Steven Munatones

Steven Munatones, founder of WOWSA and the World Open Water Swimming Federation, as well as the Daily News of Open Water Swimming and the Oceans Seven, has written over 21,000 articles about the sport of open water swimming or featuring open water swimmers since 1978

Steven Munatones was featured in the film Don't Be Prey about Mark Sowerby and his Oceans Seven journey around the world

Steven Munatones will attempt Swim Shikoku Swim Shodoshima between June and October 2026

Steven Munatones is an Honor Swimmer and Silver Patron in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2001 and recipient of the 2022 Dale Petranech Award for Services to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and the 2016 Poseidon Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame

Steven Munatones finishing on Tappi Misaki in Aomori Prefecture 6 hours 39 minutes after starting at Shirakami Misaki in Hokkaido in July 1990, with TV Asahi and NHK filming the finish of this unprecedented 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan

Steven Munatones interviewing Elliott Hasler, director of Vindication Swim on 6 July 2024 at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California

Steve Munatones is an Honor Contributor - Media/Promotions of the Ice Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2019

Steve Munatones won the 2022 SCAR Swim in 16 hours 8 minutes and received the SCAR Buckle

USA Swimming Team at the 1982 World Cup in Lake Windermere with coach Penny Dean, Cindy Patterson, and Steven Munatones

Steve Munatones hosting the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame ceremonies and WOWSA Awards at the United Nations as part of the 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference

Steven Munatones completed a 29 km circumnavigation swim around Yonaguni Island in Okinawa in 7 hours 8 minutes in October 1994, televised on NHK-TV in Japan

Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame, Honor Marathon Swimmer and Contributor Administrator

Open Water Swimming Coaches Certification Program by Steven Munatones

Redondo Beach City Mayor Bill Brand and Steven Munatones after the Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim on 10 June 2022

Steven Munatones after being the first person to swim 42 km across Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, in the Biwako Swimming Marathon

Steven Munatones served as the Technical Delegate for the Special Olympics International event in Marathon, Athens at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games

Jodie Foster portraying Bonnie Stoll in the movie NYAD, released November 2023

Steven Munatones swimming with Lexie Kelly in a record-setting 8 km tandem crossing of The Bogue from Cayman Brac to Little Cayman Island in the Cayman Islands

Steven Munatones and Family: Rieko, Sabrina, Skyler, Sydney, and Sofia

Author, Commentator, Coach and Promoter

Kayaking for USA Swimming National Team

Science of Swimming Faster by Scott Riewald and Scott Rodeo, published by Human Kinetics

Open Water Swimming, a book authored by Steven Munatones and translated from English to German, Polish, Chinese, and Spanish

Open Water Swimming (book) published by Spomedis in Germany

Open Water Swimming, a book authored by Steven Munatones and translated from English to German, Polish, Chinese, and Spanish

Open Water Swimming, a book authored by Steven Munatones and translated into Polish

Steven Munatones in Japanese advertisement

Steven Munatones in Japanese magazine article

Marathon swim poster in Japan

Steven Munatones on Biwako Marathon Swim poster in 1989

Steven Munatones on Biwa Marathon Swimming poster in 1989

Locations of the Ice Sevens, a concept co-created by Steven Munatones and Ger Kennedy

Steven Munatones was named one of the 10 Most Impactful People of 2018 by Swimming World Magazine

Steven Munatones writes often for Swimming World Magazine on open water swimming and water polo

Top row left to right: Marcia Benjamin, Shelley Taylor-Smith, Ger Kennedy, Lewis Pugh, Angel More, Antonio Argüelles, Dan Simonelli, Jessi Harewicz, Pat Gallant-Charette, and Adrian Sarchet. Bottom row left to right: Steven Munatones, Ross Edgley, Aaron Peirsol, Ram Barkai at the 2018 Open Water Summit at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California

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Steven Munatones used swimming and KAATSU to recover from a heart attack

Steven Munatones finishing the 3-mile circumnavigation swim around Naples Island in Long Beach, California on 20 August 2022 at the age of 60

1982 article about Steven Munatones

Steven Munatones, circa November 2023

Steven Munatones serving as an observer on the escort boat Voyager during Diana Nyad's DNF attempt across the Straits of Florida

