White Horse Pub. Well, when I told them that this tradition was started by my brother and myself, they thought I was pulling their legs.

Just have a look at their fleet of boats and you would swear that one of them was the SS Minnow!!

Heading Home

Last night I arrived in Holland for a few days rest before heading home via Tokyo .

Andrew, Karl, Noel and myself travelled together to Heathrow and then all went our separate ways . I think John will spend a few days resting in London with his girlfriend before heading back.

Overall the trip was disappointing in regards to the weather and the amount of swimmers that failed in their attempts.

For all swimmers considering swimming the Channel, I have now seen how the two organisations operate. I must say that the CSPF are head and shoulders above the CSA. There is no way I would recommend the CSA.

I am looking forward to swimming with all our Black Ice members later on this week and I have some good stories to tell under the cone of silence.

P.S. Well done to Toby, the American girl, who made it in around 13 hours. I am looking forward to finding out who else made it across while we were in transit.

The End

Unfortunately, John’s journey in the Channel ended after six hours and we are now packing up for home.

There is not much good news to report, other than the fact we are leaving Dover, hopefully for the last time until the next time!

At Last

In about one hours time, John will head off on his journey.

Good luck, John.

Update

Six hours into Toby’s swim and she has just reached the half way mark which puts her on 12 to 13 hour pace. That gives us little chance of John getting an 11.30 pm start tonight.

We would miss the tide by about one to two hours so the likely scenario would be for John to start at 9.30 am tomorrow. This means he loses his crew and he swims on the spring tide, but tomorrow is the pick of the day in terms of the whole time spent in this place.

Once again, we are waiting here bored s...less with nothing to do but play silly little games.

Our B&B hosts cooked me a special breakfast today. Well at least I thought it was until I put my spoon into i . It looked like cake with waffles on top to represent the Sydney Harbour Bridge but underneath the crust was England’s best dish - yes - baked beans .

They took a photo of me at the moment I exposed this meal and much to the delight of al,l I was conned, but Alby will have his revenge.

They call baked beans the English cavier: I have just run out of space......

Next in line

Finally, after two long weeks, about 10 boats left Dover for Frogland and John has a slim chance to go late tonight or tomorrow morning. It is more than likely to be in the morning which is fine, but his crew will be packing to head off home. In the event that John leaves in the morning, I have organised a back up support crew so he should be OK.

Noel left today to help support the American, Vince, because he also has run out of time. We are heading to the supermarket shortly to buy John’s food and anything else he needs for his attempt.

This morning, I met Charlie on the beach and he will make his attempt in the morning. Finally Black Ice have met a swimmer who has also climbed Mt Everest and he has agreed to be interviewed on swimmers profile. It will be very exciting to hear what he has to say because I have been asked many times by people which of the two is harder. Finally we will have the answer. We will receive regular updates during the day so I will try to keep everybody informed .

Slim Chance

Tomorrow is the last day of John’s window and the American girl, Toby, who is No. three, has chosen to start her swim at 8.30 am on Thursday. If she can swim it in less than 10 hours, there will be enough time for John to head off late in the evening, but if she doesn't come back in time, John will have to wait until the following morning to start his swim without his crew and on a spring tide .

We are all booked to head home and he is cutting it fine. It looks like an uphill battle. The weather has been terrible with strong winds and heavy rain and adding in the Dover factor, it hasn't been much fun.

It’s been great to have Andrew, Carl and Noel to keep me company and to keep me sane. You can't get your hopes up around here because that wind just keeps coming back, so fingers crossed that there is still a little light in the tunnel .

Alby

P.S Terry: Dover won’t win the World Cup, but they might win the FA Cup

Dover 1 - Margate 0

Once again, the weather has let us down with little hope of getting a start before Thursday . We still have an American girl in front of us and Thursday looks the more likely day. That leaves us with no time left.

On a positive note yesterday, our team, Dover, got up over arch rivals, Margate, 1 – 0.

