The FDA to sunscreen manufacturers: In 2012 you have to start telling the truth!

Apparently sunscreens are not waterproof. I thought they were since the label indicated a bold faced statement promising that they were.

"...Waterproof, "sweatproof" or "sunblock" claims. Manufacturers cannot label sunscreens as "waterproof" or "sweatproof," or identify their products as "sunblocks," because these claims overstate their effectiveness. Sunscreens also cannot claim to provide sun protection for more than 2 hours without reapplication or to provide protection immediately after application (for example-- "instant protection") without submitting data to support these claims and obtaining FDA approval.

No cancer protection below SPF-15? Then why bother?

Sunscreens that pass FDA's broad spectrum test procedure, which measures a product's UVA protection relative to its UVB protection, may be labeled as "Broad Spectrum SPF [value]" on the front label. For Broad Spectrum sunscreens, SPF values also indicate the amount or magnitude of overall protection. Broad Spectrum SPF products with SPF values higher than 15 provide greater protection and may claim additional uses, as described in the next bullet.

Only Broad Spectrum sunscreens with an SPF value of 15 or higher can claim to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging if used as directed with other sun protection measures. Non-Broad Spectrum sunscreens and Broad Spectrum sunscreens with an SPF value between 2 and 14 can only claim to help prevent sunburn.

And how about those really neat sunscreen sprays? They have no evidence whatsoever in regards to their efficacy:

Currently, the record (data and information) about sunscreens in spray dosage forms is not comparable to that for sunscreens in other dosage forms such as oils, creams, and lotions. The manner of application differs significantly between sprays and these other dosage forms. Therefore, we are requesting additional data to address questions of effectiveness and safety that arise from differences in the manner of application.

What do swimmers and beach goers really need to know about sun protection? Wear clothes, a hat, sunglasses, and don't swim between the hours of 10AM - 2:00 PM - but if you have too mostly naked wear lots of sunscreen that is SPF 15 or higher and put it on a lot:

Spending time in the sun increases a person's risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To reduce these risks, consumers should regularly use a Broad Spectrum sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 or higher in combination with other protective measures such as:

Limiting time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM when the sun's rays are the strongest.

Wearing clothing to cover skin exposed to the sun (long-sleeved shirts, pants, sunglasses, and broad-brimmed hats).

Using a water resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.

Reapplying sunscreen, even if it is labeled as water resistant, at least every 2 hours. (Water resistant sunscreens should be reapplied more often after swimming or sweating, according to the directions on the label.)

Link to the new FDA Guidelines: [Link]

Windermere: 10,000 swimmers of the neoprene nation will descend upon you!

Windermere lake: "...is the largest natural lake in England. It is a ribbon lake formed in a glacial trough after the retreat of ice at the start of the current interglacial. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since 1847..."

10,000 open water swimmers will descend upon the lake in staggered waves of humanity, 300 for each wave, at least 28-waves total. The race starts on Friday afternoon with the final wave on the Sunday.

Someone needs to contact the promoter of this event, have a sit down, and fine out what these guys did right! England is not known for being an "industrial assembly-line" of hyper dedicated swimmers. In fact you can probably count all the 50-meter pools in London on one hand. The fact that thousands have applied and will show up means the promoters got something right for a niche demographic.

The races have been organised as a series of waves of up to a maximum of 300 swimmers each, and amount to a combined mileage of around 10,600 miles – the distance between London and Sydney in Australia.

Things get under way with three two-mile waves on Friday afternoon from 3pm, while there is a single half-mile wave on Sunday morning.

There will be no fewer than 28 one-mile waves from Saturday morning right through until Sunday afternoon.

[Link]

Ed Moses talks comeback with Sports Illustrated! - Masters swimming a safe harbor for Olympic comebacks!

Ed Moses speaks with Sports Illustrated (SI) about what he loves about swimming and his comeback. SI mentions using Moses using United States Masters Swimming (USMS) as a platform for a comeback. Obviously Masters is proving to be a safe harbor for the likes of Janet Evans, Dara Torres, and Ed Moses. This is a clear statement in regards to how professional an organization the USMS is.

Currently I am not a member of the USMS organization but I go to swim workouts 3-4 days a week. I still have a bad taste in my mouth after the USMS banned tech suits for short course yards despite that FINA has no jurisdiction over short course yards whatsoever. It is my opinion that masters swimming should allow competitors to swim SCY events in any suit that want. There are no recognized world records in short course yards. The 1970's want their briefs back; even the age groupers think so!

"... Those coming out of retirement must wait nine months before competing internationally due to drug-testing rules. So Moses is cleaning up on the U.S. Masters circuit, lapping a competitor on his way to sweeping the breaststrokes and shattering age-group records at April's short-course Masters national championships.
His most recent Masters swim was a 1:05.16 in the 100 breast last weekend, four seconds slower than the best overall U.S. time this year. He won't be able to measure himself against the best until August, when his nine-month wait ends and he enters the national championships.."

[Link]

Someone Explain: Is ASCA a union, an association or is it a monopoly?

It all started out so simply: USA Swimming was set up as the "National Governing Body" (NGB) for the sport of swimming by the US Government after the Senate recognized it via an act of congress. This act of congress is known as the Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act; a federal law that establishes certain basic standards for certifying coaches and governing the sport of swimming.

Here is a USA Swimming link as to how coach certification is done but note you have to go to a second party to get certified. That second party is the American Swimmers Coaching Association (ASCA): [Link]

Note, the link says that if you want to become a coach certified by USA Swimming and you don't have the necessary educational requirements and experience; (i.e. USA Swimming Member, Safety certifications, coached a USA Swimming club before 1998, back ground check et cetera), you are essentially compelled to obtain ASCA certification. Compelled to go to ASCA

Essentially there is four steps:

1. USA Swimming Coach Education Requirement. The coach will need the following texts to pass the first year coaches’ test: Progressions for Athlete and Coach Development, Foundations of Coaching, and the current USA Swimming Rules and Regulations. The revised test for new coaches is available online through USA Swimming.

2. The coach must also have current safety certifications in First Aid, CPR, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches (or Lifeguard Training equivalency)

3. Completion of USA Swimming Background Check Requirement

4. Completion of the American Swim Coaches' Association Level 2 Stroke School, and completion of ASCA Level 3 Physiology School. Level 2 and Level 3 may be waived with three years experience working as an assistant in a USA Swimming member club.

[Link]

Why is it that you have to go to ASCA? Why is it that they get the sole contract with USA Swimming to do this? Did USA Swimming simply offer them a no-bid contract and say "make the coaches pay you too?

Now stay with me and read this really slow: USA Swimming was legally established as a governing body monopoly for the sport of swimming but how did this make it ok for them to create a secondary monopoly beneath them for coaching?

I have not found any other agency or entity aside from ASCA that can provide the “ticket” to USA Swimming recognition as a head coach even though that is USA Swimming's job to certify coaches.

Now, if you go to the job boards for coaches at either USA Swimming, ASCA and other websites seem to confirm that without the ASCA "ticket" or his ASCA's terminally silly Level one-through-five coaching rank you probably need not bother to apply.

Here is how it works: ASCA has these "ninja levels" that rate a coach from Level 1-5. Now these ratings are essentially star ratings that you would see attached to a hotel score or a movie review and I suspect one's income depends on which level they are.

Level one: You have finished a course called the foundations of coaching.

Level two: You learn about swim technique

Level three: Physiology school

Level four : Administration school

Level five: Leadership school

So, send in your money and climb the five rungs of the ASCA ladder and you can command a higher salary. Does this sound like an old fashioned “closed shop” without formal recognition as a union?