Steven Munatones together with Hassan Tetteh MD at The Art of Human Care in Santa Monica in February 2024

Don Bosco Technical Institute 1979 varsity water polo team including Luis Castro, MD, Troy Zerillo, Frank Sullivan, Steven Munatones, Jeff Hohne, Angel Polo, Tim Geiger, Augie Barragan, Russell Gulke, Frank Castro

Mount Fuji Triathlon Challenge by Steven Munatones included open water swims that crossed Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai, Lake Shoji, and Lake Motosu in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1992

Steven Munatones in Hoag Hospital in May 2016 in a coma

Standup paddler Jessie Salas, escort kayaker Chris Morgan, PhD, and paddler Skyler Munatones escorting swimmer Steven Munatones during Day 6 of Swim Shōdoshima

Standup paddler Jessie Salas, kayaker Chris Morgan, PhD, and paddler Skyler Munatones escorting swimmer Steven Munatones during Day 6 of Swim Shōdoshima

Jessie Salas, Chris Morgan, PhD, Steven Munatones, Skyler Munatones after Day 3 of Swim Shōdoshima

Jessie Salas, Skyler Munatones, Chris Morgan, PhD, Steven Munatones after Day 1 of Swim Shōdoshima

Jessie Salas, Skyler Munatones, Chris Morgan, PhD, Steven Munatones after Day 4 of Swim Shōdoshima

Jessie Salas, Skyler Munatones, Steven Munatones, Chris Morgan, PhD after Day 5 of Swim Shōdoshima

Ben Brewer, Dylan Jones, Brandon Samaniego, Hank Wise, and observer Steven Munatones after completing the 18.2 km 10 Miles = 100 Waves challenge that too them from Newport Beach to Huntington Beach to Bolsa Chica to Sunset Beach on 25 July 2026 in 5 hours 1 minute

Greg Shea, 3-time Olympic medalist Sharon van Rouwendaal, and Steven Munatones at 2026 Naples Island Swims in Long Beach

Steven Muñatones (スティーブン・ミュナトネス, born 28 July 1962) is a 63-year-old former American water polo player, a collegiate swimmer, and an open water swimmer from Huntington Beach, California. He has been as an athlete, coach, administrator, writer, race director, kayaker, paddler, official, observer, author, lifeguard, reporter, Olympic commentator, aquapreneur, and adviser in the the sport of open water swimming.

In addition to founding the World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Oceans Seven, WOWSA Awards, Openwaterpedia, and World Open Water Swimming Federation, he founded KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Foundation and serves as an ambassador for the American Heart Association. He has written over 21,000 articles on open water swimming, water polo and KAATSU to date.

1 Honors
2 Glimpses, A Speech at Harvard University
3 Swim Shōdoshima
4 Advisory Roles
5 Aquatic Career
6 Coaching Experience
7 Writing Career
8 Administration
9 Guinness World Records
10 Films and Television
11 Swim Shōdoshima Videos
12 Oceans Seven - Catalina Channel
13 The Science of Diana Nyad's Swim from Cuba to Florida
14 Tactics & Techniques of Elite Open Water Swimmers
15 Open Water Swimming Conference
16 2019 Open Water Summit Introduction Video
17 Tsugaru Channel Swimming
18 Top Ten: Extreme Adventures about Oceans Seven
19 Body, Mind, Soul Heroes In The Catalina Channel
20 North Shore Lifeguards
21 Okinawa Triangle Swim
22 Tombstone
23 In Shiga Prefecture, Japan
24 Dale Petranech Award
25 Open Water Swimming Brands & Terms
26 Race Director and Advisor
27 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
28 Special Olympics World Summer Games
29 Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame Induction
30 WOWSA Awards
31 Origins
32 Marathon Swimming Stories
33 スティーブン・ミュナトネスのプロフィール
34 競泳・水球・遠泳・単独チャレンジ
35 全米水泳チーム
36 記者・レース実行委員会長
37 Social Media
38 To The Saviors
39 External links
40 Water Polo Articles
41 Publications
42 Podcasts
43 KAATSU Training and KAATSU Aqua
44 Interviews & Quotes

