It’s the last day of 2014 and a big day at the B&B swim! Loads of swimmers trying it for the first time, two of our favourite ‘Slow and Steadies’ (sorry Lips and Ted), swimming their 1000 kilometres and the final of the speedsters, ‘Triple Crown’!
For me apart from the sunrise and the Manly beach views, the pre swim fun starts when I hear the excitement from swimmers in the Surf Club loos , Amy to Meg from Blacktown, “Santa got me a wet suit for Chrissy!”
We love to see new family groups at the B & B.
Talking of which my gorgeous son Charlie swam today with his friend Jack!
Steve, Brad and Jane discuss tactics for the “Triple Crown Challenge”. It is the final swim leg today and the speedsters are in fine form. Jane hopes to be wearing the crown on the podium. (She’s the only one in her age group as Wilf is a bit under the weather.)
Two inspiring swimmers, Ros and Merilee. Ros is an acclaimed Lecturer and author and Merilee is a Naturopath and Chinese Herbalist who has recently moved from Bayview to Manly. See her for magic potions!
Things are ramping up as hundreds of B & B head down the ramp to get their final dose of Vitamin Sea for 2014.
Everyone was so scattered at the point today without John Kelly or Ian to pull us in to line.
I climbed a few rocks to get these views of you all arriving at Shelly!
Ted and Lips aka Rainer meet up to call the ‘Let’s Go’. They have fulfilled their lifelong dream of swimming 1000 kms with the Bold and Beautiful and will even get a badge!
The speedsters race back to Manly to see who will win the Triple Crown Challenge!
This is Karen… My B&B Star of the Day. She not only helped me with the blog today, she is always happy, friendly and inspiring and has just had a book published, ‘Ageing Fearlessly’, (something we at the B&B all know a lot about), launching in March!
Mike’s wife Louise also got a wettie from Santa for Christmas and has finally swam 2 days in a row!
Matteus from Italy was first in to the beach. He recently came 6th in the World Championships 5km swim.
I think Swedish Sarah is the winner of the regular swimmers!
Here they all are, the Speedsters. I’m sure Tim will give a full round up of the challenge on his blog tomorrow.
Lips says, “Did is de orkword momentt ven I arrive and die velcom arch is not reddy…”
…He didn’t wait too long. We get out the sashes, tiara, hat, flowers and pimp cane for the legends!
Jane sneaks in a little pinch of Lips’s bottom…
and someone pokes a rod between Lips’s legs…
The winners!!!
The water is getting clearer and a catfish, wobbegong and eagle ray were seen today too.
A B&B blog isn’t complete without a couple of dogs. Oompah and Tui stealing my Santa hat last week!
If you’ve never done an actual organised ocean swim before or would like to give another one a go please register for the first Can Too ocean swim in conjunction with Manly Surf Life Saving Club on Jan 11th. There’s going to be a few different swims, Parent/child swim, 800 metre and 1.5 km.
Manly Can Too Ocean Swim
Sunday Jan 11th
Enter this event now… Click here
Just a few B&B 2015 Calendars available!
Pick up one of the few remaining brilliant 2015 calendars for just $15!!
The B&B Calendar is the perfect way to keep track of important dates like summer swims, badge ceremonies, start of the winter swims…. You can pick one up at the swim (cash only), or online – Click here – with an option to have it posted or collected from Ian.
Summer Swims
The 6km swims – depending on conditions – run each Saturday in summer. They usually follow on from the 7 am Shelly swim with a gathering then northward haul from The Point. Keep an eye on the blog for the next date for the 10km swim. John always welcomes a few volunteers to help as support crew so please let him if you can help. Watch this space for updates.
Staying safe
Remember that there are no badges for scaring yourself silly! While it is great to extend your boundaries, it is important to know your limits. Also if you have a bit more experience, keep an eye out for new swimmers who might need company. Do read these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf. To read, or even download, click here.
The Stats
Regulars: 280 and counting. . .
Newbies: only 52!!! (Thank you so much to Anne and Jill for all their work with this!)
Temp: 21.5
Sunrise: 5.47am
Sunset: 8.07pm
Have a fantastic New Years Eve and a wonderful 2015! Remember you can never start a day off any better than with a B&B swim. You will feel on a high for the rest of the day and it is sooo good for us! Make 2015 the year you swim with us even more!
love and hugs
Lainey loo aka E-laine (with Stirling’s gorgeous Jono)
24 comments
Mary
31/12/2014 at 11:58 am
Lainey, thank you for a beautiful blog to finish off the year.
Congrats to Ted and Lips. Wonderful achievement!!
Happy and safe new year to everyone.
Snorkles aka cover girl
31/12/2014 at 12:22 pm
Congrats Elaine on a great blog.You captured the fun really well today.
So much pink worn today, I love the photos of Lips and Tedley – congrats to you both. Tedley will accept his accomplishment quietly, whereas Lips will want a plaque made and placed next to the new digital clock!
Second photo in – Shaun is that you trying to outdo your own FB mugshot from the other day?
Happy new year to all the swimmers (and blog readers too!)
Jane
31/12/2014 at 12:26 pm
Fabulous Blog Lainey-Loo! I didn’t see ANY of those fishes – great spotting and lovely photos.
Many congratulations to Lips and Tedley – you look SO lovely in your finery. But just don’t get too close to me on the PC or I might be forced to do a double or two and you’ll feel so guilty.