After searching all over Dover for nearly two weeks, we have found a restaurant that passes the test. In fact, we gave them a tip and it was actually money.

We met some Japanese swimmers on the beach and after a brief conversation we realised they we part of the six man Nippon Team we had met in 2001 . They gave us these good luck charms and then met us for a drink at the White Horse pub. This was quite funny considering that there is not much to laugh about in Dover.

Fingers crossed that the weather might change because it has been quite nerve racking for John sitting around waiting for his call up.

We have to thank Alistair, who has been kind enough to drive we boys around and Betty for letting me cook my own non greasy breakfast this morning.

This town is starring to rub off on Andrew because he has become a regular drunk at the White Horse pub. He is thinking of setting up one of his My-Size stores here in Dover because he would make a killing with all the large girls.

Sunday

Today, I took John and Noel to Shakespeares beach for a swim. If we do get a start at night, at least we have some photos of the starting point.

Once again, the weather was terrible but it was good to leave Dover for a few hours. The weather doesn't look good for the next few days and if we get a start, it might be on the last day.

John is number four and number three still hasn't swam, so we have to sit tight and find ways to amuse ourselves which is pretty hard in Dover. The local soccer team is playing tomorrow, so we are all off to support them.

Last night in the White Horse pub, a few solo swimmers signed their names on the wall which was great. The locals seem to think that Anne Cleveland was the first to sign the wall but I soon put them straight and told them that it was my brother Peter. I am going to put a little note to that effect beside his name.

One travel tip when coming to Dover is that you have to set your watches back 25 years.

Finally we are back on

Sorry to all Black Ice members for not reporting updates on John’s progress. This computer has gone on strike for the last few days. The weather has turned around and there have been a few swimmers out in the last few days. With a bit of luck John might be off by Monday but more than likely, Tuesday.

Yesterday, I took Andrew and Carl to Canterbury. I must say it was a relief to finally eat some real food and enjoy our walk around this beautiful city.

I am sorry, Terry and Warwick, for not replying to your calls but the water is 17 degrees and I have run out of credits on my Dover phone.

Today we went for a walk to Shakespeares beach where most solo swimmers leave. I must say it brought back some great memories.

If you were to sum up Dover, I would say that its the only port in the world where people refuse to leave the ship on their day pass. I dare Gordon Ramsay to come and eat in Dover but a one legged frog would have a better chance of walking through the dessert than Gordon finding a half decent meal, but we have not given up yet.

Dover is playing Margate on Monday and I will be taking the boys, so we are off to the local tattoo parlour then off to pick up our supporter membership kits. Ten pounds gets you entry to the ground plus three darts, one razor blade and two flick knives.

This place is so tough, even the sun is to scared to come out. The local barmaid told me she prefers to put her beach towel on the rocky beach than on a sandy beach.

Don't ask me why, but I still love Dover.


P.S Alistair (Our B&B host): Baked beans on toast is not caviar

Wind and Rain

There is not much to report over the last few days except for wind and rain,. The weather has been terrible and England has recorded their highest rainfall in August on record.

Today, Andrew arrives and we will get stuck into some swimming with John, who is going well considering the poor weather.

Hopefully, solo swimmers will be off this weekend and fingers crossed that John might get a start early in the week seeing that he is No. four. I am heading off for a swim now with John, then I will meet Andrew at the station.

Monday Rain

Andrew has just texted me and is preparing to leave for sunny old Dover. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he arrives from Toorak.

Dover FC are playing at home again this Saturday and I can't wait for kick off , I'm even going to get some tats on my forearms so as to fit in with the supporters.

Sunday

Last night, John finally arrived and he was straight into a night swim. I met him after the soccer game in Dover (Dover 4 - Harrow 0). It was a great game and the locals didn't let me down.

This morning we did a 2&1/2 hr swim and John pulled up well.

While we are on the subject, I was having my typical English brekkie when this lady asked if she could join me . After a brief conversation, she told me she was getting married at lunch time in Dover and I decided to attend. Well what else do you do in sunny old Dover on a Saturday afternoon? I didn't think people in Dover still got married!