Maybe one of you labor lawyers out there can weigh in. And speaking of lawyers – which I am most decidedly not – if an applicant is effectively prevented from securing a higher paying head coaching job without ASCA certification does this constitute a restraint of trade?

In the 2009 lawsuit TYR brought against Speedo and USA Swimming the Court found the “high end competitive swimwear market” to sufficiently define a “relevant market”, which means it satisfied one of the steps in considering whether there was a possible violation of antitrust laws. TYR had proven that the market was big enough and important enough that actual trade issues were a point of law in this lawsuit.

If that is a relevant market for swimwear then the next logical assumption is that it also describes the market for coach training especially for the “high end competitive swimmers in the professional, collegiate, high school and club ranks.”

Since I am not a lawyer – that I am productively employed instead ;-) – I welcome your comments so I can learn if my supposition is “all wet." I don't think it is. I think USA Swimming needs to open up their possibly "closed shop" and actually have qualified institutions bid for this responsibility of training coaches.

In fact, I suspect it is a point of law that they should, but please educate me?

From Olympic grandeur to urban blight - How Olympic stadiums fair post an Olympic games!

The Athens Olympic complex among other Olympic stadiums have no exit strategy and thus urban blight becomes their legacy. Austerity measures in Greece will not help this pool either.
The Chinese had to turn the Water Cube into a water park and the pool therein is now simply a museum relic still in place just to be gawked at.

Plato once said: That which is owned by all is cared for by none. SCAQ once tried to book a swim meet in the Water Cube and the Chinese government just froze up. They had no clue how to leverage the swimming pool for profit and/or to justify it's existence with serious swimmers.

Though the Athens facility has an empty dive pool, broken stadium seats, graffiti on it's walls, the swimming pool is stilled filled and utilized by the community at large and I would love to swim there. In fact, I would love to participate in a swim meet in just about any Olympic stadium: Athens, Beijing, Munich, Los Angeles, and of course London, Tokyo, and Moscow. These pool managers really should consider booking "Swim Tours" or perhaps a aspiring capitalist with travel industry experience should consider this?

From the BBC:

Other cities have had much more difficulty putting Olympic buildings to good use – or any use at all. In Athens, host of the 2004 Games, many Olympic venues have been abandoned. Some have even been vandalized. This picture of a graffiti laden swimming pool is part of a Getty Images slide show by photographer Matt Cardy of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex seven years after the Games.

A few host cities have reconstituted Olympic spaces into public works projects. For example, Lake Placid in New York state, host of the 1980 Winter Olympics, turned its Olympic Village into a men’s prison, as explained in Mental Floss Magazine.

[Link]

Ian Thorpe loves swimming and he talks about how thrilled he is to be training! - Thoughts on Phelps at the Rio Games in 2016 as well.

Ian Thorpe thrilled to be back and living the, "La vida agua" - or in English, "the water life." What a contrast to Michael Phelps who seems to mention in every third interview that when he is 30-years-old, or post the London 2012 Olympics. he is DONE!

Ian Thorpe over at AFP:

"It's really nice to be swimming again and to enjoy the life of an athlete. I think I forgot what it's like to do this and I didn't appreciate that so few people get to enjoy this," said Thorpe, attending the final stage of the Mare Nostrum circuit at Monaco as an onlooker rather than a competitor.

"Now I'm back doing this, I'm enjoying the kind of training lifestyle, to be fit and healthy again," said Thorpe, who in February announced that he would seek to qualify for the 2012 Games, focusing on the 100m and 200m freestyle.

[Link]

You know what I think? I think Phelps too will realize that he too can't leave this sport and will be back in 2016 much like Thorpe realized he had to come back post Beijing.

I have no proof or evidence nor can I look deep into Michael Phelps' soul and tell you what his motivations are but throughout my life having been around a lot of artists of note a key aspect of their personalities is their desire to be acknowledged.

I summarily don't think Phelps will be able to find the acknowledgment he craves outside of swimming nor will he he be able to be the "greatest" at something else. Here is a kid that has been famous since he 16-year-old and will "retire" when he is thirty. So, what does Phelps do for a second act? Even James Cagney came out of retirement to make a movie when he was 82-years old called Ragtime by Milos Forman. Now there was a actor that got the Queen of England to stand up and give a standing "O" just for showing up and she even went backstage to visit. (Queens don't do that!) Much like Michael Phelps was the best swimmer of all time in Beijing 2008, Cageny was the best actor of all time, left at the top, but he had to come back despite abject pain and the near end of his life.

I suspect both would like to remain relevant pop culture figures though Thorpe will have an easier time of it; (more established relationships with people of note, a whole country who loves him not to mention commonwealth recognition), and which is why Phelps will have to swim in 2016. What else can he do? Can he become a "super ninja" at poker? Are there any household names who play poker? Can he become a pro golfer? Phelps is tall and and the length of his clubs and arms make him prone to minute control problems and timing errors.

The best just can't leave when they are at the top; they have to be beaten first. Just ask Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Mohamed Ali, Bjorn Borg, Pele, Roger Clemons, George Foreman, et al. ...Oh yeah, and some chic named Dara Torres.

"The Greatest Coaches Clinic On Earth" in Clearwater, FL.

A reader sent me this - Glenn Mills and Eddie Reese are a part of it and that impresses me greatly.

We are pleased to announce that the National Age Group Swimming Association, along with Speedo and All-American Aquatics will be sponsoring "The Greatest Coaches Clinic On Earth", Wednesday through Saturday, August 24-27, 2011 at the Marriott Suites on Sand Key, Clearwater Beach, Florida.

The "The Greatest Coaches Clinic On Earth" will feature some of the top club coaches and swimming experts in history, past and present. Speakers already scheduled include: Randy Reese, Eddie Reese, John Morse, Mike DeBoor, Chris Davis, Tim Bauer, Glenn Mills, Rachel Stratton-Mills, John Ivy, Dick Jochums, Keith Dickson and Debbie Meyer. We have many more that will be announced in the next couple of weeks.

The clinic each coach the opportunity to have fun and learn from the best in an intimate setting at a beautiful venue. Furthermore, the cost of the "The Greatest Coaches Clinic On Earth" is very affordable and the date is very user friendly to coaches that would like to start practice on the last Monday in August or the first week of September.

"The Greatest Coaches Clinic On Earth" topics are applicable to what the majority of age group and high school swimming coaches are looking for by giving them relevant information and tools on how to coach and develop their athletes.

We hope you can join us in Clearwater! [Link]

Click the image above to enlarge.

Which swimmers would make the best secret agents?

This article is meant as a bit of satire with a dash of humor. If I "outed" the cover of any secret agent listed below, then stick to your day job! :-P

10) Larsen Jensen

Our latest navy SEAL: He probably knows 2,000 ways to blow something up and can probably put a bullet through a quarter a mile away. He may not be a secret agent yet but he's qualified now.

9) Janet Evans

Are you seriously buying her housewife cover! Think Angelina Jolie with Brad Pitt in that hit-man movie. She also does some work for FINA which is a very, scarlet, red, flag!

8) Dara Torres

The "6-million dollar woman" - you know those multiple surgeries and her "yoga minions" created a uber-spy of UFO-grade quality!

7) Gary Hall

Double agent: converted by the "good guys" to tell it like it is. Could he have been the first double agent to bring to light how badly paid our USA athletes are? Politically assassinated at the Athens Games missing out on a relay that he should have swam on.

