Ice Sevens Challenge
noun - The Ice Sevens Challenge or Ice Sevens is the ice swimming equivalent of the Oceans Seven.
Contents
Locations
To achieve the Ice Sevens, a swimmer must complete an ice mile under standard ice swimming rules (i.e., no wetsuit and no neoprene hat) in the following locations. The swims must be ratified or recognized by the International Ice Swimming Association.
o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Europe
o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Oceania
o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Asia
o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in North America
o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in Africa
o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any location in South America
o An Ice Mile swum below 5ºC (41ºF) in any Polar location at 60º south or below or 70º north or above
o One of the seven Ice Miles must be a documented Zero Ice Mile (defined as a solo mile swim performed at below 1ºC)
Origin
Conceived and developed by Ger Kennedy and Steven Munatones, circa 2016, with the support of and governance by the International Ice Swimming Association, based on the concept of the Seven Summits and Oceans Seven.
Ice Swimming
Ice swimming is a type of open water swimming in a body of water with a frozen crust of ice or snow on the shore, and may be synonymous with winter swimming or Avantouinti in colder countries in water that is 5°C or less.
Ice Miles
As of April 2016, there have been 235 Ice Miles officially completed and ratified by the International Ice Swimming Association including 164 in Europe, 4 in Asia, 6 in the Polar regions, 32 in Africa, 27 in North America, 1 in South America, and 1 in Oceania.
Synonym
Ice Sevens Swimmers
As of July 2026
1. Jaimie Monahan, USA achieved Ice Sevens on 10 June 2018 with a total of 9 career Ice Miles
2. Kate Steels, Great Britain achieved Ice Sevens on 28 January 2023 with a total of 11 career Ice Miles
3. Lynton Mortensen, Australia achieved Ice Sevens on 27 July 2025 with a total of 8 career Ice Miles
4. Ger Kennedy, Ireland achieved Ice Sevens on 15 February 2026 with a total of 22 career Ice Miles
5. Stève Stievenart, France achieved Ice Sevens on 18 February 2026 with a total of 12 career Ice Miles
6. Teodor Tsvetkov (Bulgaria) achieved Ice Sevens on 11 July 2026 with a total of 12 career Ice Miles
Jaimie Monahan Ice Sevens Swims
American ice swimmer Jaimie Monahan completed the first documented Ice Sevens in history with the following Ice Miles:
1st Ice Mile in Europe on 2 April 2016 in Reykjavík, Iceland in 3.70°C water (3°C wind chill + 5.6°C air) in 35 minutes 0 seconds in the sea with 12 km/hr wind speed.
2nd Ice Mile in Asia (Ice Zero Mile) on 18 December 2016 in Tyumen, Russia in -0.03°C water (-31°C wind chill + air) in 30:20 in an ice pool cut into a frozen lake.
3rd Ice Mile in Africa on 13 February 2017 in Aguelmame Sidi Ali Lake, Morocco in 4.9°C water (-0.5°C wind chill + 3°C air) in 32:18 in a mountain lake with 14 km/hr wind speed.
4th Ice Mile within Arctic Circle on 4 March 2017 in Mikkelvik Brygge, Karlsøy, Norway in 2.37°C water (-3.5°C air) in 32:09 in the sea with 4 km/hr wind speed.
5th Ice Mile in North America on 9 March 2017 at M Street Beach, Boston, USA in 4.63°C water (6.1°C wind chill + 9°C air) in 26:16 in the sea with 20 km/hr wind speed.
6th Ice Mile in Oceania on 15 May 2017 in Tasman Lake, Aoraki Mt. Cook, New Zealand in 2.37°C water (14°C air) in 26:44 in a glacier lake.
7th Ice Mile in South America on 2 July 2017 in Ushuaia, Argentina in 4.76°C water (5.9°C air) in 29:05 in the Beagle Channel.
Ger Kennedy Ice Sevens Swims
Irish ice swimmer Ger Kennedy completed the second documented Ice Sevens in history with the following Ice Miles:
1st Ice Mile in Europe in Lough Dan, Co. Wicklow, Ireland on 24 February 2013, 1 mile in 3.3°C water in 40 minutes in a freshwater glacier lake.