She was 48 and he looked like about 60. Imagine an old Mr. Bean and his girlfriend. I was waiting for this Mini to arrive and whisk them off to a honeymoon retirement village.

Saturday the 16th of August

Yesterday, 12 swimmers were sent out at 9.00am on what seemed a beautiful day.

Only a few hours into the swim, the weather changed. As a result, there were only two successful swimmers. One was attempting a double only to be pulled out four miles from the English coast on her return.

I went for an early morning walk yesterday and ran into a swimmer preparing for his attempt. This morning, I was told he made it in 17 hours, so well done to Tom Hudson from London.

John Jameson arrives this afternoon from Paris. After he checks into his room, he will be straight in for a night swim. I went for a beer last at the White Horse pub and it was great to see all the Channel Swimmers’ names on the wall. After a chat with Jill the publican, she told me the walls were running out of space so the relays will be scraped to make way for future solo swimmers.

It would not be a problem, but some teams have taken up half the ceiling space and ruined it for the other swimmers.

I am now heading off to see Dover play soccer .

John Jameson's Channel Attempt

I arrived in Dover yesterday without my luggage. After nearly three days in the same clothes, my suitcase has just arrived.

John called me today and he will be in Dover tomorrow night to start some serious training.

I will not be answering my phone. For updates, read on or call Virginia. I have just purchased a throw away mobile for my stay in Dover :07508886277 Don’t ask me what numbers you need to put in front of this to reach me in England.

Now that I have my suitcase, I can charge my new camera and hopefully learn how to install photos on our site.

The weather has been very poor in Dover for the last few weeks but today has been good enough for a few solo attempts. About five hours into their swims, the wind has picked up so it will be interesting to see how they fare.

Terry: I’m sorry I have not answered your question on the water temp but I have only just found my swimming gear. Tomorrow, I will be in for my first dip and then have an answer.

Jenny and Pete from Hubert House send on their regards, as have Alistair from Churchill House.

The Channel Journey of John Jameson

Finally, I am off to England and waiting at the airport bored out of my brain.

Sometimes this flight seems just as hard as the swim. I will be keeping regular updates on John's progress every few days or when I find the time. I will try to post photos as well, but only if I can work out how to use my new camera on the plane.

It was good to have my last swim at the baths last night with Terry, Andrew, Kevin and love bite one lap Lachie.

This morning, I collected a small black rock from our beach and I am hoping to place this on a French beach when John lands. See you in Dover....

Drafting

Drafting is another technique used by some swimmers that really annoys me.

Recently, it was used by a swimmer to win a prestigious swim and that amounts to
nothing more than cheating.

At the end of the day, you are racing against yourself but there is nothing worse than having some one on your toes getting a free ride.

Most sports have referees to weed out cheats. In swimming, people
seem to take it for granted (wet suits and drafting). For these reasons, I don't
bother with these events.

Swimmers Profile'

“Swimmers’ Profile” has been very successful and Black Ice has some very exciting guests
coming soon, including the likes of Phil Rush, Murphy Renford (son of Aussie icon, Des)
Susie Maroney, John Jameson, Nick Adams and Paul Ellercamp [the man behind Oceanswims.com. Like all Black Ice members, Paul he has a zero tolerance to wet suits.

I regularly travel up to Sydney and swim with Paul in events along the NSW coast and the one thing that I notice is that in Sydney, nobody wears wetsuits. When I come home to Melbourne, more than 90% of swimmers have wetsuits on.

I have written to some of the organisers, but they don't seem to get it.

By all means, wear your suits but have a special category for natural swimmers. It’s funny how the Point Leo swim on Boxing Day allows swimmers to wear suits, but to win the major prize, they invite the top 10 swimmers to a shoot out with winner takes all, but no suits to be worn in the final.

I ask these swimmers why? Nine times out of ten, the answer is because they’ll get a faster time.