Honors

1982 State of California Letter of Commendation for creation of the Citrus Corps
1984 recipient of Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award given to "an individual whose interests are not bounded by academic or institutional structures. A joyous, deeply-rooted affirmation of life, disdain for the purely conventional; a love of adventure, and desire to learn by experiencing; the ability to respond creatively to difficult situations: these are the qualities which John Imrie exemplified through his actions, and which we feel represent a style of life that will forever be worthy of recognition.”
29 July 1990 Guinness World Record for the fastest swim crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in Japan in 6 hours 11 minutes 17 seconds.
2001 recipient of the Open Water Swimming Committee award from USA Swimming
2002 inducted as an Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2001
2005 recipient of the Open Water Swimming Committee award from USA Swimming
2007 recipient of the USA Swimming Glen S. Hummer Award
2007 recipient of the Open Water Swimming Committee award from USA Swimming
2010 recipient of the Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame
2010 recipient of the Glen S. Hummer Award from USA Swimming
2016 recipient of the Poseidon Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame
2018 member of the Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame member
2019 Honor Contributor - Media of the Ice Swimming Hall of Fame
2021 Member of the ISHOF Open Water Nomination Screening Committee.
2022 Dale Petranech Award for Services to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
2024 Mediterranean Lifesaving Confederation Honorary Life Member

Glimpses, A Speech at Harvard University

A glimpse into the life of Steven Munatones - post heart attack - given at the Science Center at Harvard University on June 2019. He experienced a ventricular fibrillation arrest, atypical thrombus (clot) and a MI (myocardial infarction) in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, otherwise known as a widow maker, before his 17-year-old son saved him with Hands-Only CPR and he came out of a coma in May 2016.

Swim Shōdoshima

Advisory Roles

He served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee from 2009-2011.
He served on the judge panel for the 2012 H2Open Awards organized by H2Open Magazine, an award designed to celebrate achievement in open water swimming, and provides assistance on the sport of open water swimming to the Guinness Book of World Records.
He served as the Technical Delegate for the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece and created plans for the inaugural 1.5 km international open water swimming championship for Special Olympics athletes.
He participated on the USA Triathlon Swim Collar Task Force.
He founded the World Open Water Swimming Association, the WOWSA Awards, the Tsugaru Channel Swimming Association, the Swimming Wellness and Swimming Is Medicine programs, and the Open Water Swim Club in Huntington Beach, California.
He created concepts such as the Half Century Club, Openwaterpedia, and the Oceans Seven that was showcased in a film called Defeating Oceans Seven by Red Bull Media House.
Between 2010 and 2016, he served as the Chief Administrator and a voting member of the board of directors of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
He compiled a vast amount of historical information on the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductees and created its first website (www.imshof.org) in 2003.
He is a Patron of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
He presented at the 2022 American Swimming Coaches Association World Clinic, 2022 World Congress of Sports Medicine.
He served as the FINA head referee and safety representative at the Traversée internationale du lac Mégantic, Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean, and the Traversée internationale du lac Memphremagog in Canada, and the Maratón Cozumel in Mexico between 2009 - 2011.
He provides open water swimming lectures and presentations to the World Sports Advisors Association, starting in November 2024.