6) Nick Brunelli

He is the diplomat kind of secret agent. Think "Machiavelli" with muscles. Disarms enemies with good vibes and encouragement and then once they are being so very charmed by his "charisma distortion field," they tell him everything that he needs to know just so that can hang out that a little while longer.

5) Alexander Popov

Well, he cruised through the gatekeepers in Lausanne, Switzerland and got a job deep inside the "Castle FINA!" How is that for some weaponized, espionage, credibility?

4) Chloe Sutton

God and country, baby! - Truth Justice and the American way too! Chloe would be the female version of Jack Ryan, the hero from the Tom Clancy novels as portrayed by Harrison Ford in the movies. In fact, if Captain America were a girl she would be it.

3) Michael Phelps

Ever seen a Get Smart episode? He's clumsy, always saves the day, utilizes weird gadgets and girls that are way out of his league are attracted to him.

2) Jason Lezak

Two words Mission Impossible: Just a regular guy living in So Cal swims the fastest 100-free ever and defeats several empires in the process. You know he can do a bunch of other stuff better than Tom Cruise!

1) Ian Thorpe

Common wealth breeding, kicks it with royalty, hangs out in New York, West L.A., Japan, yet trains in Switzerland. You know he is hearing secrets and what a great cover he has: Internationally recognized swimmer, ambassador for Omega, plus he is a snappy dresser too.

Toothpaste and swim goggles?

I use hand soap and shampoo to keep my goggles anti-fog worthy but I have to do it before or after each workout for my goggles fog-proof. Here is a tip I just learned this morning:

10 uses for toothpaste:

Number 8: Fog Proof Goggles: Rub some toothpaste on the inside of goggles and then rinse to have fog free goggles for swimming.

[Link]

I haven't tried it yet, have any of you?

Photo courtesy: Flickr user mauren veras. (Creative Commons 2.0 license

The IOC is now willing to take a look at holding an Olympic Games in the USA after receiving a $4.38-billion dollar check from NBC.

Remember the failed Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics and how the IOC stated that holding the games in the USA was not a good idea because of how bad a neighbor the US has been since 9/11? Well, that excuse was simply rhetorical bologna. The United States failed to get the Olympics because the IOC was seriously pissed-off at the USOC for all the money they make and their desire to profit from a proposed Olympic cable channel they wanted to produce.

Look at how extraordinary these numbers are: NBC will give the IOC $4.38-billion dollars. The IOC would usually get a 20%-cut of that figure and then and additional 12.75% from TV revenues. The IOC doesn't like that. Their excuse is that other countries should get a cut of that money and that the USOC percentage is too damn high, but I do no believe that either, I believe that the IOC simply wants more damn money.

From the Chicago Tribune:

USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun told me Tuesday by telephone from Switzerland the first matter of business between the USOC and IOC is resolving the longstanding dispute over the shares of U.S. television rights (12.75 percent) and the IOC's global sponsorship program (20 percent) that the U.S. currently receives. There is tremendous pressure on the USOC to take a smaller cut.

[Link]

It has been my observation that when both national governing bodies and/or international governing bodies receives millions, or in this case, 100's-of-millions-of dollars, watching them "shovel" some of this money down to the athletes is like watching a farmer "shovel fleas" across a barnyard floor with a "pitchfork." The athletes won't see much but the pigs and the chickens will. ;-)

"The Rime of the Modern Athlete - Money, money everywhere but not a penny to share!"

What if I told you that...

The chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee netted a base salary last year of $425,995 - [his final total was $638,407] - while his predecessor was paid $135,385 in 2010 for the final chapter of her tumultuous stint and the person who came before her got a $116,252 severance package, according to tax filings released Monday by the Colorado Springs-based organization. ..."

The Colorado Gazette [Link]

Then I told you that this $250-million-a-year organization paid their CEO less than the CEO of USA Swimming, Chuck Wielgus, who runs a $34-million-a-year organization and pulls in a compensation package of $731,500.

Would you think I was both angry and cynical if I said that?

Well, you should because I am! These are non profits and they are summarily enriching themselves rather than the athletes. The average national governing body chief makes $228,000-a-year. Wielgus makes more than triple that. [Link]

As for USA Swimming: The parents and athletes should ask themselves this, are they really getting their money's worth from their USA Swimming CEO because it is their money that is paying him. If not, is there really anything they can do about it?

Back to the USOC: The USOC spends more money on salaries & benefits than they they do on the following deliverables combined: Paralympic programs, anti-doping efforts, broadcast properties, communications, international relations, sports medicine, and sports science and technology. [Link]

The Olympics is apparently a dirty business and what I mean by dirty is that those in the front office make vasts amount of cash off the backs and the talents of the athletes at large while the talent has no recourse or right to profit-share in this patently greedy endeavor whatsoever. Are the Olympics really about togetherness and world harmony? Their mission statement certainly is but perhaps their management has a different goal?

The photo above is of the Berlin Olympic pool. Note that it is half empty or do you see it as half full?

The 'London Aquatics Center' webcam is displaying a facility that is starting to look quite stunning!

The London Aquatics Center is starting to glow. The roof looks finished, The stands are now in place and look at the ambient light! I do believe that this will be a beautiful facility and I hope they make the surrounding environment just as aesthetic.

Here is a link to the London Aquatics Center webcam or just come back to this post: [Link]

What was NBC thinking? Don't they relaize that they lost $233-million off the Vancouver Games alone?

NBC just spent 4.3-billion dollars on securing the next four Olympic games. Fatal financial move in my opinion! Here's why: The Olympic movement is not as significant as it once was. Though I am looking forward to a westernized Olympics in 2012, The World Cup of Soccer will be soon be more popular than either the summer or winter Olympic games come 2016 or sooner. Perhaps it already is? Consequently the Olympics may not be the mecca for advertisers it once was when such companies like CocaCola used the Olympics to globalized it's product with dozens of commercials throughout each Olympic run. Now they have the World Cup and the X-Games.

Other short term problems exist such as the lack of a "Michael Phelps" moment waiting in the wings for the next summer games. i.e. Phelps winning an amazing eight gold medals was both stunning and breathtaking; (Thank you Jason Lezak), but the lack of both emotion and motivation Phelps has displayed in recent months gives the impression that Phelps, if he wins half as many gold medals, would be termed an incredible moment but certainly not a Beijing moment.

The world has caught up and we are not so fast anymore. US citizens love to spend money and the USA is the breadbasket for industrial revenue across the planet. Will Americans want to tune in and see their athletes suddenly average out along with the rest of the world thereby winning some events and then losing and equal amount?

We no longer dominate in diving, we are about to have our worst Olympic showing in the pool at the 2012 London Games and how will Americans react to that? The French, the Australians, and the Chinese are also a force to be reckoned with while the US is closing many male oriented college sports programs without a peep coming out of USA Swimming or any of the other governing bodies.

Do people here care about track and field anymore? Will the NBA come out and save us on the court? What about sports like ice skating, beach volleyball, gymnastics? Are they gaining in popularity or fading? I think they are all fading.

Finally, there will be no more $45-billion cities designed for the next four Olympic games. 2008 was the pinnacle of infrastructure for the Olympic movement and I doubt we will ever see such a spectacle again.

Sir Richard Branson, Virgin properties mega-boss, will take part in a 56-mile swim relay in the Irish Sea!

I am doing some work for Virgin Mobile in France and I was pleased to hear that Richard Branson will captain a 56-mile relay swim across the Irish Sea to raise money for cancer research. The best part is that you too can do the swim at your local swimming pool. The swim will take place on September 11, 2011.

