Dave Barra




David Barra is an American open water swimmer and race director from New York who specializes in marathon swimming.
Contents
- 1 New York Open Water
- 2 MSF Core Group
- 3 Open Water Swimming Career
- 4 Honors
- 5 The Year 2010
- 6 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim
- 7 SwimVacation Coaches
- 8 Chloë McCardel's Marathon
- 9 2017 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
- 10 2017 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nomination
- 11 Top 10 Swimmers with the Fastest Time to Achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- 12 External links
New York Open Water
- Barra is one of the principals of New York Open Water that organizes the 20 Bridges Circumnavigation Swim of Manhattan, a 45.9 km marathon swim around Manhattan Island.
- New York Open Water was selected as the 2016 Streeter Award for Service to Marathon Swimming by the Marathon Swimmers Federation.
MSF Core Group
He is a member of the MSF Core Group that oversees standards and policies for Marathon Swimmers Federation projects. Barra is joined by Caroline Block, PhD, Elaine Kornbau Howley, Andrew Malinak, Anthony McCarley, Evan Morrison, Emma Radford, and Sarah Thomas.
Open Water Swimming Career
- In 2010, he had one of the most remarkably prolific years of marathon swimming in the 21st century.
- He started off the year with a 9.6-mile Maui Channel between the islands of Lanai and Maui in March in Hawaii.
- Then he completed the the 24-mile (38.6 km) Tampa Bay Marathon Swim in Florida in April in 10 hours 49 minutes.
- Then he went on to complete the 28.5-mile (45.8 km) Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in June in New York in 8 hours 30 minutes.
- On his second leg of his Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, he crossed the 21-mile (33.7 km) Catalina Channel in July with a 15 hour 37 minute swim in tough conditions.
- Then he did the 8-mile (12.8 km) Boston Light Swim in Massachusetts in August in 3 hours.
- He crossed the English Channel in September with a 14 hour 27 minute swim to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and the Grand Slam of Open Water Swimming.
- He completed the 17.5-mile (28.1 km) Ederle Swim in October in 5 hours 37 minutes.
- He capped off the 2010 season with a 5 km swim in Coney Island November in New York. His explanation of his exploits are below.
- In 2011, he conceived and completed the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim, a 120-mile (193 km), 7-day, 7-stage swim in the Hudson River in New York, U.S.A.
- In 2012, he competed in S.C.A.R. Swim Challenge in Arizona.
- He completed the 20-mile Provincetown to Plymouth swim (P2P Swim) in Massachusetts in August 2012.
- He completed the 25-mile In Search of Memphre, a cross-border swim from Newport, Vermont (USA) to Magog, Quebec (Canada).
- He organized the 2nd 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim.
- He participated in the 15.1-mile Cape Circumnavigation Challenge marathon swim around Cape May, New Jersey.
- He won the inaugural 2.6-mile Cold Water Challenge in Fairfield, Connecticut.
- On 28 March 2013, Barra completed a 22-mile marathon swim in Eleuthera, Bahamas from Lighthouse Beach to Sunrise Beach in 13 hours 41 minutes escorted by Clare Kelly-Barra, Scott Aland, Rachel Shapiro, and Jai Leal as escort kayakers.
- In 2015, Barra completed a lengthwise 38-mile (61.1 km) crossing of Cayuga Lake in New York in 23 hours 26 minutes.
- He is a Lifetime Member of the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association.
- He was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
- He is a guide and coach with SwimVacation
Honors
- He was inducted as an Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in its Class of 2017.
- Barra is the namesake for the Barra Award. The Barra Award is an award given by the Marathon Swimmers Forum for most impressive overall year of marathon swimming. The Barra Award considers not just swimming achievements, but also the person's full body of work in the sport of marathon swimming.
The Year 2010
45-year-old Barra trained hard during the cold winter months in New York's Mid Hudson Valley to prepare for his remarkable year. Besides the hours in the pool, he was also acclimated to sub-10°C (50°F) water by swimming in lakes throughout the winter. He completed the following swims throughout the year:
- 9.6-mile (15.4K) Maui Channel between the islands of Lanai and Maui on March 21st in 4 hours and 55 minutes.
- 24-mile (38.6K) second-place finish at the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim in Florida on April 17th in 10 hours and 49 minutes.
- 28.5 miles (45.8K) in the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York on June 12th where he finished 15th in 8 hours and 30 minutes (the first leg of his Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming)
- 21-mile (33.7K) Catalina Channel in California on July 20th with a 15 hour and 37 minute swim in tough conditions - (second leg of his Triple Crown).
- 8-mile (12.8K) Boston Light Swim in Massachusetts on August 14th with a 7th-place finish in 3:00:31 in the 59°F (15°C) water.