Aquatic Career

On 1 July 2026, he completed the 73.61 km Swim Shōdoshima in Kagawa, Prefecture, Japan in a cumulative time of 18 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds at the age of 63 together with escort kayaker Chris Morgan, PhD, escort paddler Skyler Munatones, and stand-up paddler Jessie Salas. They started and finished on Angel Road at high tide sandwiched between two typhoons.
- Day 1 on 26 June 2026: 15.23 km in 3 hours 49 minutes 29 seconds
- Day 2 on 27 June 2026: 13.59 km in 3 hours 32 minutes 59 seconds
- Day 3 on 28 June 2026: 15.37 km in 4 hours 23 minutes 55 seconds
- Day 4 on 29 June 2026: 16.01 km in 3 hours 37 minutes 26 seconds
- Day 5 on 30 June 2026: 10.61 km in 2 hours 24 minutes 36 seconds
- Day 6 on 1 July 2026: 2.6 km in 34 minutes 24 seconds
On 28 July 2026, he plans to start the Swim Shikoku stage swim in Japan.
On 4 August 2025, he served as a support crew member for Andreas Waschburger of Germany across the 35 km North Channel from the Gobbins in Northern Ireland to Scotland under the escort of pilots Pádraig Mallon and Jacqueline McClelland.
On 27 August 2025, he served as a support crew member for Antonio Argüelles of Mexico on his 7th crossing of the 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 13 hours 50 minutes.
He served as a support crew member for Andreas Waschburger who set the overall record for crossing of the 44 km Molokai Channel in 9 hours 55 minutes 10 seconds on 6 October 2024 from Lā'au Point on Molokai Island to Sandy Beach on Oahu in Hawaii, breaking the existing record of 12 hours 2 minutes held by Attila Mányoki in 2015 with the support crew of Jasmin Waschburger, Captain Jamie Barlow, First Mate Tate, Janis Scheuermann, Rouven Christ, and Steve Minaglia.
In addition to a decade of playing water polo including a member of the USA Water Polo Junior Development Team and the All-East Team at 2 National Sports Festivals, Munatones has completed several open water swims.
On 27-30 April 2022, he won the SCAR Buckle for winning all 4 races in the SCAR Swim, a 4-day stage swim in Arizona at the age of 59, finishing in 16 hours 8 minutes 30.0 seconds.
- He finished a crossing of Saguaro Lake in 3 hours 14 minutes 3.6 seconds on 27 April 2022.
- He finished a crossing of Canyon Lake in 3 hours 44 minutes 26.2 seconds on 28 April 2022.
- He finished a crossing of Apache Lake in 6 hours 30 minutes 34.5 seconds on 29 April 2022.
- He finished a 10.15 km crossing of Roosevelt Lake in 2 hours 39 minutes 25.7 seconds on 30 April 2022.
On 26-29 April 2023, he finished 3rd in the SCAR Swim Challenge, a 4-day stage swim in Arizona at the age of 60 with escort kayaker Chris Morgan.
- He finished a crossing of Saguaro Lake in 2 hours 58 minutes 46.5 seconds
- He finished a crossing of Canyon Lake in 2 hours 51 minutes 4.5 seconds
- He finished a crossing of Apache Lake in 5 hours 11 minutes 6.3 seconds
- He finished a 10 km crossing of Roosevelt Lake in 2 hours 34 minutes 54.4 seconds
He finished 3rd in the 7 km Hawaiian Christmas Looong Distance Invitational Rough-H2O Swim in Waikiki, Hawaii in 1:34:51 at the age of 24 on 21 December 1986.
He completed an unprecedented 29 km circumnavigation swim around Yonaguni Island in Okinawa in 7 hours 8 minutes in October 1994, televised on NHK-TV in Japan.
He completed an unprecedented triathlon, the 52 km Mount Fuji Triathlon Challenge in 5 hours 17 minutes in a course around and across the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji where the swim legs were across Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai, Lake Shoji, and Lake Motosu in 1992 televised on NHK-TV in Japan.
He completed two 19.5 km crossings of the Tsugaru Channel between Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan on 30 July 1990 televised on Asahi Television and NHK-TV.
- 6 hours 11 minutes 17 seconds from Honshu to Hokkaido, the second person in history in a time that remains the record.
- 6 hours 39 minutes from Hokkaido to Honshu in an unprecedented crossing.
He completed an unprecedented 42 km crossing of Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, in July 1989 televised on NHK-TV in 10 hours 36 minutes.
He completed a 38 km crossing between Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island and Taketomi Island in Okinawa, Japan on 22 October 1993. The Okinawa Triangle Swim was televised on NHK-TV and completed in 10 hours 16 minutes with Yuko Matsuzaki as the observer and Professor Ishikawa as a researcher and support crew.
His planned crossing from Kunashiri Island, Russia to Hokkaido, Japan has been halted by the Japanese government in 1994 to the current time.
He completed the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York City in 1984 in 7 hours 52 minutes, finishing 2nd to Paul Asmuth.
He completed the 32 km Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Quebec, Canada in July 1984 in 9 hours 32 minutes.
He completed the 6th 34 km La Traversée Internationale du Lac Memphrémagog in Quebec, Canada from Newport, Vermont, U.S.A. to Magog, Quebec, Canada in 9 hours 13 minutes 42 seconds on 22 July 1984.
He completed the 7th 34 km La Traversée Internationale du Lac Memphrémagog in Quebec, Canada from Newport, Vermont, U.S.A. to Magog, Quebec, Canada in 9 hours 16 minutes 42.0 seconds on 21 July 1985.
He completed the 24-mile Cabo San Lucas International Swim around the tip of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 1984 in 8 hours 47 minutes.
He completed the 36.2 km Atlantic City Around the Island Swim around Absecon Island in New Jersey in 1985 in 9 hours 23 minutes.
He won the 26 km Windermere International Championships across Lake Windermere in England on 7 August 1982.
He won the 10-mile USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships in Seal Beach, California in 1982.
He won the 10-mile U.S. Masters Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships in Seal Beach, California in 1991.
He completed swims across the Maui Channel, between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands, and in 46 different countries around the world.
He helped plan the Pan-American Colibrí Swim, a cross-border swim between the USA and Mexico and a charity swim to raise awareness and funds for the Colibri Center for Human Rights in the Pacific Ocean between Imperial Beach near San Diego, California, USA and Tijuana, Mexico on 5 May 2017, starting near the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
He was named one of the 10 Most Impactful People of 2018 by Swimming World Magazine.
On 10 June 2022, he pioneered the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim from Cabrillo Beach to Redondo Beach in 6 hours 1 minutes 48 seconds at the age of 59 with escort kayaker Quinn Fitzgerald.
On 31 July 2022, he pioneered the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim from Redondo Beach to Cabrillo Beach in 6 hours 35 minutes at the age of 60 with escort kayaker Chris Morgan.
On 24 October 2025, he pioneered a 7.4 km out-and-back swim from Shikoku to Teba Island with Masaaki Sugimoto as his escort kayaker in 2 hours 1 minute at the age of 63.