Here are some details:

1-SWIM, 1-TEAM, £1-MILLION... AND 56-GRUELING-MILES ACROSS THE IRISH SEA.

This September, Sir Richard Branson and Ronan Keating are captaining a relay team to swim the grueling Irish Sea and raise £1million for Cancer Research UK. Calling all swimmers... set yourself a swimming challenge, such as swimming the distance of the Irish Sea in your local swimming pool, and start fundraising for Cancer Research UK.

... please visit The Swim. Don’t want to swim? You can still help us raise £1million for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work by sponsoring The Swim team. Sponsor the team at: [Link]

The image above comes from the Encyclopedia of Earth: [Link]

An obvious mentally ill man attempts to swim to Liberty Island after a hallucination that god told him too.

The Gothamist has an article about a 29-year-old New Jersey man who after having a hallucinatory conversation with god decides to swim to the Statue of Liberty. Though the distance is only 1,200 meters from New Jersey, the man is caught within the flowing currents and luckily enough for him is rescued before he is drawn out to sea.

It's a "snarky" article that is either one: poking fun at the man's mental illness with a sharpened, poisoned-tipped, pen. Two: using this "swimmer" as a straw man argument at how ridiculous the concept of "God" really is. Finally, three: using this man's obvious metal state to attack both the man and the concept of God some how tying both mental illness and religion into a single package.

I post this to illustrate the overconfidence that people have, either sane or ill, when approaching an open water challenge. Even Fran Crippen and crew, and this includes the execs at FINA to the coaches on the beach, grossly underestimating the severity of the Dubai conditions. Should this fellow be ridiculed for being both ill and doing likewise? The only difference here is that New York city did a better job at preventing the tragedy,

Here is a snippet:

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Sometimes He tells you to kill your son on a mountaintop, other times He commands you to send an army to take out the guy in Iraq who tried to kill your dad. [Read as George Bush - Tony] Yesterday God was busy over in Jersey, where He sent an unidentified man on a mission to swim to Liberty Island. Unfortunately, the federal gov'ment stepped in once again to thwart The Almighty's sovereign will...

[Link]

The "Holy Grail" of swim photos is Gwen Stefani swimming 'fly in high school - I have not found it yet but I did find "Excaliber!"

Who is that age-grouper sitting on the left? LOL. Here is a hint: She has been to five Olympics and is currently shooting for six! She has won twelve Olympic medals or four of each. That's right: Four golds, four silvers, four bronze! How is that for symmetry? She never swam for her supper but swims because she loves it.

Her name: DARA TORRES with her coach, Terry Palma, out of Culver City, California.

SCAQ has had quite a history with Culver City swimming and recently has resurrected the Culver City Swim Club, a club Dara swam with.

Dara’s Culver City team folded around 1988 but when the current pool; (currently christened The Culver City Plunge), was rebuilt on top of the same location as the ancient Culver City pool, SCAQ started a new age group program, the Culver City Swim Club with a grant from a SCAQ executive. That was 1996, the program grew to 80 kids, three of these kids have gone on to college swim teams, graduated and then returned and are swimming SCAQ.

After a two year run SCAQ turned the reins over to another team from a local city but the results were mixed in 2008 SCAQ was back at it again. We stepped in to assist and the CCSC team has grown into a massive program where 300 kids have now swum in a low key novice setting the last three years.

Eighty kids swim one or more workouts per week over the winter and come summer this will most likely balloon to well over a 120-swimmers. This is a novice, introductory swim team, where after a couple years, when the kids get fast enough if we push them into a more elite team that is also swimming at the pool.

By the way: Culver City Swim Club also had another Olympic Gold medalist alumni: Tiffany Cohn, born and she started swimming at Culver City as well. She was a double gold medalist in the 400 and 800 free. Not bad for small Culver City.

UPDATE:

KID’S SWIM TEAM - CCSC – Culver City Swim Club: A novice swim team created and sponsored by the SCAQ masters at the Culver Plunge and is the lowest cost swim team around, starting at $40 a month. If you are interested please email info@culvercityswimclub.com

Swimming orangutans baffle and surprise naturalists

These are crocodile infested waters too and these primates know that.They also fish there and apparently train there as well.

From The Mail Online:

"... In scenes which have left wildlife experts baffled, the 'king of the swimmers' leaps into the muddy water before swimming to the other side in an amazing aquatic display.

And another carefully shimmies down a tree towards the river before plucking a fish straight from the water. ..."

[Link]

30-seconds with Michael Phelps at the 'New York Times'

Phelps is releasing a swimming related video game this Tuesday and he gives an interview with the New York Times regarding Shanghai, the 2012 Olympics, his favorite sports icons; (Michael Jordon and Tiger Woods), and what is on his iPod.

New York TImes:

Q. What is in your iPod?
A. Lil Wayne. (Young) Jeezy. Biggie (Smalls). Same normal crew.

[Link]

Someone Explain: Is ASCA a union, an association or is it a monopoly?

It all started out so simply: USA Swimming was set up as the "National Governing Body" (NGB) for the sport of swimming by the US Government after the Senate recognized it via an act of congress. This act of congress is known as the Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act; a federal law that establishes certain basic standards for certifying coaches and governing the sport of swimming.

Here is a USA Swimming link as to how coach certification is done but note you have to go to a second party to get ceritfied. hat second party is the American Swimmers Coaching Association (ASCA): [Link]

Note, the link says that if you want to become a coach certified by USA Swimming and you don't have the necessary educational requirements and experience; (i.e. USA Swimming Member, Safety certifications, coached a USA Swimming club before 1998, back ground check et cetera), you are essentially compelled to obtain ASCA certification. Compelled to go to ASCA

Essentially there is four steps:

1. USA Swimming Coach Education Requirement. The coach will need the following texts to pass the first year coaches’ test: Progressions for Athlete and Coach Development, Foundations of Coaching, and the current USA Swimming Rules and Regulations. The revised test for new coaches is available online through USA Swimming.

2. The coach must also have current safety certifications in First Aid, CPR, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches (or Lifeguard Training equivalency)

3. Completion of USA Swimming Background Check Requirement

4. Completion of the American Swim Coaches' Association Level 2 Stroke School, and completion of ASCA Level 3 Physiology School. Level 2 and Level 3 may be waived with three years experience working as an assistant in a USA Swimming member club.

[Link]

Why is it that you have to go to ASCA? Why is it that they get the sole contract with USA Swimming to do this? Did USA Swimming simply offer them a no-bid contract and say "make the coaches pay you too?

Now stay with me and read this really slow:

USA Swimming was legally established as a governing body monopoly for the sport of swimming but how did this make it ok for them to create a secondary monopoly beneath them for coaching?

I have not found any other agency or entity aside from ASCA that can provide the “ticket” to USAS recognition as a head coach even though that is their job.

Now, if you go to the job boards for coaches at either USA Swimming, ASCA and other websites seem to confirm that without the ASCA "ticket" or his ASCA's terminally silly Level one-through-five coaching rank you probably need not bother to apply.

Here is how it works: ASCA has these "ninja levels" that rate a coach from Level 1-5. Now these ratings are essentially star ratings that you would see attached to a hotel score or a movie review and I suspect one's income depends on which level they are.

Level one: You have finished a course called the foundations of coaching.

Level two: You learn about swim technique

Level three: Physiology school

Level four : Administration school

Level five: Leadership school

So, send in your money and climb the five rungs of the ASCA ladder and you can command a higher salary. Does this sound like an old fashioned “closed shop” without formal recognition as a union?

