Phil White

From Openwaterpedia
2nd annual Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont in 31.5ºF (-0.2ºC) water. Photo courtesy of Phil White
First International Vampire Swims in Cork, Ireland envisioned by Jaimie Monahan, Greg O’Connor, and Phil White
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Phil White, Founder of NEKOWSA and nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
Lake Willoughby
Phil White manages The Clubhous on the shores of Lake Memphremagog in the state of Vermont and is a nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame, founded by Phil White and Ned Denison

Phil White is a 74-year-old American open water swimming race director, administrator and photographer from Newport, Vermont, U.S.A. He is founder of the Kingdom Games in Vermont.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

Race Directing and Founding

Winter Swimming

He is the founding member of the Memphremagog Winter Swimming Society and organized the inaugural U.S. Winter Swimming Championships and the Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont.

Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival

2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nomination

White is nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.

"Race directors have to be committed, caring and creative. Phil White is the epitome of the much-appreciated organizer who has breathed a renewed sense of community, adventure and challenge into the idyllic Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Dotted with innumerable lakes of rare beauty, White envisioned all kinds of courses and competitions where none existed before. He not only has attracted athletes and volunteers from 36 American states and 8 countries to his green corner of the world, but he has also kindled a wide spectrum of support from corporate to governmental entities. For his launch and execution of the wide-reaching Kingdom Games that includes 40 days of competition including everything from ice swimming to marathon swimming, for inspiring people from all walks of life, ages, and abilities to participate in races both short and long on a year-round basis, for his enthusiastically contagious encouragement of daring people to dream, Phil White is a worthy nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year."

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2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees

1. Adam Walker (Great Britain), Oceans Seven Swimmer
2. Allan Lopes Mamédio do Carmo (Brazil), FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup Champion
3. Colin Hill (Great Britain), Race Director & Open Water Ambassador
4. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands), 2-time European Champion
5. Henri Kaarma (Estonia), Ice Swimmer & Cold Water Ambassador
6. Joanes Hedel (France), FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix Champion
7. Joseph Locke (U.S.A.), Farallons Freestyler
8. Lewis Pugh, OIG (Great Britain), Ocean Advocate
9. Otto Thaning, M.D. (South Africa), Oldest English Channel Swimmer
10. Phil White (U.S.A.), Outstanding Organizer
11. Tomi Stefanovski (Macedonia), Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean Co-Champion
12. Xavier Desharnais (Canada), Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean Co-Champion

Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association

NEKOWSA promotes and coordinates swims in the legendary lakes of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, a wonderfully beautiful part of the eastern United States. The clarity of the lakes in this area rival any in North America - geological marvels that NEKOWSA will celebrate and promote with its four open water swims in 2010.

Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association (NEKOWSA) Events

All events are conducted in the state of Vermont with online registration. The events include the Kingdom Games and the following:

• Son of a Swim, 2-, 4- and 6-mile swims in Lake Memphremagog, on June 18, 2011. The Son of a Swim is designed as a qualification swim for the Kingdom Swim in July. The field is limited to 25 swimmers.

• Kingdom Swim, 1-, 3-, 6- and 10-mile swims in Lake Memphremagog, is scheduled for July 9, 2011. A quickly emerging celebration of open water swimming in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom. The event includes ¼-mile and 100-yard swims for children only. The field is limited to 100 swimmers per course.

• Seymour Swim, a 3.5-mile swim in Lake Seymour as part of Kingdom Triathlon’s Aquaman, is scheduled for August 6, 2011. Swimmers are welcome to swim the first leg of the triathlon, but the field is limited to 50 swimmers.

• Willoughby Swim, a 4.75-mile swim in a majestic lake in some of the cleanest water in North America is scheduled for August 20, 2011. The field is limited to 50 swimmers.

White commented on the Willoughby Swim, "The swim really is a majestic swim. This year, the wind was 1-3 miles an hour coming from the south when we started. Ripples were on the water. It gets compressed by the cliffs. Waves ended up 1-foot high, with a current as water was blown from the south end into the north end. The water is so clear and deep, it becomes blue black under the cliffs."