- a 14 hour and 27 minute crossing of the English Channel on September 1st (completing the Triple Crown in the second shortest time period ever (81 days to Rendy Lynn Opdyke's 35-day record).
- 17.5-mile (28.1K) Ederle Swim from New York to New Jersey in 5 hours 37 minutes
- Coney Island 5-mile swim in November
Not since the heyday of International Marathon Swimming Hall of Famers Michael Read and Kevin Murphy has the marathon swimming world been graced by a working man and amateur swimmer so prolific and successful as Dave Barra (129.6 miles or 208K total in one season).
Humble, passionate and committed, Dave represents the good and the positive of the sport.
8 Bridges Hudson River Swim
Barra created an expedition swim called the 8 Bridges | Hudson River Swim. As Dave explains, "This swim [follow via Twitter] has been on my mind for a long time. Last year, I started training in the Hudson River with Rondi Davies and she encouraged me to finally put it together. She has also done an incredible amount of the leg work required for such an event. Originally, it was going to be just Rondi and me swimming, but after a few conversations with the Coast Guard, we decided that we could handle a few other swimmers for the up-river stages. We have a maximum of 7 swimmers total for each of the first 5 stages. This number was determined by the capacity of the boat that we will have transporting us to our splash site each day. CIBBOWS has also provided us with much needed support."
SwimVacation Coaches
Barra is a swim coach and guide with SwimVacation, an open water swimming tour operator in the British Virgin Islands and the state of Maine in the United States.
- George Hopper McDonough, President
- Heather Perry
- Will Thomas
- Tim Fitzpatrick
- Cortney Linville
- Elaine Howley
- David Barra
Chloë McCardel's Marathon
Barra served together with Brianne Yeates as an observer for Chloë McCardel's 126 km marathon swim from Lighthouse Beach on the southern tip of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas to Nassau in 42 hours 30 minutes between 20-22 October 2014, completed under Marathon Swimmers Federation rules.
2017 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
New York Open Water was nominated for the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association:
1. 48 Braçades by Miquel Suñer (Spain)
2. Blue Journey Dangerous Waves Project by Bruckner Chase (USA)
3. Global Swim Series by Rob Kent & Dylan Kent (Canada)
4. LongSwimsDB by Evan Morrison (USA)
5. New York Open Water by David Barra, Rondi Davies & Alex Arévalo (USA)
6. Open Water Swim Academy by Dan Simonelli (USA)
7. Outdoor Swimmer by Simon Griffiths (Great Britain)
8. Sea Donkey with Adrian Sarchet (Guernsey)
9. Shark Bait by Dr. Seán O’Connell (Bermuda)
10. Swim Argentina by Matías Ola (Argentina)
11. The Channel of Bones with Toni Enderli (South Africa)
12. Travessia do Leme ao Pontal by Adherbal de Oliveira & Renato Ribeiro Barbosa (Brazil)
2017 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nomination
New York Open Water has rapidly stamped and shared its vision on the marathon swimming world. The event management entity has taken the energy and opportunities of the defunct NYC Swim to a new level. David Barra, Rondi Davies and Alex Arévalo built upon the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and other established swims around New York City – and extended and strengthened the opportunities to swim around, in and near the Big Apple. From the nearly impossibly long 91.8 km 40 Bridges Double Manhattan Island Swim to the most definitely long 193 km 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim, the passionate trio has built a solid foundation of races for the world’s most extreme marathon swimmers. For reviving and expanding the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim as the 20 Bridges event, for creating and hosting the longest solo marathon swims and stage swims in the world, for attracting swimmers from around the world to New York, New York Open Water is a worthy nominee for the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.
Top 10 Swimmers with the Fastest Time to Achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
As of October 2021:
1. Joel Matos Ortiz (Puerto Rico) 27 days
2. Patrick McKnight (USA) 34 days
3. Rendy Lynn Opdycke (USA) 35 days
4. Victoria Cox (Australia) 64 days
5. David Barra (USA) 81 days
6. Miguel Guillermo Campero Garcia (Mexico) 82 days
7. Dina Levačić (Czech Republic) 84 days
7. Elizabeth Almond (USA) 84 days
9. Lynton Mortensen (Australia) 89 days
10. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico) 92 days (br/>
External links
- Water Swimming In, Near, And Around New York City
- Joe Zemaitis Enjoyed A Barraesque Double Plus Year, A Season Like No Other
- Erica Esterly, Mayra Santos, Antonio Argüelles Finish 40 Bridges Around Manhattan Island
- Déjà vu Again – Twice Around Manhattan Island
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Patrons
- Taking KAATSU To The Extreme - WOWSA
- Taking KAATSU To The Extreme - KAATSU blog
- Do Women Find Male Swimmers Attractive?