Maybe one of you labor lawyers out there can weigh in. And speaking of lawyers – which I am most decidedly not – if an applicant is effectively prevented from securing a higher paying head coaching job without ASCA certification does this constitute a restraint of trade?

In the 2009 lawsuit TYR brought against Speedo and USA Swimming the Court found the “high end competitive swimwear market” to sufficiently define a “relevant market”, which means it satisfied one of the steps in considering whether there was a possible violation of antitrust laws. TYR had proven that the market was big enough and important enough that actual trade issues were a point of law in this lawsuit.

If that is a relevant market for swimwear then the next logical assumption is that it also describes the market for coaches training especially for the “high end competitive swimmers in the professional, collegiate, high school and club ranks”, who are the target customers for that market.

Since I am not a lawyer – that I am productively employed instead ;-) – I welcome your comments so I can learn if my supposition is “all wet." I don't think it is. I think USA Swimming needs open up their possibly "closed shop" and actually have qualified institutions bid for this responsibility of training coaches.

In fact, I suspect it is a point of law that they should, but please educate me?

New USA Swimming national team coach Frank Busch gives an interview at ESPN.

In the interview, Frank Busch gives what I consider a cold, polite, nod to Mark Schubert. He also dodges the child protection issue a bit by stating that it is "everyone's responsibility".

Yep, I consider that a dodge alright. Here is why: There is a saying by some Greek guy named, Plato, that goes something like this: "That which is owned by all is cared for by none!" Saying it is everyone's responsibility is like saying, that you are just as guilty as us if something goes untoward. I don't buy it. In my opinion he should acknowledged the skills and department of Susan Woessner which he did not do.

In regards to the Fran Crippen death: We do agree on air and water temps but it was a political answer about rules and organizations.

Perhaps I have a bitter taste in my mouth after routing John Leonard's legal threats but Swimming organizations that represent both coaches and swimmers in this country seem to exist in a fog of politics that is so thick and full of foreboding that they have mastered the art of the non-answer.

Snippet from ESPN:

".... Busch: I think it's everyone's responsibility. It's a huge responsibility. I just came from Tucson where the shooting happened with [Congresswoman] Gabby Gifford. As things have unfolded, the emphasis has been put on mental health. Is there a way in which you can identify it at an earlier time and keep an individual from doing what they did? And the answer to that right now is, I'm not sure. I don't want to say no, but the probability is pretty slim, because there's a lot of people who struggle with life out there. I'm sure there are unstable coaches. We're doing background checks and doing [training in] coaches' ethics and making sure we follow that up. I don't know if anyone is ever going to be as tight on this as USA Swimming. ..."

[Link]

Visualize me doing a face palm. You protect kids by getting parents involved, by allowing no one-on-ones, policies about travel accommodations etc. etc. The Boy Scouts of America solved its problems after their lawsuit with sweeping changes, why won't USA Swimming adopt the same plan?

Passing the buck stating you can't look inside the souls of men or women to decide who can coach is a rhetorical device I do not accept. USA Swimming policies should be so rock solid that even if a "freak" did mange to game and/or breech the system and become a coach, there still would be no opportunity for said "freak" to act.

Also policies such as these would protect coaches from fake accusations. Coaches should be demanding policies such as these as well.

UPDATE:

Here is a comment I would like to add within this post from an anonymous poster to this article:

He's a nice guy and a great coach.

That was a bad interview though. He's probably not used to answering the tough questions since he is such a great coach, he doesn't get asked them very often. Give him some time and he will adapt.

Also, send him your thoughts. Although the national team director is focused on winning golds, a former swimmer of his and former Tucson coach just got added to the banned list so maybe it will hit close to home.

The facts Mr. Leonard, just the facts!

May 23rd, 2011: I posted a note on this blog with this title: "Is ASCA actually incorporated? - The 'Curb Northside ISD' blog says no way!" The primary subject of the post was whether ASCA or the American Swimming Coaches Association is actually incorporated correctly.

Evidently John Leonard was not pleased and sent off a very threatening note obviously not realizing that I do not like to be threatened. I subsequently responded within three-to four hours. You can read both our letters here: [Link]

Leonard was not happy. He even called the blogger I linked to, Sarah G., a "nut case" after berating me for slander. (So much for a lucid exchange.)

Here is John Leonard's response to my request for clarification as to what exactly was in error and/or what needed to be retracted. By the way, note his use of all capital letters for selected words. I suspect this represents shouting or perhaps he is trying to emulate William Shatner?

Mr. Austin - I apparently am not making myself clear.

You are not the Supreme Court. You are not a local court. You are not even Judge Judy.

I have ZERO reason to answer any questions you have. You're a blogger. You appear to have some mis-understanding of your role in this.

I am informing you that every material statement made by Ms. Gjerstard about the ASCA and myself is INCORRECT and SLANDEROUS. I am doing that out of courtesy.

YOU have the responsibility for what you place on your blog, despite your assertions that you're just "republishing" what someone else said. You are slandering the ASCA and myself.

If we do not have a full retraction by 6 PM EST on Friday, May 27, we will proceed with a lawsuit against you.

On your note about "looking forward to a constructive and civilized exchange with you", i would like to educate you that it is not "sick 'em Sarah". It's "Sic 'em Sarah". That's the end of any communciation between you and i.

Ms. Gjerstad has also been warned that she has until 6 PM to provide a full retraction. She is apparently "distraught" according to her blog....she should have thought about that before she started slandering people WITHOUT doing any research, homework or competent searches of State documents.

Perhaps her ignorance of what a 501-C6 is, which she is now freely admitting, might give you some pause as to the credibility of her "research".

She's a nut case. We'll find out about you in court, if we don't have a retraction by 6 PM tonight.

IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR SLANDER.

John Leonard

So, I write back again:

Dear Mr. Leonard:

Yes, it would be helpful if you could be more clear. You have demanded a retraction but have declined to indicate which facts in my blog you claim are false.

As you expressed in your first note I am entitled to my own opinion but “not entitled to [my] own facts”. Asserting that, “every material statement made by Ms. Gjerstard about the ASCA and myself is INCORRECT and slanderous” does not advance the process of obtaining the retraction you seek. You may choose not to answer the questions in my earlier note but your refusal to do so makes it difficult for me to comply with your demand for a retraction of what you claim are the false facts I “republished”, as opposed to comments that are opinions.

My offer still stands. Identify the facts you claim are false. If I confirm that a statement of “fact” in my blog is false, I will issue a retraction through a written posting in the very blog where the original statement appeared, i.e., “in substantially as conspicuous a manner” as the statement(s) to which you object. See California Civil Code Section 48a.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Tony Austin

So, what evidence do I have that ASCA or the American Swimming Coaches Association is not incorporated correctly? Above we have a screenshot from the Florida Department of State listing ASCA or the American Swimming Coaches Association as a 'Foreign Non Profit Corporation' doing business in the state of Florida. Next, I posted a screenshot from the 'Iowa Secretary of State' listing that the American Swimming Coaches Association corporation filing is inactive.

After doing the research, I conclude that Sarah is absolutely correct stating that the American Swimming Coaches Association corporation filing appears to be inactive in Iowa. I won't venture to make judgments on the repercussions or conclusions of what that means but it sure does sound like the American Swimming Coaches Association has some paperwork to do?

Calls to the Iowa Secretary of State office yielded the following answers: Iowa Secretary of State office 515-281-8993 - Pam was the person Sarah talked to and she confirmed the American Swimming Coaches Association corporation status terminated in 1992.