Coaching Experience

He served as an observer in a 7-day Guinness World Record swim performed by Ross Edgley between 19-26 May 2024 in Mallorca, Spain with the support team of Ger Kennedy, Thomas Kofler, Chris Morgan, and Lauren Quigley.
He was the USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Team coach at the following competitions:
- 2001 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan
- 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain
- 2004 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal, Canada
- 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia
- 2005 USA Swimming national team training camp in Lake Placid, New York
- 2006 USA Swimming national team training camp in Fort Myers, Florida
- 2007 USA Swimming national team training camp in Fort Myers, Florida
- 2009 USA Swimming national team training camp in Fort Myers, Florida
- 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Japan (manager)
- 2016 United States Masters Swimming National Coaches Clinic
- 2010 United States Masters Swimming Open Water Swimming Safety Conference
He has kayaked, paddled, escorted and coached several swimmers in numerous channels and lakes around the world including the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Japan, South Pacific and the Hawaiian Islands. He has also given coaching clinics and camps throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Greece and Japan.
He also provides advice to many marathon swimmers, professional marathon swimmers and channel swimmers who attempt swims around the world including Penny Palfrey (in Hawaii and in the Cayman Islands), Mike Miller in New York, Rick Heltzel in Florida, and Diana Nyad from Cuba to Florida.
He coached Lexie Kelly at the Traversée internationale du lac Mégantic, Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean, and the Traversée internationale du lac Memphremagog in Canada, and the Maratón Cozumel in Mexico.
He advised Ross Edgley on his 7-day Guinness World Record attempt in Mallorca, Spain in May 2024.
He advised Yuko Matsuzaki on her 24-hour Guinness World Record for the Longest continuous swim in a counter-current pool in Redondo Beach, California in October 2019.
He advised Stephen Redmond on his crossing attempts of the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan in 2012.
On 8 July 2025, he assisted Andreas Waschburger of Germany on a 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel crossing from Aomori to Hokkaido in northern Japan in 8 hours 43 minutes under the escort of Captain Hashimoto and Captain Akimoto with crew members Jasmin Waschburger, Rouven Pagliarini, Masayuki Moriya, and Janis Scheuermann.
On 7 July 2025, he assisted Rob Woodhouse of Australia on a 19.5 km Tsugaru Channel crossing from Aomori to Hokkaido in northern Japan in 8 hours 43 minutes under the escort of Captain Hashimoto and Captain Akimoto with crew members Jasmin Waschburger, Rouven Pagliarini, Masayuki Moriya, and Janis Scheuermann.
On 13 July 2026, he observed a 19.6 km attempt of the Tsugaru Channel from Kodomari, Aomori Prefecture to Hokkaido by Jeff Orenstein, coached by Matt Duggan of Red Top Swimming, where Orenstein swam for 10 hours 30 minutes 19 seconds before being aborting the crossing due to an impassable Tsugaru Current under the escort of Captain Hashimoto]].
On 25 July 2016, he observed and documented the first annual 18.2 km 10 Miles 100 Waves challenge in 5 hours 1 minute for Dylan Jones, Ben Brewer, Brandon Samaniego, and Hank Wise on 25 July 2026.