Jo
31/12/2014 at 12:27 pm
Lovely blog to finish the year. Morning well captured Lainey.
ros ex
31/12/2014 at 12:45 pm
Cracker photos of Tedley and Rainer: what a fab couple!
Shelly
31/12/2014 at 12:53 pm
Best blog of the year Lainey -Loo !
Tiara-Ted ‘ N’ Pink bits Lips make a happy couple !
Nice you managed to get a great shot of you in with the TCC.
Cya all
Shelly
xo
Lips
31/12/2014 at 1:12 pm
Great blog Lainey!
I’m glad Ted and I hand-picked you to cover our ‘big day’. Special thanks to Jo and Shaun who joined me for a rather choppy bolder-shelly this morning!
Oh yes.. And congrats Scotty on today’s win and Brad on taking the trophy home.
Elizabeth X
31/12/2014 at 1:18 pm
Just LOVE the awesome grimacing photobomb from DWSS – a real candidate for photobomb of the year sneaked in at the very last swim of the year. Big congrats to Teddles & Lips and well done to Brad who just slipped home for a triple crown win after a triple heat for this Triple Crown – with Scotty & the Spaniard. Brad won on the countback apparently.
Great blog Lainey excellent comments about how good the morning swims are as a way to start the day and I particularly like the concept of “Vitamin Sea”.
Happy New Year to all. Highlight of my 2014 ? No contest: definitely joining the B&B, daylight second.
Peter Anthony
31/12/2014 at 1:29 pm
Great job Rainer & Ted…you are living legends
JeffwithaJ
31/12/2014 at 1:39 pm
Bright, bubbly blog Lainey! Fab fotos of friends Lips and Ted who are now B&B royalty. All hail their achievement. Thanks Lainey for being such a positive B&Ber and a fun blogger all year!
Lesbubles
31/12/2014 at 1:53 pm
A passing tourist was very impressed by our celebrating a gay wedding in such an open and accepting manner… Of course I corrected them and told them it was just the latest 1000km badge winners…
Snorkles
31/12/2014 at 1:57 pm
Well Ted is, I’m not so sure about those Lips!
DWSS
31/12/2014 at 2:25 pm
Great blog Lainey! Captured the day perfectly.
Congratulations Ted for joining the ranks of legend. This is an amazing achievement and the accolades
you receive are well deserved. I bow in respect.
Lips, hasn’t someone done 2000km already?
DWSS
31/12/2014 at 2:27 pm
Thank you Xgirl. I’ll take that award!
Your blogs were one of this years highlights for the BandB.
DWSS
31/12/2014 at 2:40 pm
Oh, I thought that was what was hap…. Doesn’t matter.
DWSS
31/12/2014 at 2:44 pm
Just between you and me Snorkles, Lippy told me how great it feels to be a 1000k legend.
He thought I understated the feeling and he was surprised how superior he now feels to other swimmers. Definitely a legend above the people.
Lainey Loo
31/12/2014 at 3:03 pm
Bahaha! Thanks folks for your lovely comments and the funny ones! A gay wedding indeed Lesbubbs! i thought Lips should wear the tiara because of his lady legs but Ted kinda grabbed it… Thanks so much for such a fun year everyone. Well done Scotty, the quiet achiever, sorry i didn’t mention you. And Yes EliZABeth’s blogs were definitely the most inspiring, humbling,thoughtful blogs of the year xx
Elizabeth
31/12/2014 at 3:44 pm
Happy new year to all. I am so thankful for BB in my life and looking forward to MORE SWIMMING in 2015
HRH (akaPauline)
31/12/2014 at 3:46 pm
awesome effort Lips and Ted on your 1000 km, congratulations. Fantastic blog Lainy-loo, loving the pink parade:)
Andrew Stainer
31/12/2014 at 4:56 pm
Happy New Year to everyone …
I am contemplating an attempt at my first 6km swim for the ‘6km summer badge’ on Saturday the 10th Jan (smooth conditions permitting). Just wondering if any other (reasonably slow & steady) swimmers will be doing the 6km on the 10th, in which case I would love to join. Just let me know.
Many thanks and best wishes, Andrew (andrew.stainer@carters-hill.com … best to respond by email if that’s ok)
Bernhard
31/12/2014 at 5:14 pm
Rainer, I remember when we did our first 6k swim together in December last year, you earned the 500k badge. Now, 12 months later, the 1,000k badge. This is a truly memorable achievement. Keep up that pace, and you will become serious competition to John Bond. Congrats to Ted too.
Wish I could have celebrated with you today, but I am currently enjoying Winter holidays in Europe. Still missing the swims and B&B companionship though.
Claudia
31/12/2014 at 9:18 pm
Great blog Elaine! Congratulations to Ted, Rainer and Brad!! Great achievements and an awesome way to finish the year! 🙂 I wish I had swum with you today. Miss you guys! Greetings from snowy Switzerland. Wish everyone a bold and beautiful 2015!!
Claudia
31/12/2014 at 9:21 pm
Lol
LSA aka HKTQ
01/01/2015 at 12:43 am
The Teddy-Lips show looks like it was a great one…. would have loved to have joined in the B’elly swim and celebrations but getting used to Ho Chi Minh-traffic-chaos-exercise and very large gatherings for our all-day Buddhist discussions here instead….I’m actually beginning to have days when i’m not dreaming about the surf at last!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all from Jon & I.