Winter Swimming Championship

White of the Kingdom Games is a co-organizer of the first Winter Swimming Championship in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont in February 2015 together with Janet Kylander Manning, R. Cristian Vergara, Melissa O’Reilly, and Brad McVetta of the United States Winter Swimming Association and Mariia Yrjö-Koskinen and Aleksandr Jakovlevs of the International Winter Swimming Association held in accordance with rules of the International Winter Swimming Association. The event is sanctioned by the U.S. Winter Swimming Association and the International Winter Swimming Association.

MSF Calendars

His photography was featured in the 2015 and 2016 MSF Calendars:

2016 MSF Calendar

January: 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim, Stage 5. Photo by Andrew Malinak.
February: Anthony McCarley, Catalina Channel. Photo by Caren Morrison.
March: Chloë McCardel, 3-way English Channel. Photo by Paul McQueeney.
April: Wendy Van de Sompele and Ann White, Puget Sound, Washington. Photo by Peter Ray.
May: Breda Maguire, Fountainstown, Ireland. Photo by Siobhan Russell.
June: Bernard Lynch and Liam Maher, Ballycotton, Ireland. Photo by Siobhan Russell.
July: Gregg Bolsinger, English Channel. Photo by Jean François Bouloy.
August: Lynne MacGregor, Robben Island to Big Bay. Photo by John MacGregor.
September: Elliot Spaeder and support crew, Lake Erie. Photo by Robert Frank.
October: David Uprichard, Lake Memphremagog, Vermont Photo by Phil White.
November: Elaine Howley, Loch Ness, Scotland. Photo by Andrew Malinak.
December: Vlissingen, Netherlands. Photo by Mischa de Muynck.

2015 MSF Calendar

January: Anthony McCarley, English Channel. Photo by Roger Taylor.
February: Santa Barbara Channel. Photo by Theo Schmeeckle.
March: Ted Erikson at Promontory Point, Chicago. Photo by Louise LeBourgeois.
April: Sarah Thomas at The Arc, USA. Photo by Ken Classen.
May: Underway at Lake Willoughby, USA. Photo by Phil White.
June: Grace van der Byl at MIMS 2014, USA. Photo by John Humenik.
July: Navigation, Lake Pend Oreille, USA. Photo by Andrew Malinak.
August: Suva off Cap Gris Nez, English Channel. Photo by Zoe Sadler.
September: Applegate Lake 10K Start, USA. Photo by Peter Ray.
October: Bethany Bosch & Guri at Lake Willoughby. Photo by Phil White.
November: Round Christiansborg, Denmark. Photo by Samuel Tyson.
December: Night swimming, Ireland. Photo by Donal Buckley.

Videos


MSF Calendar

White's photography is featured in the months of May and October in the 2015 MSF Calendar.

January: Anthony McCarley, English Channel. Photo by Roger Taylor.
February: Santa Barbara Channel. Photo by Theo Schmeeckle.
March: Ted Erikson at Promontory Point, Chicago. Photo by Louise LeBourgeois.
April: Sarah Thomas at The Arc, USA. Photo by Ken Classen.
May: Underway at Lake Willoughby, USA. Photo by Phil White.
June: Grace van der Byl at MIMS 2014, USA. Photo by John Humenik.
July: Navigation, Lake Pend Oreille, USA. Photo by Andrew Malinak.
August: Suva off Cap Gris Nez, English Channel. Photo by Zoe Sadler.
September: Applegate Lake 10K Start, USA. Photo by Peter Ray.
October: Bethany Bosch & Guri at Lake Willoughby. Photo by Phil White.
November: Round Christiansborg, Denmark. Photo by Samuel Tyson.
December: Nightswimming, Ireland. Photo by Donal Buckley.

Marathon Swim Stories

He appeared with Shannon House Keegan on Marathon Swim Stories.

External links

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