Writing Career

Since 1982, Munatones has written several cover stories and dozens of articles for Swimming World Magazine, U.S. Masters Swimming SWIMMER Magazine and Competitor Magazine.
He authored Open Water Swimming, a comprehensive tome on open water swimming, published in June 2011 by Human Kinetics.
- Open Water Swimming (book) was published and translated from English into the German, Chinese, Spanish, and Polish languages.
- Swimming World Magazine describes the Open Water Swimming (book) as, "Whether you are planning on racing in an ocean, lake, river, canal, bay, dam, or reservoir, Open Water Swimming is your best guide to success. Steven Munatones wrote the perfect book for athletes of all levels who want to compete in the open waters of the world."
He was a contributing writer to the Science of Swimming Faster, a comprehensive book on competitive swimming published by Human Kinetics in 2015.
He was a contributing writer to Swimming with Shivers, a book co-authored by Claire Bunker-Fellingham and Gary Standen published in 2017 about true stories from, by and about open water swimmers doing cold water swimming, winter swimming, and ice swimming.
He has prepared open water swimming materials used by NBC, USA Swimming, Beijing Olympic Committee, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, National Public Radio, Outside Magazine, and National Geographic Magazine in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics 10 km marathon swim.
He wrote the script for Out of the Box, USA Swimming's 90-minute educational DVD on open water swimming and The Tactics and Techniques of Open Water Swimmers.
He served as an adviser to the American Swimming Coaches Association's Journal of Swimming Research.
He is the creator and editor-in-chief of the Daily News of Open Water Swimming where over 19,000 articles were written from 2005 - 2020.
He is the creator and editor-in-chief of the monthly Open Water Swimming Magazine.
He is the creator and editor-in-chief of the KAATSU Magazine.
He wrote KAATSU Training: KAATSU Military Edition, March 2020.
He wrote KAATSU Training: Dr. Cory on KAATSU, April 2020.
He wrote KAATSU Beauty Edition, June 2020.

Administration

Munatones served as the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Vice President and Chief Administrator between 2010 and 2016.
He created the original International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame website and researched and authored all the Honoree biographies in 2003.
He was formerly a member of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (resigned due to differences in opinion with FINA's decisions on safety in 2011).
He was a long-time member of the USA Swimming Open Water Swimming Committee.
He participated in the open water swimming task force of USA Triathlon in 2013.
He conducted numerous other clinics for swimmers and triathletes in California, Hawaii, Quebec (Canada), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Athens (Greece), and Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands) as well as created Certification Programs for coaches, administrators and referees.
He established and managed the Citrus Corps in Orange County that was recognized by the State of California in 1980.
He established and managed the Holy Grille within Harvard University in 1982.

Guinness World Records

He established a partnership between the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) and the Guinness World Records (GWR) where WOWSA serves as GWR’s advisor on open water swimming records and information regarding the sport. WOWSA and GWR support the open water swimming community to verify and celebrate the most significant superlative achievements in this wide-ranging series of open water disciplines.