Imagine if all Olympic swimmers turned up in wetsuits. They would all be disqualified and laughed at.

I don't get it, so don't bother sending me an entry form to any Melbourne swims. Instead, head up to Sydney.

Remember, Black Ice has only won rule : NO WET SUITS. If you see me in the
water and you are wearing a wetsuit, then swim the other way.

If there is anybody that you would like to see on “Swimmers’ Profile”, please write to Black Ice .

I will never forget training at Dover a few years ago when a group of swimmers, supporting a solo swimmer from the US, turned up to the beach wearing bomber jackets with “Only tough guys swim to France” embroided on them. I had to laugh when they all pulled out their wetsuits and wondered just how tough they were or how they had just embarrassed their swimmer.

Next day he was pulled out of the channel after six hours and I didn't see those “tough guys” anymore.

Black Ice full member

Congratulations to Andrew Nissan for completing the one hour long course swim last Saturday.
Under the club rules, he becomes a full member of Black Ice.

Andrew joined our group last October and is training for the English Channel in 2010. Well done Andrew and keep up the training.

Andrew will also be travelling with me to England in August to assist John Jameson’s attempt and gain some experience himself for his attempt in 2010.

Signing the wall at the White Horse Pub Dover

In 2001, my younger brother Peter and myself swam a double relay with Team Extreme. After this swim, we decided to come back in 2002 for Peter’s solo attempt. In return, he would help me with my solo attempt in 2003.

In 2002, we stayed at Hubert House next door to the recently renovated White Horse Pub. The White Horse pub was built in 1365, making it the third eldest pub in England. We spent many hours there in training for our swims.

Peter Harrison was the publican and after many pints consumed there with Peter and other swimmers, including Rick Oerman [husband of Voni, first Colorado solo swimmer).

Peter Harrison said it would be a great honour if Peter could sign the wall of his newly renovated Pub opposite the side door after his attempt.

Peter kept his promise on the proviso that I do it the following year, which I did, and I signed the wall under Peter’s name in 2003. We were the first Aussie brothers to do this.

I will post photos later with the first signing. We can't believe how many people have since signed the wall and we are proud to have started this tradition.

I have to mention the other three swimmers who signed the wall after Peter. Anne Cleveland, Jim Balyes and Voni Oerman. The pub is running out of space on the wall but one that makes me laugh is the guy that did the crossing in 90 mins by way of the ferry.

I hope to be back in August this year with John Jameson who I am training with the help of other Black Ice members. It would be a great thrill to see him add his name to the wall.

Albert (alby) Bardoel

Saturday 10th May

Today is my first report on our new web site created by Jonno Hayward.

Thanks to Harry for naming our swim group.

Our club training has just moved back to the Brighton Baths (check training times) for the next six months. We have a new swimmer from Brisbane, John Jameson, who has just completed his eight hour swim with the Black Ice team at Black Rock beach on Anzac Day.

He passed with flying colours and he is ready to swim the English Channel in late August. Hopefully, I will be there with him for his attempt. John is training hard and is raising money for Cystic Fibrosis.

Unfortunately for John, he has only been granted an associate membership to Black Ice because he hasn't completed our one hour swim at 10 degrees or less at the Brighton Baths. Come down to Melbourne soon ,John (water temperature is 13 degrees now on 10-05-08).

Hopefully, I can add some photos soon when somebody can teach me how to use the computer. Black Ice members were issued with there swim kits today and I'm hoping Jonno can display these items and prices on the site soon.

Remember our club rules - NO WETSUITS.

- Would you climb Mount Everest in a helicopter?
- Ride the Tour De France on a motorbike?
- Sail the world in a motorboat;
- Or run a marathon in your car??

Of course not.

Albys first cold water tip:

Just before you enter the cold water, think about your marriage and tell me which one is colder !!!

P.S. Happy birthday to Lachie who turns 21 this week.

Next on Alby’s page will be how the signing of the wall at the famous White Horse Pub started...