Calls to Florida yield the following answers: Fl Non-Profit Corporations (850)-245-6052 - Mary Ann was the person Sarah talk to and she confirmed the American Swimming Coaches Association foreign non-profit status is indeed located in Iowa. She suggested the Fl Dept of Revenue might be interested in the fact that his Iowa corporation has lapsed.

Now, more about Sarah: John Leonard was not only sending threatening letters to me; (two altogether), he sent six letters total to Sarah G. each one appearing more aggressive than the last finally degrading to the point of profanity. In one letter, Leonard gave Sarah an order to reprint a "retraction" that he had written for her and that Sarah was not allowed to mention that he wrote this ad hoc "retraction" or the "retraction" he wrote would be invalid. (Yeah, I found it that weird and that Orwellian.)

Letter number one:

Ms. [Sarah] Gjerstad,

I have been forwarded a copy of your blog and that of Mr. Tony Austin in Southern California, which purports to use the contents of your blog to further his campaign against the ASCA and myself.

Since I have never met you, don't know you or of you prior to this information, and have never answered any questions from you, i want to tell you the following:

1) Your blog defames the ASCA and myself. Look up the definition of internet defamation.

2) The information contained in your blog is entirely incorrect as it relates to the ASCA and SwimAmerica.

3) The ASCA is a 501-C6 corporation originally incorporated in Iowa and now duly registered for many years with
the Florida Department of Corporations with all reports and status active and complete.

4) SwimAmerica is a PROGRAM of the ASCA Council for Sport Development, a 501-C3 company conducting entirely 501-C3 purposeful activity. It was formed and is located in Florida.

5) There is no national business entity called SwimAmerica.

6) The ASCA Council hold full and complete rights to the name/logo SwimAmerica and it is copyright protected by us. We will vigourously enforce our copyright.

7) There is no such entity as " John Leonard Inc". owned by me in any state.

If you do not issue an immediate retraction, you will hear within 48 hours from our attorney's with a defamation lawsuit against you. I am providing you the courtesy of this notification directly, which is far mote than you did for me. IF you had wanted Accurate information in your campaign against NISD, you could have simply called me or emailed me and i would have given you directly the accurate information.

Now your inaccuracies have been nationally spread, it is possible that we have been materially damaged and you are in line for a lawsuit.

Fix this now, or look for the lawsuit. This constitutes reckless disregard for the truth, and damaging assault on a good organizations name.

John Leonard, ASCA

In the next letter he begins to use capital letters for selected words:

Ms. Gjerstad - you apparently are misunderstanding me. I have no reason to answer you on anything. I am communicating out of courtesy, (which you did not afford me.....) You have slandered me and our company.

I have explained to you in what manner. You either issue a STRONG retraction by 6 PM EST today, or we file suit and you can explain to a JUDGE why you would maliciously slander someone without even speaking to the principal person involved, and knowing NOTHING about how any of our organizations operate. You can either save yourself a lot of legal fees and grief, or go to court.

I will tell you out of courtesy, that no member of either ASCA or ASCA Council has ever, in the 26 years i have served at ASCA, rec'd any compensation for being on the Boards, NOR for any program or project done with us, other than speaking fees when they conduct a clinic. Your accusations are inaccurate and absurd.

by 6 PM Friday or it goes to a legal case. I am finished with being a nice guy about this. Make sure all four blogs you reference get a copy of your retraction with a copy to me to prove it.

John Leonard

And here is John Leonard beside himself regarding some sort of retraction that Sarah wrote which he found terribly anemic I suppose - gone is his professional facade but I am loving his grammar:

What you have printed on your blog is not a retraction. See my earlier deadline for a real retraction by 6 PM Friday.

There isnot and never has been an "Clerical error" by the state of Florida. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING and in the meantime, your lies are slandering our company.

Get a real retraction out by 6 PM today, or you are going to find out what distraught really means, when the lawsuit hits you. Your behaviour is irresponsible and criminal, and I am not going to stand still for it to be spread by equally ill-informed people Does it strike you as absurd that you are writing a blog about some organization being illegitimate and you don't even know what a 501-C6 is?

IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR SLANDERING PEOPLE. 6 PM today. John Leonard

Next, he takes it upon himself to suggest that Sarah write what he tells her or else - I love his opening line:

How about a simple ...

"I apologize, i did not do my research correctly or thoroughly and should never have posted information that cast incorrect accusations at the American Swimming Coaches Association, SwimAmerica or John Leonard."

and of course, if you have to tell anyone that you had to ask me how to write a retraction, it would invalidate the entire thing.

I don't like lawyers. I like to solve things between human beings. People make mistakes. I can accept a real apology. But if there is any screwing around with this, MS. Gjerstad, I WILL have a lawyer to you directly. I have had enough of people lying first and shouting bad things from the rooftops and THEN trying to say they are sorry....that's not the nature of the the internet in todays world.

6 PM with copies to all the relevant blogs that spread this filth and a copy to me of each one you send. JL

Now he plays the rhetorical question card with an ominous threat:

I assume this means that you are not issuing a retraction.

I'll be filing suit as soon as possible.

JL

Well, that did not work so next comes the profanity card and the all capital letters for selected words to really make his threat resonate:

No, i told you what i want. Period.

No bullshit, no lengthy diatrides, no dancing. You are dead wrong, you slandered the ASCA and myself among others, and there are ZERO issues with ASCA or SwimAmerica and the IRS or State of Florida, or anyone other entity.

YOU PUBLISHED SLANDER. Get that through your head. We don't owe you explanations or answers. You owe US an apology and acknowledgement as i indicated previously. IF you don't, i will take this to court and you can tell the judge how you shouted foul first and THEN decided you didn't know what you were doing. Good luck with that.

by 6 PM today. No more communications from me to you. John Leonard

Well, that shows Sarah, huh? - It shows me too, don't you think?

Perhaps it shows the ASCA board of directors as well.. and USA Swimming... and all the coaches within the organization as what kind of leader John Leonard really is. John means business and you better do what he says or he will sue!

To be sure how upset Leonard really is, Sarah is sending a letter to the ASCA board asking the following question:

To the Officers of American Swimming Coaches Association,

Is ASCA behind the lawsuit referenced in John Leonard's email, or is this John Leonard acting individually?

Would you make a statement regarding ASCA's involvement in the lawsuit?

Sarah Gjerstad

Note to John Leonard: You are a public figure. Your organization purports to have registered as many as 10,000 coaches. You have a convention of sorts every year and you have written several articles for Swimming World Magazine, Swim News, and of course your own magazine. Therein you have tried to influence several issues that affect the sport both nationally and internationally such as tech-suits, FINA rules, and even the Fran Crippen drowning. With that said, this is why bloggers have a right to talk about what you write, how you organize, and what we observe.

So, my request still stands: Identify the facts you claim are false. If I confirm that a statement of “fact” in my blog is false, I promise I will issue a retraction through a written posting in the very blog where the original statement appeared, i.e., “in substantially as conspicuous a manner” as the statement(s) to which you object. See California Civil Code Section 48a.

John Leonard of ASCA enters the SCAQ blog with a threatening note

I received a stern email this morning at 6:27 AM from John Leonard; (At least that is what the header on the email claimed) - I have decided I am going to share what he wrote and my response back to him:

Mr. Austin - every single representation stated by Ms.Gjerstad from San Antonio in her communication which you have reprinted and posted/distributed is incorrect.

Ms. Gjerstad has not been courteous enough to provide me with any questions or even a copy of attack on ASCA and myself.

I do not have her email.