2nd Ice Mile in Mikkelvik Brygge, Karlsøy, Norway (Polar Ice Mile) on 6 March 2017, 1 mile in 2.5°C water in 34 minutes 5 seconds in a sea water Norwegian fjord.
3rd Ice Mile Zero in Asia in Tyumen, Siberia, Russia on 9 December 2017, 2 km in 0.5°C water in 43 minutes 10 seconds in a 25m 3-lane ice pool called the lake of champions.
4th Ice Mile in Africa in Lake Ouiouane, Mid-Atlas mountains of Morocco on 6 January 2018, 1 mile in 3.7°C water in 37 minutes 10 seconds in a high altitude lake at 1630 meters.
5th Ice Mile in North America at M Street Beach, Boston, USA on 22 February 2018, 1 mile in 4.7°C water in 32 minutes 15 seconds in the open sea.
6th Ice Mile in Oceania in the Thredbo Reservoir, NSW Australia on 1 June 2019, 1 mile in 2.8°C water in 38 minutes 2 seconds in a high altitude fresh water lake at 1440 meters.
7th Ice Mile in South America in Portillo, Chile on 4 October 2019, 1 mile in 3.9°C water in a high-altitude freshwater glacier lake at 2,880 meters.
Kate Steels Ice Seven Swims
British ice swimmer Kate Steels completed the third documented Ice Sevens in history with the following Ice Miles:
1st Ice Mile in Europe in Andark Lake, Bursledon, Southampton, UK on 31 January 2015, 1.03 miles in 3.90°C water and -1.00°C wind chill in 32 minutes 50 seconds.
2nd Ice Mile in Mikkelvik Brygge, Karlsøy, Norway (Polar Ice Mile) on 4 March 2017, 1.06 miles in 2.37°C water and -7.30°C wind chill, swimming in 33 minutes 16 seconds at 70.01°N latitude.
3rd Ice Mile in Africa in Lac Aguelmame Sidi Ali, Atlas Mountains, Morocco on 15 December 2017, 1.13 miles in 3.83°C water and -2.00°C wind chill in 35 minutes 0 seconds.
4th Ice Mile in Asia in South Lake, Shuangyashan City, China (Zero Ice Mile) on 24 December 2017, 1.01 miles in 0.90°C water and -22.10°C wind chill in 35 minutes 5 seconds.
5th Ice Mile in North America in Lake Simcoe, Beaverton, Canada on 21 April 2019, 1.0 miles in 4.13°C water and 7.90°C wind chill in 31 minutes 42 seconds.
6th Ice Mile in Oceania in Lake Lyndon, New Zealand on 31 August 2019, 1.05 miles in 3.93°C water and 4.50°C wind chill in 31 minutes 57 seconds.
7th Ice Mile in South America in Lake Esmeralda, Argentina on 22 November 2021, 1.0 miles in 4.2°C water in 29 minutes 19 seconds to achieve the Ice Sevens at the age of 52.
Stève Stievenart Ice Sevens Swims
French ice swimmer Stève Stievenart completed the fourth documented Ice Sevens in history with the following Ice Miles:
1st Ice Mile on 14 May 2024, he completed an Ice Mile in Lke Tilsit, Morocco in 35 minutes 47 seconds at 2,120 meters in altitude in 4.73° water and 2.10°C air temperatures.
2nd Ice Mile on 10 August 2024, he completed an Ice Mile in Lake Crakenback, Australia in 39 minutes 17 seconds at 1,100 meters in altitude in 4.7°C water and 4.2°C air temperatures.
3rd Ice Mile on 5 October 2024, he completed a high-altitude Ice Mile at Ski Portillo, Chile in the Andes at 2,850 meters in 37 minutes 54 seconds at 4.7°C water and 3.6°C air temperatures.
4th Ice Mile on 24 October 2024, he completed an Ice Mile in Longyearbyen Svalbard, Norway in 33 minutes 56 seconds in 3.73°C water and -5.00°C air temperatures.
5th Ice Mile on 13 November 2024, he completed a high-altitude 1.24 Ice Mile at the Alpeiner Nature Resort Tirol pond in Austria in 3.30°C water and -2.00°C air temperatures in 58 minutes 50 seconds at 1,020 meters in altitude.