Films and Television

He was featured in the film Don't Be Prey, appearing as himself.
He served as the Executive Producer of Auction Live! The Treasures of James Cagney (2000).
He appeared in Explorers: Adventures of the Century (2013).
He appeared in Weather Top Tens TV Series - Oceans Seven Creator (2017).
He appeared in a number of documentary films:
- Defeating Oceans Seven featuring Stephen Redmond about his quest to achieve the Oceans Seven
- Driven featuring Evan Morrison, Cherie Edborg and Fiona Goh about their quest to cross channels
- The Other Shore featuring Diana Nyad about her quest to swim between Cuba and Florida
- Tactics & Techniques of Elite Open Water Swimmers, a DVD outlining the strategies of elite open water swimmers
- Kim Swims featuring Kimberley Chambers and her quest to achieve the Oceans Seven
- The Science of Diana Nyad's Swim from Cuba to Florida, a documentary film by Thiago Da Costa and Tim Wheeler about Diana Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida
- On 6 August 2017, he appeared on The Weather Channel program called Top Ten: Extreme Adventures about Darren Miller's Oceans Seven journey.
- He appeared in Body, Mind, Soul Heroes In The Catalina Channel, a film by Lucas Rivet of La Fabrica Films about Matías Ola and his Oceans Seven journey.
He served as the NBC Olympics' Commentator for the 2008 men's and women's Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing, China.
He wrote the content for the USA Swimming Out-of-the-Box open water swimming video and the Tactics & Techniques of Elite Open Water Swimmers DVD.
He consulted for Alan Goldberg in the creation of The Torture Swim for 60 Minutes Sports.
He wrote a review for Sea Donkey, a documentary film about Adrian Sarchet's crossing of the North Channel.

Swim Shōdoshima Videos

Nishinippon Broadcasting newscast

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Support Team

Paddleboard Escort by Skyler Munatones

Inflation of the Joe Bark paddleboard by Skyler Munatones

Building the Oru Kayak by Chris Morgan, PhD

Oceans Seven - Catalina Channel

The final leg of the Oceans Seven by Steve Leitch across the Catalina Channel

The Science of Diana Nyad's Swim from Cuba to Florida

The Science of Diana Nyad's Swim from Cuba to Florida, a documentary film by Thiago Da Costa and Tim Wheeler about Diana Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida

Tactics & Techniques of Elite Open Water Swimmers

Tactics & Techniques of Elite Open Water Swimmers is an educational video written by Steven Munatones and produced by Marc Randall, filmed at the 2010 USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships in Marine Stadium, Long Beach, California.

Open Water Swimming Conference

Munatones organized the 2-day Open Water Swimming Conference sponsored by U.S. Masters Swimming in San Francisco, California:

2019 Open Water Summit Introduction Video

With Quinn Fitzgerald, Megan Melgaard, Steven Munatones

Tsugaru Channel Swimming

Steven Munatones has swum himself to and from Hokkaido and Tappi Misaki across the Tsugaru Channel and helped Stephen Redmond of Ireland, Darren Miller of the USA, Mark Sowerby of Australia, and Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria cross the 19.5 km channel.

Top Ten: Extreme Adventures about Oceans Seven

about Darren Miller on the Oceans Seven

Body, Mind, Soul Heroes In The Catalina Channel

A film by Lucas Rivet of La Fabrica Films and Asociación Argentina Gestión y Desarrollo del Deporte about Matías Ola and his Oceans Seven journey

North Shore Lifeguards

On the North Shore of Oahu

Okinawa Triangle Swim

A 38 km ocean swim from Ishigaki Island to Iriomote Island to Taketomi Island in Okinawa, Japan on 22 October 1993, televised on NHK-TV and completed in 10 hours 16 minutes with Yuko Matsuzaki as the observer and Joseph Munatones as his coach.

Tombstone

with Oceans Seven swimmer Mark Sowerby and Oceans Seven creator Steven Munatones

In Shiga Prefecture, Japan

Steven Munatones lived in rural Shiga Prefecture in Japan in 1988 - 1990.

Dale Petranech Award

Steven Muñatones receives the Dale Petranech Award for Services to International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2022.