Let me repeat, ASCA (which is a 501-C6) corporation and the ASCA Council (which is a 501-C6 corporation) are both properly registered with all paperwork in order continually for many years in the State of Florida.

If this is not retracted, I, along with ASCA, will be filing suit for slander in rapid order.

You, and every other person in this country are entitled to your own opinions of everything, including myself and ASCA. You are not entitled to your own facts, nor the ability to broadcast lies about people or entities.

I will send the same message to MS. Gjerstad, if you will provide me with her email.

thank you. John Leonard

Here is how I responded:

Dear Mr. Leonard:

I note that you are challenging the veracity of statements in Ms. Gjerstad’s blog posts, some of which may have been discussed in the SCAQ Blog. Unfortunately, in your note to me you did not identify with any specificity the representations you claim are incorrect, how they are incorrect or provide evidence to support your assertion. Please be advised that I strive to ensure that facts recited in my blog posts are accurate and, to that end, invite you to provide the support for your claim of inaccuracy and, upon verification, will post an appropriate correction.

Since we have now established direct contact I do have a question regarding ASCA’s registration in Florida. It is my understanding that a so-called 501(c)(6) entity is one afforded special tax treatment, i.e., exempt from certain federal taxes, by the Internal Revenue Service, generally described as a not-for-profit company or association, as contrasted with a commercial enterprise engaged in for profit activities that are subject to federal taxes. You have indicated that ASCA is a “corporation” that enjoys the benefits of the 501(c)(6) status but a corporation is something established under state, not federal law. The term “foreign” corporation applies, typically, to a corporation organized under the laws of one state but authorized to do business in a second state. What I am seeking to clarify is, accepting your claim that ASCA is a “corporation” operating permissibly as a “foreign” corporation in Florida, in which state is ASCA incorporated as a so-called “domestic’ corporation. The only information I have been able to ascertain is that ASCA was at one time a domestic corporation organized under the laws of the state of Iowa but appears to no longer enjoy that status. I am hoping that you can provide those facts.

In the meantime, I look forward to a constructive and civilized exchange with you, receiving facts and information not spurious threats of litigation.


Sincerely,

Tony Austin

For information on what a 501(c)(6) non profit means, check out this link: [Link]

For info on the ASCA articles of incorporation at the Florida Department of State - Division of Corporations , here is a link that lists ASCA as a "foreign corporation": [Link]

Here is a link to the IOWA Secretary of State stating that ASCA corporation in Iowa is inactive - Type in this corp number in the appropriate search box - 54460: [Link]

I am looking forward to clarification on this matter!

Is ASCA actually incorporated? - The 'Curb Northside ISD' blog say no way!

UPDATE: 5/26/11 9:04 PM: The author of the blog post I link to below this update left a cryptic comment to a follow-up post located here: [Link]

Sarah G said...

I am the author of curbnorthside.blogspot.com. John Leonard has emailed me demanding an immediate retraction. I will do so within 48 hours. I can't do so now because I don't understand most of his letter and I am too distraught. To your readers: ignore my blog and any statements made using my blog as references.

This quote stands out: "...I can't do so now because I don't understand most of his letter and I am too distraught." What did John Leonard's letter state? Did he threaten her with a lawsuit as he did me as noted here: [Link] or did he correct any possible mistakes she made?

For now here are two links regarding ASCA's incorporation or lack thereof:

For info on the ASCA articles of incorporation at the Florida Department of State - Division of Corporations , here is a link that lists ASCA as a "foreign corporation": [Link]

Here is a link to the IOWA Secretary of State stating that ASCA corporation in Iowa is inactive: [Link]

I will email her and find out.

End of Update ---

Remember George block, that weenie who says FINA should be replaced and/or boycotted but replaced with a new organization he is connected with? ...

Sarah sent me a link to her blog making some startling accusations about both George Block and ASCA. I have not taken the time to validate these claims and I have to state emphatically that these are allegations and I have no idea if they are true. Sarah insists that she has done the leg work and she is making her personal opinions, observations and judgments known.

Here is some of the stuff she had to say:

"... In my blog titled Bexar County Funding of Folks Folly Aquatic Center , I mention how often the name George Block surfaces when researching why my children’s school district is spending $7M on a pool that is unsuitable for high school athletes. ..."

On the website, http://www.nisd.net/features/sanac there is a statement

"...Northside's proposal has been endorsed by the national governing body for the sport of swimming, USA Swimming, which has promised the venue a minimum of five events per year."

I checked with Carol Birch at USA Swimming. Their organization does not guarantee any events. All organizations must bid on events

[Link]

It appears that Sarah was on a roll with George and decided to look into ASCA as well. Now this allegation from a second post is explosive. In fact is profoundly explosive. I do emphasize that this is an allegation only but if true, ASCA has some paper work to do and that may include Form 990's and some tax stuff.

"... As I look closer at this, I learn that a more ubiquitous name in swimming is John Leonard. Many organizations fall under the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), with John Leonard as Executive Director, and George Block as an officer.

ASCA is listed as a foreign corporation in Florida. Foreign, in corporation lingo, means not incorporated in the state. I originally had images of a corporation concealing their finances in Grand Cayman. It turns out John Leonard and George Block have an even better deal. Their annual reports to Florida state they are incorporated in Iowa. I checked the Iowa department of state. John Leonard registered in Iowa in 1968 but was terminated in 1992 for failure to file reports.

ASCA is not a legitimate corporation so there is no government oversight into their finances. It is not registered as an assumed name in Bexar County, and it is unlikely to be registered in any county.

This is a fictitious entity.

I confirmed ASCA status on Iowa's website and verbally with the Iowa department of state. ASCA, SwimAmerica, WSA, and possibly several other business entities seem to be doing business fraudulently.

[Link]

If what Sarah states is true, I am suggesting that the IRS get involved. Sick em, Sarah!

ALCATRAZ: The TV show! - No matter how much money they pour into it doing the swim itself will be way more exciting!

So, Next month I am doing the Alcatraz Sharkfest swim and this TV trailer will part of my ramp up my emotions for the event by immersing myself in everything Alcatraz.

This series is by the guy who did the TV show,"Lost" - so UFO sort of plot lines will be featured.

And speaking of UFO technology: I'm only marginally prepared to compete at a high level this year so I bought myself a "blueseventy Reaction" for the event. The suit is so boss! I will review it soon but my first impressions are: It is lite, well made, I look good in red!

I have done this Alcatraz swim 5-times and each time I am scared. I use this fear to keep me prepared. I am a very experienced open water swimmer. I have surfed most of my life and competed in dozens of events featuring open water swims such as the Ironman in Kona, and several other races up and down the coast of California. (This is how I placed in my last open water race: Link),

Each year the S.F. bay is a different monster: tides, chop, fog, and of course cold water. It is a short swim 1.25 miles long but it is a swim where you are literally more than 1/2-mile form shore when you get to the middle of the bay and it is that sweet spot in the bay where the tides gab you and spotting is critical.

I get really nervous when I jump into water at Alcatraz but i make sure I am one of the first so my body can adjust to the cold and I can evaluate a race strategy base upon what I am seeing and feeling. I also talk to the kayak support staff asking about how nasty the tide is, the chop in the middle of the bay et.c etc. It is fun swim and a fond memory. I really recommend it for swimmers who need a formidable goal.

Michael Phelps fails to win, place or show in the 200-free in Charlotte - Could his mind-set be a factor or is all about conditioning?

