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Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association

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Lake Memphremagog at night, photo courtesay of Dr. Jim Miller of FINA
Kristin Jones winning the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Association World 10-mile Swimming Championships in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont at the Kingdom Swim. Photo courtesy of Phil White of the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association
Eric Nilsson stroking to victory at the 2013 WOWSA World 10-mile Swimming Championships in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont. Photo courtesy of Phil White of the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association
Feodor Orlov after finishing the WOWSA World 10-mile Swimming Championships in Lake Memphremagog in Vermont. Photo courtesy of Phil White of the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association
Memphre t-shirt design
In Search of Memphre] in Lake Memphremagog on the Canadian side
In Search of Memphre swimmers at 2011 event

noun - The Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association (NEKOWSA) is an open water swimming governing body that was founded by Phil White and 11 passionate open water swimming enthusiasts. Headquartered at The Clubhous in Derby, Vermont, NEKOWSA was established in order to promote and coordinate open water swimming events 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 open water swims including the Swim The Kingdom series.

NEKOWSA Events

NEKOWSA organizes a 4-mile open water swim to be held in Lake Willoughby, a beautiful glacier lake, in August. NEKOWSA also organizes a 6-mile Son of a Swim in June and the 1-, 3- and 10-mile Kingdom Swims in July as well as the Even Up Aquaman Triathlon (3.5-mile swim + 35-mile bike + 13.1-mile run) in Lake Salem or Lake Seymour in August.

NEKOWSA also hosts the inaugural WOWSA World 10-mile Championship, a marathon swim that is part of the Kingdom Swim and the 18-mile Skinner Island/Smuggler's Cave Swim.

NEKOWSA Swimmer of the Year

NEKOWSA annually honors its most inspirational swimmers with the NEKOWSA Swimmer of the Year Award. Its recipients include:

Swim The Kingdom

Swim The Kingdom is an open water swimming competition organized in the state of Vermont by Phil White of the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association (NEKOWSA). The event consists of 7 open water swims in 9 days in Lake Memphremagog.

2014 NEKOWSA Schedule

2013 Swim The Kingdom Schedule

August 10th: Crystal Swim, a 4-mile open water swim under the cliffs and around the shores
August 11th: Island Pond Swim, 3-mile open water swim from Brighton State Park Beach around The Island
August 13th: Seymour Swim, a 3.5-mile open water swimming double loop
August 14th: Massawippi, a 4-mile open water swim starting and ending at Ayres Cliff, Quebec
August 15th: Memphremagog, a 4-mile open water swim in Derby, around Black, Belle, and Cove Islands
August 17th: Willoughby Swim, a 5-mile majestic open water swim
August 18th: Caspian Swim, a 3-mile open water swim to Bathtub Rock and back or 1.5 miles to The Rock

2102 Season

NEKOWSA and Indoor Recreation Orleans County (IROC) offers the following schedule of five open water swims in 2012:

June 16, 2012 – Son of a Swim IV -- Prouty Beach, Lake Memphremagog, Newport, Vermont. An informal qualifying swim for those who need to complete a 2, 4, or 6 mile open water swim before fully qualifying for Kingdom Swim. Numbers are limited to no more than 25 swimmers. Website is www.kingdomswim.org.

July 7, 2012 – Kingdom Swim IV – Prouty Beach, Lake Memphremagog, Newport, Vermont. 10 mile, 6 mile, 3 mile and 1 mile courses for adults and youth with shorter courses for youth only. A true celebration of open water swimming in the heart of the summer in the heart of the Kingdom. It is held in conjunction with Kingdom Aquafest. Numbers are limited to 75 swimmers on each course and no more than 100 youth entrants in all courses. This swim is conducted as a fund raiser for Indoor Recreation Orleans County. Lake Memphremagog has been selected as one of the 50 great open water swimming venues in all of the Americas by the Daily News of Open Water Swimming. Kingdom Swim has been selected as the venue of the 2013 USMS 9+ Mile Open Water Swimming Championship. Website is www.kingdomswim.org.

August 4, 2012 – Seymour Swim II – Lake Seymour, Morgan, Vermont. A 3.5 mile swim in a pristine, spring fed lake. This is held in conjunction with Kingdom Triathlon and its Aquaman Even Up series. While buoys are in place and the support boats are out on the lake, swimmers might as well enjoy them, skip the other legs, and start their after party early. Numbers are limited to 50 swimmers. Website is www.kingdomswim.org.

August 18, 2012 – Willoughby Swim III – Lake Willoughby, Westmore, Vermont. A 4.75 mile swim on one of the most majestic and cleanest lakes in the Americas. Lake Willoughby has been selected as one of the 50 great open water swimming venues in all of the Americas by the Daily News of Open Water Swimming. Numbers are limited to 50 swimmers. Website is www.kingdomswim.org.

September 8, 2012 – In Search of Memphre II – Lake Memphremagog from Vermont to Quebec – An epic 25 mile, cold water swim the length of Lake Memphremagog between Newport, Vermont, USA and Magog, Quebec, Canada. This is an amateur, invitational only swim limited to no more than 10 swimmers. The mission of this expedition is to support a more open border with Canada, to search for our beloved and mysterious lake creature, Memphre, and to raise funds for Indoor Recreation Orleans County. Website is www.insearchofmemphre.com.

Sister Organizations

NEKOSA joins the following organizations in the global open water swimming community in an intriguing collection of acronyms with common goals and missions:

JIOWSA (Japan International Open Water Swimming Association)
USOWSA (United States Open Water Swimming Association)
DOWSSA (Dubai Open Water Swimming Sports Association)
VOWSA (Vancouver Open Water Swimming Association)
IOWSA (International Open Water Swimming Association)
WOWSA (World Open Water Swimming Association)
SOWSA (Stage Open Water Swimming Association)

These open water swimming associations have numerous advantages in the endurance sports world: (1) their event locations are scenic and natural - oceans, lakes, bays, rivers. (2) The challenge and enjoyment of swimming from start to finish in an open body of water is tangible. (3) For some, the autonomy of swimming with hundreds or thousands of swimmers is often less stressful and more enjoyable than standing up on a starting block alone in a pool. (4) The sport embodies camaraderie, being both collegial and competitive at the same time.

External links

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