winter pier to pub – Brunswick Belugas

Winter Pier to Pub 2015

June 27, 2015 Jaye Dowling

June 27 brought with it excitement and delight as we embarked on our fourth annual Winter Pier to Pub. Twenty swimmers and eight supporters trekked to Lorne; greeted by blue skies and translucent waters.

lornapanorama — Impossibly perfect conditions for our winter swim …

While scenically spectacular, the waters were frosty at 13 degrees, requiring us to rug up in wetsuits and neoprene caps. A notable exception to this, Anthony Ferguson, was brave (or perhaps just mad) enough to undertake the 1.2km course in bathers alone. With a staggered start we swam in pairs, edging our way, two Belugas at a time through the tumbling surf.

enteringwater — Brrr! One Beluga heads purposefully into the freezing water while a few others appear still to be making up their minds …

As we turned the point – the pier behind us, the pub in front – the circling swell assembled some spectacularly high waves to carry us to shore. Finishing the course together there we were a pod of Belugas porposing in the sun flecked waves.

winterpiertopub — The swimmers at the finish line, still buzzing from the experience!

After recovering from varying degrees of hypothermia we celebrated our success over lunch and wine at Qdos Arts.

The vibrant gallery provided the ideal venue to reflect not only on the swim but also our wonderful diversity as a collective; we are united by a shared love of swimming, but each member of our club brings a unique piece of the puzzle which together unites to form an eclectic jigsaw.

Beluga crew resplendent in black t-shirts with Vito Muré’s icy white design.

Thanks must go to Anthony Ferguson for generously sponsoring our Winter Pier to Pub T-shirts, to Vito Muré for his wonderful design and to our coach Kerry for coming to support us (in addition to her continued encouragement and guidance). We’re already looking forward to next year’s swim, when the inimitable Tim Walker will lead us into the water to rapturous applause!

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Winter Pier to Pub 2014

June 28, 2014 Belugas Admin

On Saturday, June 28, the brave Brunswick Belugas held their 3rd annual Winter Pier to Pub in Lorne. We weren’t quite as blessed by the Weather Gods as last year – with a windy, rainy day and the water a balmy 15°c – but we enjoyed it all the same.

Unlike the Lorne Pier to Pub in January, our winter event is very much a social event. There are no times taken and we leave in a staggered start of waves from slowest to fastest so hopefully we all finish together. As a safety measure people stay with, and swim with their wave.

A special mention should go out to Anthony Ferguson. He swam without a wetsuit and thus earned our inaugural Numb Nuts Award; congrats Anthony. It wasn’t a spontaneous decision as he’d been taking a regular dip at Williamstown Beach since the end of April.

Lunch afterwards was at Qdos Gallery and Café, with the open fire being a particular drawcard this winter.

We’ll be doing it all again next year, Saturday 27 June 2015.