In its 95th year, Oceanside Pier Swim continues to draw hundreds of competitors (original) (raw)

The competitive spirit of 23-year-old Veronika Divis, an NCAA triathlon national title holder, was on display when she exited the ocean in her yellow swimsuit and pink swim cap during the Oceanside Pier Swim on Labor Day.

The Point Loma resident has participated in the event, a 1-mile swim around the now-fire-damaged pier at the foot of Pier View Way, since she was 10. On Monday, she was the first woman to cross the finish line — completing the race in 19 minutes, 6 seconds — but she undersold the achievement as a nice way to start her day.

“I wasn’t really expecting anything,” Divis said. “I was mostly just doing it for fun. My friend is in town. We were roommates together at college. So just to be here with her … it was fun to get to do it with a friend this year.”

A Labor Day tradition for 95 years, this year’s pier swim drew around 400 amateur and competitive swimmers, from pre-teens to octogenarians, for a beloved community event that held extra significance.

“It was a big ‘if’ if it was going to happen this year,” said event organizer Sabrina Houston.

In April, a blaze destroyed two buildings at the end of the Oceanside Municipal Pier. The fire created an element of uncertainty. Ultimately, the bell-shaped course, which starts on the beach south of the pier and ends on the beach north of the pier, was deemed safe enough for swimmers.

Houston, who took over hosting duties this year as part of the Oceanside Masters Swim Club, made it a point to acknowledge the blaze on the event T-shirt, which features a charred pier.

Male swimmers in the under-50 age group get ready for the start of the pier swim. (John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Swimmers were met with excellent conditions. They started at 8:30 a.m., entering the ocean in staggered intervals based on age and gender. The water temperature was 72 degrees at the start of the race and the ocean swell was calm. But nerves still rippled throughout the crowd.

“I don’t get nervous because of the ocean. I get nervous because it’s a race,” said Oceanside resident Dawn Wood, who was competing for first place in the over-50 bracket alongside her friends, Nancy Chennell, Dan Polder and Joel West.

Although the pier swim is not a qualifying event, many of the athletes embrace the community event as a way to test their abilities — or simply beat their loved ones for bragging rights.

“She’s going to try to pass her family members,” West said of his 26-year-old daughter Katy before the race.

Katy, a competitive swimmer in high school, traveled from Dallas with her fiancé for the pier swim and was angling to finish ahead of him and her dad.

South Oceanside resident and frequent surfer Jesse Simmers, 49, keeps coming back to the pier swim more for the post-event euphoria than the competition, although his time has improved considerably over the past eight years.

Liz Marallo, left, of San Diego and Edwin Gonzalez of Oceanside share a moment after meeting for the first time. Both fell within the same span of time at the finish of the 95th Annual Oceanside Pier Swim. Gonzalez admitted he almost quit because his goggles wouldn’t seal properly, and Marallo added, “I’m just happy ’cause I’m old and I finished.” (John Gastaldo /For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

“The first time I did it, it took me 55 minutes. Then last year I did it in 34,” he said. “I love the ocean. … And it feels like, when you leave this beach and get to that beach after swimming a mile, it feels like a really big accomplishment. It feels good.”

This year’s fastest male time in the pier swim was 17 minutes, 36 seconds.

Originally Published: September 2, 2024 at 1:49 p.m.