6th Ice Mile on 10 December 2024, he completed an Ice Mile in Ship creek in Anchorage, Alaska, USA in 0.73°C water and 2.00°C air temperatures in 36 minutes 31 seconds in the sea.
7th Ice Mile on 14 December 2024, he completed an Ice Mile in Beach Mombetsu in Mombetsu, Hokkaido, Japan in 2.63°C water and -6.00°C air temperatures in 37 minutes 32 seconds in the sea.
Ice Mile
On 21 April 2019 in Lake Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, Kate Steels-Fryatt completed an Ice Mile, swimming 1.01 miles in 31 minutes 43 seconds in 4.2°C - 4.5°C water, her 5th Ice Sevens swim during her career.
The 007 Challenge
The 007 Challenge is the completion of the two most difficult open water swimming series in the world: the Oceans Seven and the Ice Sevens by a single individual.
External links
- Teodor Tsvetkov Achieves The Ice Sevens, Joins A Hardened List of Extreme Adventurers
- Lynton Mortensen, Open Water Swimming’s 007, Man of Mystery
- Gratitude for Greatness, Plans to Prosper in the Ice
- Stève Stievenart Achieves The Ice Sevens
- Stève Stievenart from IMSHOF Induction to Immersion and Beyond
- Stève Stievenart Wows Japan In A Japanese First
- Stève Stievenart Does a High-Altitude Ice Mile in the Andes
- Kate Steels Pioneers Her Second Circumnavigation Swim in Mexico
- Team America Gearing Up For The IISA 5th World Championship
- Kate Steels Pioneers Circumnavigation Swim Around Isla Coronado
- Kate, Woman Of Steels, Crosses Catalina
- Jingle Bells In The Open Water
- Murphy’s Law and Yhprum's Law, Experiencing Both in the Open Water
- Remembering Kate Steels' Ice Sevens and Her Son Dan
- Ger Kennedy Swims Away From The Light(house)
- Kate Steels Achieves Ice Sevens
- Jaimie Monahan's Manhattan Island Exploits Recognized By Guinness World Records
- International Day of Older Persons and the Aging Demographics of Open Water Swimmers
- What Is Open Water Swimming?
- 10K Under 10°C, Ger Kennedy Joins Cold Water Swimming A-Listers
- How Cold Can Cold Get?
- Ice Sevens Queen & King Give Inspirational Talk For Charity
- Bucket Lists Of Ice Swimming
- Dreaming Big With Jaimie Monahan On WOWSA Live
- Kate Steels And Bruckner Chase With Ned Denison On Open Water Monday
- Kate Steels On Open Water Monday
- Ger Kennedy: Swim Out To The Iceberg And Back
- Ger Kennedy On Open Water Wednesday
- Support Kate Steels En Route To The Ice Sevens
- The Ice Sevens - Ice Swimming's Ocean Seven Equivalent
- Conroy Pond, Fast Winter Water
- International Ice Swimming Association
- 2015 Ice Swimming World Championships In Murmansk
- What Open Water Swim Could Be More Dangerous?
- International Ice Swimming Association Facebook page
- Absoluut Malligheid Absolute Madness
- Open Water Swimming
- International Ice Swimming Association member list
- Ice Swimming In The Winter Olympics
- Two Knuckleheads To Make Attempt For Red Jackets
- Ice Exuberance By Jerome Leslie And Elaine Howley
- Exploring Extremes, Swimming In Siberia
- Tyumen Winter Swimming Championships In Siberia
- Warm-Hearted Swimming In Cold Water
- Dam, That Water Is Cold
- Anticipating And Dealing With The Cold
- Mother – Father Relationships In The Open Water
- Do Ice Swimmers Have Bigger Brains?
- Establishing A Governing Body In Open Water Swimming
- Ice Swim Africa 2013
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Should Ice Swimming Be In The Olympics? Yes!
- If Ice Swimming Were In The Olympics, What Are The Rules?
- Should Ice Swimming Be In The Olympics? Yes!
- If Ice Swimming Were In The Olympics, What Are The Rules?