- WOWSA Live with Drury Gallagher and Ned Denison, Talking About Manhattan Island
- History of The Great Race at Kingdom Swim
- Joel Matos Ortiz Takes 27 Days to Complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- Los Cabos Open Water, The Acuarium Swim
- If Something Is Worth Doing, It Is Worth Overdoing
- Core Strength Is Key In Marathon Swimming
- New York Open Water
- Mermaid Merle For Maxim
- COVID-19's Impact On Arizona And New York Open Water
- Fastest Times Of The Grand Slam Of Open Water Swimming
- Chloë McCardel Achieves Her Goal
- Dave Barra Goes On Expedition
- Dave Barra Can't Get Enough
- Dave Barra's Marathon Swims
- 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim
- SwimVacation website
- Idyllic Maine Lakes Tour
- 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim
- NYC Swim bio
- Catalina Channel Swimming Federation website
- Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation website
- Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- Dave Barra Just Can't Get Enough
- Plymouth to Provincetown (P2P) Swim Takes Off
- On Golden Pond
- Propping Up Safety Standards In Open Water
- S.C.A.R. To Begin Tomorrow
- Fast Times, Camaraderie On S.C.A.R. Swim Challenge Day 2
- Grace Van Der Byl Goes 3 For 3 After 17
- The Feeling Of Finishing, From Fatigue To Felicity
- America's Channel Got Talent
- Plymouth to Provincetown (P2P) Swim Takes Off
- Mo Is Better The Longer He Goes
- Cape Circumnavigation Challenge Field Announced
- Remembering The 2010 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim
- Stephen Rouch Joins 7 Luminaries In 8 Bridges
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- The Transition From NYC Swim To New York Open Water
- Marathon Swimming
- Charlotte Samuels On Cape Circumnavigation Challenge
- C3 Results From Cape Circumnavigation Challenge
- 2.6 Miles Of Cold Water Challenge
- Ned Denison Is Swimming On Cloud Nine
- Eleuthera Marathon Swim
- Eleuthera With Barra, Version 2.0 Under Development
- MSF Rules Of Marathon Swimming Announced
- Where Women Dominate
- Marathon Swimmers Federation To Test Stinger Suits
- Bona Fide Barraesque
- Triple Crowners Showcase Their Fountain Of Youth - Age of Triple Crowners
- 7 Uber Days Between 8 Long Bridges
- A 1968 Relic - Russell Chaffee's Computer Swim
- The Legacy Of Russell Chaffee
- What Is The Hardest Week Of Swimming In The World?
- Whose Record Will Chloë McCardel Break?
- Marathon Swimmers Federation Observer's Report
- Going Rogue Goes International In Arizona
- Marvelous Marathon Memories Of A Mountain Of A Man
- Charlotte Samuels On The Bight Side
- Tori Gorman Completes The Triple Crown
- A Long Night Swimming Across Lake George
- How Great To Swim All Eight; How Fun To Do Just One
- Cheryl Reinke Wins 8 Bridges Stage 1
- Swimming In Stages Down The Hudson River
- Stage 6 Takes 6 For Capri Djatiasmoro
- FLASH! Swimming Around Manhattan Island Is On
- Swimming In Spite Of The Devil
- FLASH! Swimming Around Manhattan Island Is On
- New York Open Water
- New York Open Water Facebook page
- History Of Swimming Around Manhattan Island
- Michael/ Hanisch Follows Long Line Of Aussie Greats
- Trio Of Aussies Do Triple Crown Around The Big Apple
- Details Of The 20 Bridges Swims In 2017
- David Barra Inducted In Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame
- 'Twas The Days Before Christmas In The Open Water
- A For Achievement, Passion, Effort And Dedication
- Jaimie Monahan Travels The World To Win The Barra Award
- Luminaries And Inductees At IMSHOF Festivities
- Guy Cohen Swimming For The Past And Future
- The Genesis Of 40 Bridges, Doing 57 Miles With A Smile
- 2017 Marathon Swimmers Federation Award Nominees
- Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Heroes
- 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim
- They Did It
- The Men & Woman Behind The Bridges
- New York Open Water
- Pat Gallant-Charette Never Looking Back
- Two Triumphant Tandem For Triple
- Kate Robarts Takes The Heat To Achieve Triple Crown
- One More Swim, One More Wave For Melissa Kegler
- Swimming Splendidly From Slovakia To Sydney
- Jenny Smith Does Crazy Hard, Completes Triple Crown
- Ned Wieland Has A Long Bright Future Ahead
- Nathalie Pohl Wins 20 Bridges, Achieves Triple Crown
- Swimming Closely Together Over Long, Long Distances
- The Year David Was Barraesque
- 2019 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men
- Chad Schneider Wins Stage 1 Of 8 Bridges Down The Hudson
- Swimming The Islands In The Hudson River