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The 5,500 metre open swim challenge held at the famous Kitsilano Pool is now over.  Each length of the pool is 137.5 metres; therefore the Duel at the Pool is 40 lengths of the Kitsilano salt water pool.

Here are the official results ...

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1st place ...  Jon "Whale Shark" Husband              1 hr, 46 mins and 09 secs

2nd place .. Rob Jones (last min CFA member)     1 hr, 54 mins and 30 secs

3rd place ...  Ean "The Eel" Jackson                      1 hr, 58 mins and 40 secs

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The event started with Ean "The Eel" Jackson charging out of the blocks and maintaining a solid 25 metre lead throughout the first 16 lengths, whereupon he stopped for a re-fueling poolside.  As Jackson reported later, he was attempting to mess with the Whale Shark's head by creating the impression that The Eel could keep going at that pace for another hour. 

It almost worked, but as it transpired the Whale Shark's strategy of deliberate pace and steady focus prevailed on the day.  His solid following pace enabled him to keep going beyond the re-fuelling.  He grabbed a good 30 metre lead by not stopping at that point, and then began the process of giving The Eel's butt a good kicking in public.

Whale Shark Husband kept increasing the lead stroke by stroke until he caught The Eel just before the touch at the end of The Eel's lap #30 (the Whale Shark by then just completing lap #32), thereby achieving the 2009 objective of completely humiliating The Eel in a good-natured way ( dancing up and down in the end of the pool chanting "touchdown !  touchdown !" ).

The Eel and newcomer Rob (Reef Shark) Jones were tied at the end of lap #30 and pushed off together to see which of the two challengers could limp home first over the last 10 laps of the Duel.  The Whale Shark, by then thoroughly warmed up, completed the last 8 laps in somewhat of a romp, at the end still steadily pulling away from the two challengers.

After end-of-race high fives and brotherly acknowledgments ( 5,500 metres in just under two hours is more than enough exercise for anyone on any given afternoon), we scuttled of to Bridge's Bar on Granville Island for a couple of pitchers of frosty lager and a few tall tales.

A good time was had by all.

Next year's objective:   lower the elapsed time to 1 hour 40 minutes.

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UPDATE:  News pours in from Lower Mainland news outlets (the CFA blog):

 

Author: MakoShark
| Title: 2009 Done Duel

This afternoon, the third Duel at the Pool was held at Kitsilano Pool in
Vancouver.  Under cloudless blue skies and with temperatures in the high
20s, duelists, Whale, Reef and Mako shark sized one another up on the pool
deck:

*Whale Shark.*  Odds-on favorite.  Considering his double-training days,
he'd been at the pool over 100 times this year.  Excellent technique. 
Large mouth.  Lost a good bit of blubber since opening day.  Longest swim
this year:  approximately 4K.

*Mako Shark. * Started off the season by training with the Whale Shark a
couple days per week, but tailed off from there with a total of about 12
visits over the season.  Fit from shovelling dirt in his backyard, but swim
technique a bit thin.  Sporting a sleek wetsuit.  Longest swim this year: 
3.25K

*Reef Shark.*  Last minute entry into the duel, his training and technique
was unknown.  Claims to have swam 3X / week in an indoor 25 meter pool with
his kids.  Fit from running.  Longest swim this year:  2.5K

*Kilometer #1*

Mako makes a dash for it in an attempt to break the other shark's wills early
in the race.  Beats the Whale by 1/2 length.  No Reef even on the radar.

*Kilometer #2*

Whale pulls up his dragging butt and touches the bulkhead at the same time as
Mako.  No Reef in sight.  Assumed drowned.

*Kilometer #3*

Whale and Mako make pit stops at the bento box.  (Gels, gatoraid and coke on
the menu.)  Some slapping of heels and rubbing of shoulders, but Whale makes
his move and gains some ocean.  No Reef in sight.  Assumed being served-up
in some sushi bar.

*Kilometer #4*

All sharks gather at the bento box.  Whale ahead by a length.  Mako gets a
cramp and has to dance around the pool a bit.  Reef far from dead.  

*Kilometer #5 and a bit*

Whale out of the water and gloating as first the Reef, then the Mako touch
the finish line.  Mako considers proposing "double or nothing" for another
kilometer, but considers a cold beer a better idea.

*Bridges Patio*

Sharks review strategy over pitchers of Granville Island lager and nachos. 
Winner buys.  No talk of next duel as arms too sore.  Reef and Mako fear
Whale will go to sleep in their nachos. 

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