Storm the Bay returns for second year

REGISTRATIONS are open for the second year of the Storm the Bay swim at Apollo Bay in March and organisers are expecting a near doubling of last year’s participants.

Event co-ordinator Craig Buckingham said he was buoyed by the success of the maiden event in 2022 that attracted over a hundred participants, despite little publicity and lingering effects of the pandemic.

“We were somewhat hesitant in spending too much money on marketing or advertising when COVID could have struck us down, so we had a small event with around 110 participants of all ages and shapes and sizes, which was great,” he said.

“This year we’re hoping for 200 plus, we’ve spent a bit more money.”

Moving to the coast from London 20 years ago, Mr Buckingham is in the water most days as a keen ocean swimmer and said he felt compelled to give others the opportunity to “swim in paradise” on the edge of Bass Strait.

“It seems a bit selfish just to have it to ourselves,” he said.

“Lorne has their Pier to Pub, Pt Campbell has a swim, Pt Fairy has a swim, up and down the coast there’s swims everywhere… and we said ‘let’s do something for Apollo Bay’.”

Swim categories include a 500m event for beginners, 1.25km and 2.5km.

“We’re so keen to encourage people who haven’t swum before in such an event, that’s what really excites us,” Mr Buckingham said.“The ultimate goal would be to have a triathlon, but really you need a few runs on the board, a few more years before we can think about that, but we shall see.”

Swimmers will depart Mother’s Beach by the harbour in waves 20 minutes apart from one another and head north towards Wild Dog before the return leg to the surf club. Each group will be signified with a cap representing their start time and age group, and presentations will be held at the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse afterwards.
The swim is on March 25 and registrations are open until the day of the event.

For more, head to swimapollobay.com.au