Pier to Pier Swim Will Return in August
May 26, 2021 10:14AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
The finish line at the 2019 Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim
Swimmers, get your caps and goggles ready: Registration has opened for the 2021 Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim, which will take place on August 1.
Online registration for the swim is available at https://www.surffestival.org/swim.
Entry fees for the swim are $50 from now until
June 30 and $60 from July 1 until the registration deadline on
July 18th.
Last year's swim was canceled for the first time in 58 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, any contestant who did not swim the previous year must pass a
500-meter "check out" ocean swim test. This year, any contestant who did not complete the
2019 race must do the "check out" test.
Swim "check outs" will be held at the
Hermosa Beach Pier on July 10, 18, and 19 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Decisions of lifeguards at "check out" are final.
The swim will once again be conducted in three heats. All males in the Swimsuit Division will start in the first heat at
9:00 a.m.; all females in the Swimsuit Division and all females in the Wetsuit Division will start in the second heat at 9:05
a.m.; and all males in the Wetsuit Division will start in the third heat at 9:10 a.m.
While vaccination from the COVID virus is not a requirement to
participate in the swim, it is highly recommended to help prevent the
spread of COVID. Swimmers will be required to complete a personal pre-race health checklist before the swim.
Additional race information is available on the FAQ page.
If you're not a swimmer but you're interested in helping out, send an email to [email protected].
Pier to Pier Swim History
The Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim is one of the most popular long
distance
swims in the United States, with approximately 1200 participants per year.
Swimmers enter the water south of the Hermosa Beach Pier, swim around
the pier parallel to shore, then round the Manhattan Beach Pier and finish on the beach north of the Manhattan Beach Pier.
Legendary lifeguard Dwight Crum served as the first chairman of the International Surf Festival when it was created in 1963, and held this position for 15 years. The Pier-to-Pier Swim was one of the original International Surf Festival events and has been conducted for 56 consecutive years since. The race was named after Crum in 1972 in recognition of his contributions to the festival. He was especially known for leading the race start, running over and grabbing his swim cap, and joining the race himself. He competed in the race numerous times, including his last swim at age 72. Crum passed away in 2000 at the age of 77. His son Gary, himself a decorated lifeguard, is currently the chairman of the race.
The Pier-to-Pier Swim is part of the International Surf Festival, which will take place over July 28-August 1. More information about additional events will be released as those details are finalized.