We have a 6th place finish in the 200-free for Michael Phelps at the Charlotte Ultra Swim Grand Prix. Phelps best 200-free time so far in 2011 was a 1:46.27. Today's effort was a 1:49.25 which is about three-seconds off his best for this year and seven-seconds more than the WR in the event.

Phelps has fallen so fall. If Phelps would have swam in or around his best time from several weeks ago he would have had a solid 1st place finish thereby beating the field by 2-seconds-plus.

His splits were good his times were slow. Noted in an MSNBC report is an odd quote by Bob Bowman:

The intensity of his training prompted coach Bob Bowman to take a three-week hiatus to Australia ("I wasn't helping myself, Michael, or anyone else, at that point," Bowman said), returning refreshed, and in time to regroup with Phelps in North Carolina.

"Michael has experience now, and he knows this," Bowman said. "Sometimes, he knows this too much. But we have 72 days to prepare for Shanghai, and that's where the focus is."

[Link]

If Bob Bowman was in Australia for three weeks and then regroups with Phelps in Charlotte, what has Michael Phelps been doing these past three weeks?

We are no longer hearing phrases like, "this was eye opening..., a wake-up call..., we have some work to do..." etc. etc. His rhetoric has now changed to "...I want to see if I still have it in the tank." [...] "Before, it came easy for me. I don't have two speeds anymore. I need to focus on the small things that I once took for granted."

This new rhetoric is troubling. Of course Phelps still has two speeds but his tank is empty and only professional dedication that matches the workload he maintained up to Beijing will "fill his tank" back up. Instead he appears to believe that this is merely an age related problem rather than a lack of an industrious workout schedule.

Apparently even Bowman is taking time off.

For the past three years I have been wet suit shopping! - I just purchased a 'blueseventy Reaction' for the 'Alcatraz Sharkfest' swim!

After reading review after review, doing analytics studies on those winning in cold water races, eyeing what the pro triathletes wore before they were signed, and even looking at both the history, and and technological output of all the companies involved, I have settled on a blueseventy Reaction.

Blueseventy has a history of winning technology: The blueseventy Helix essentially has been the suit of choice by pro triathletes till they were paid to switch. Chrissie Wellington, Julie Dibbons, Andy Potts and many more chose the b70 Helix first. That was a good enough endorsement for me.

I looked at open water swimmers who won their events with utterly no sponsorship deals in place and again the blueseventy was the front runner. Even when you looked at the history of blueseventy technology in the swimming pool again they proved their prowess with "weaponized" swimsuits that changed the whole sport. Soon Jaked, Arena, FINIS, followed their lead. Both swimming and swimmers shot onto the national radar and athletes actually made a living wage becasue of their innovation. I swam my best times ever in a blueseventy Nero.

Though the Helix is the the gold standard for open water race wear. I chose the Reaction because I will never be an elite swimmer but I still want access to the best mid range technology I can get and I trust b70 for that technology.

The photo above is Andy Potts before he was signed with TYR wearing a blueseventy Helix.

Ian Thorpe: "...I am like Lance Armstrong, Bjorn Borg and Michael Schumacher"

No trash talk just an exuberant professional who wants to race.

Translated from DotSwim.it:

Ian Thorpe , however, is well aware of what results [are] to be achieved and is well aware that like other famous athletes before him, the success will be won perhaps with more difficulty than before. "I, like Lance Armstrong, Bjorn Borg and Michael Schumacher when they returned after a long time, I'm not nervous about the results. To me [preparing for] London is a very important achievement. What are the results I can not say yet. "

[Link]

Michael Phelps quote from the "Globe and Mail" about retirement

"It's weird to think about it. My mom and I joke about it all the time," ... "She says, 'I'm still not retired, and you're going to retire before you're 30." -- Michael Phelps [Link]

He is probably the only US Swimmer in history who could even do that. Even Johnny Weissmuller had to become Tarzan before he could retire.

I would also like to add that with colleges cancelling swim programs, governing bodies doing what they can to keep swimming from becoming commercialized with suit products, he may be the last one to do so as well.

US Masters Swimming reviews ten wetsuits or so at You Tube.

Best wetsuit reviews I have ever seen; about ten suits in all. Thank you USMS.

On my radar for a wetsuit purchase this month for when I do Alcatraz in June is The blueseventy Reaction, Tyr Hurricane Category 5, and a dark horse I never thought I would consider is the Ocra Sonar and/or Phantom.

With all that stated above, I do want to be clear as to which I believe is the best wetsuit available and this opinion comes from personal observation rather than wear-and-tear or personal open water use: That wetsuit, hands down is the blueseventy Helix.

Why do I say that without having tried the suit? The answer is simple: Every single pro who created enough equity in their game or gathered enough wins under their belt to finally be signed by TYR such as Andy Potts, Julie Dibens, Chrissie Wellington, Sarah Haskins, and others wore the blueseventy Helix first. I suspect most, if not all were not paid a fee to do so but rather asked the company for a suit.

With this in mind I favor the Helix but the blueseventy Helix is out of my price range and my open water season is short. Hence, the blueseventy Reaction is my number one choice right now followed by the Hurricane and/or the Orca. I will let you know which one I purchase.

The good news about comebacks and the bad news about comebacks!

Had a thought just now: It's terrific that swimmers who have gone into retirement then make a decision to comeback do inspire generations to keep with their sports. However, the bad news is that perhaps these comebacks are viable due to the fact that the upcoming talent happens to be too anemic to provide a stronger, faster and more motivated performance. Thus the "older model" is still better than the "newer model."

Ian Thorpe dressed like a gentleman at the royal wedding!

Now compare this guy to Ryan Lochte or Michael Phelps - In casual life Thorpe isn't wearing grills, he is not wearing a baseball cap on backwards or sideways, no Lakers or Hornets jersey, all that stuff is for 17-year-olds or younger.

Now granted, if Phelps or Lochte were invited to a wedding they would dress appropriately too, but if you get a chance compare how all three of these men dress when in a casual setting with a Google image search.

Also, Thorpie is probably wearing some Armani ensemble and John Lobb shoes; (look up the price).

See Ian Thorpe in the royal wedding gallery here: [Link]

Go to Chloe Sutton's blog and feel her passion for swimming!

Chloe Sutton has entered the house - she is now in the links column to the right of the page. Now this is a swimmer who truly represents our "brand." She is dedicated, motivated and passionate.

She also has a blog at Universal Sports where in her first blog post shows us her "street credentials" and succinctly writes her love for the sport and for those around it.

When it comes to American swimming, she is the "truth, justice and American way" type of girl. I kid you not; I know the family, It's God and country. She will be a marketeers dream if she does well in 2012.

Her street credentials from Universal Sports:

At age 12, I broke national age group records and, thanks to that same stubborn persistence and determination, won my first national championship at 14 in the 10k open-water event. My Olympic berth came at 16 and now, as a 19-year-old, I am a six-year veteran on the National Team now focusing on the 400m and 800m meter freestyles. In those six years, I have been so blessed to travel along with some of the world's best athletes. I've also seen the world and experienced cultures that most people don't ever get to see. The people I have met and the things I have seen because of swimming make me so thankful to have this opportunity and this gift.

[Link]

She got skillz'

UPDATE: Dave in the city out west interviews Chloe: [Link]

Thorpedo arrives at Abbey

Thorpedo arrives at Abbey: "Swimming star arrives at Westminster Abbey, and seems to look like a fish out of water."

Above is a link to a video showing Ian Thorpe nervously in line waiting to get to his seat sitting along side both Mario Testino; the royal photographer, and Elton John.

Prince William is a serious contributor to Ian Thorpe's charity, Fountain for Youth.