- Mind Over Matter, Swimming 1000m @ 0ºC
- Swimming In Siberia, Russian Winter Swimming Champs
- Ram Barkai Sees Only Tip Of The Iceberg
- 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year
- Cool To The Extreme, International Ice Swimming Association
- The Mind Matters In The Open Water
- International Ice Swimming Association Is 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year
- WOWSA Announces Its 2013 Awards
- Statistics On Ice Swimmers And Ice Swimming
- Time Will Tell How Changes Impact Open Water Rules
- Top 25 Organizations And Groups In Openwaterpedia
- Where Landmarks Are Pure Snowy White
- Fearless And Frozen At The Bottom Of The World
- St. Ninian's Bay To Host International Swim Celebration
- Pádraig Mallon To Be Honored In Mount Stuart Castle
- Olga Kozydub To Be Honored In Scotland
- Mercedes Gleitze To Be Honored In Scotland
- 1st World Ice Swimming Championship To Be Presented
- Ice Milers Show Warmth
- When Open Water Greats Go Ice Cold
- How Cold Is The Water?
- Chilling In Ullswater And Windermere
- Getting High On Winter Swimming
- Step Out Of The Ordinary Is 2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year
- Where The Mind Is The True Weapon
- Cooperative Camaraderie In The Cold
- Elina Making Taking Safety To Her Limits
- Behind The Scenes In Murmansk
- Elina Making Taking Safety To Her Limits
- Ordinary People Achieving The Extraordinary In Murmansk
- 1st World Ice Swimming Championship To Be Presented
- Behind The Scenes In Murmansk
- March Madness in Murmansk
- March Madness In Murmansk, Part 2
- Wandi Really Ready
- 2015 Ice Swimming World Championship Results
- Elina Making Taking Safety To Her Limits
- Fast Frentic Freezing Freestyle
- Intense Competition Among World's Best Ice Swimmers
- The Power Of One, Henri Karma
- Ice In His Vein - Albert Sobirov
- Team Matters In Ice Swimming
- Checking Up And Checking In For An Ice Swim
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Ice Man Cometh
- Shamil Tanna Shoots Ice Swimming For The Red Bulletin
- Ice Swimming World Championship Celebrated
- 2015 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
- 2015 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
- Elina Makïnen Blossoms Into A World-Class Swimmer
- Irish Ice, Frigid Fun
- The Words Of The Winter and Ice Swimming Community
- International Winter Swimming Association
- International Ice Swimming Association
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- Afterdrop of body temperature during rewarming: an alternative explanation
- Medical Dictionary
- Just Get On With It
- Mind Over Matter, Swimming 1000m @ 0ºC
- Swimming In Siberia, Russian Winter Swimming Champs
- Fearless And Frozen At The Bottom Of The World
- Shivering By An Open Water Swimmer Like...
- How Far Can They Go In The Cold Water?
- Ice Circuit World Rankings - January 2016
- Competition In Ice Is Heating Up
- Recovery From Ice
- Wild Water Lives Up To Its Name In Armagh
- John Ryan Out-miles Fergal Somerville, Carole Laporte
- Proposed Changes To Ice Swimming Association
- Human Physiological Performance During A 1-Mile Swim in Cold Water
- Ice Sevens, A Massive Global Challenge
- Ice Sevens, A New Paradigm In Ice Swimming
- Unforgettable, Unbelievable, Unpredictable ...What's Next?
- How Do You Define Open Water Swimming?
- Grrrrr, Gritty Gutsy Ger
- Ger Kennedy Goes Cold, Long And Rough
- Gerrrrrrr, Ice Sevens Do It In The ICE
- Norway Ice Swimming Expedition
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Mikkelvik Brygg
- Swimming To Mikkelvik Brygge
- Jaimie Monahan Honored By The Hall Of Fame
- From Ice To Sand In Morocco
- Jaimie Monahan Wins 2017 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Award
- Jaimie Monahan Wins 2017 Yudovin Award For Most Adventurous Swim
- 守破離 In The Open Water
- Jaimie Monahan To Be Honored Globally...Again
- Swimmer's Six
- The Maelstrom Seven, A New Challenge
- Jaimie Monahan, Ice Swimming Hall Of Fame Honoree
- Ice Sevens Coming Up For Kate Steels-Fryatt