Open Water Swimming Brands & Terms

He authored Open Water Swimming, a text book on open water swimming as well as created or popularized the following terms, brands, and vernacular used in the open water swimming community:

Race Director and Advisor

Munatones has served as a race director and helped organize dozens of open water swimming competitions, clinics and camps around the world including the following:

2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games: Technical Delegate where he organized the first open water swimming event in Special Olympics history
1985-1988 Waikiki Roughwater Swim: President and Committee Member of the Waikiki Roughwater Swim Committee
1987-1988 Atami Open Water Swim Race in Atami, Japan
2010 USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships, Long Beach, California: Race director
2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Long Beach, California: 10 km marathon swim race director
2009 Distance Swim Challenge, Santa Monica, California: race director
2005-2008 USA Swimming national open water swimming camps, California, Florida: coach
1989 Atami Open Water Swim, Atami, Japan: advisor
1987-1988 Honolulu Waterfront Triathlon: Swim Coordinator
2011 U.S. Masters Swimming Open Water Swimming Safety Conference, San Francisco, California: Organizer and promoter
2010 Global Open Water Swimming Conference, Long Beach, California: Host and organizer
2011 Global Open Water Swimming Conference, New York: Host and organizer
2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference, Queen Mary, Long Beach, California: Host and organizer
2017 Pan-American Colibrí Swim, a cross-border swim between the USA and Mexico and a charity swim to raise awareness and funds for the Colibri Center for Human Rights in the Pacific Ocean between Imperial Beach near San Diego, California, USA and Tijuana, Mexico
He advises race directors from California to New York, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Greece, Mexico and Japan and advised U.S. Masters Swimming on open water swimming.
He serves as an ambassador for the American Heart Association and has given speeches for the American Heart Association on the benefits of hands-only CPR in Newport Beach, John Wayne Airport, Angel Stadium, and at the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Conference in 2018.

Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

Munatones organized the 2011 USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Long Beach, California where Tactics & Techniques of Elite Open Water Swimmers was filmed.

Special Olympics World Summer Games

Munatones was the Technical Director of the 1.5 km open water swimming competition and POW exhibition at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games which was nominated for the 2011 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year:

Vermont Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame Induction

Steven is a marathon swimmer and contributor. It’s hard to imagine an international open water swimming community without Muñatones and his work for the Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Openwaterpedia, WOWSA, the Global Open Water Swimming Conferences and others. Steven is an indefatigable presence reporting on the big and the small of open water swimming news around the world, round the clock, seven days a week and quietly assembling an online historical record. His presence and voice regarding Vermont’s open water swimming scene may not be so well recognized, but his impact should not be underestimated. He has been a competitor and covered the professional swim, la Traversée internationale du lac Memphrémagog. swimming the length of Lake Memphremagog in 1984 in 9 hours 16 minutes and 9 hours 13 minutes in 1985. And, he was there right from the start covering the first Kingdom Swim in 2009, the establishment of Be Kind to Your Yacker Week in April, the formation of NEKOWSA on a very cold weekend in January 2010, the inauguration of the Willoughby Swim, the re-opening of international swimming between Newport and Magog, In Search of Memphre, the creation of the NEK Swim Week in 8 lakes over the course of 9 days totaling 46 miles, the first winter swim and the cutting of a two-lane, 25-meter pool in the ice of Memphremagog, and the opening of The Clubhous in Derby, Vermont in 2013 as the nerve center for open water swimming and winter swimming in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Steve’s coverage has been broad, frequent, relentless and unequivocally supportive. He identified Kingdom Swim as one of the top 100 swims in the world, Willoughby and In Search of Memphre as two of the top 100 swims in the US, and Memphremagog and Willoughby among two of the top 50 open water swimming venues in the Americas. Steven had such a large & positive impact on Vermont Open Water Swimming, he has offered encouragement and support to swimmers and event directors, volunteers and organizers in such a way that has exponentially aided the growth of our great Vermont open water community.

WOWSA Awards

He has hosted the annual WOWSA Awards along with the annual International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and the Global Open Water Swimming Conference in various places around the world:

Huntington Beach, California, U.S.A.: 2008 WOWSA Awards
Huntington Beach, California, U.S.A.: 2009 WOWSA Awards
Long Beach, California, U.S.A.: 2010 WOWSA Awards
United Nations Building, New York City, U.S.A.: 2011 WOWSA Awards
Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, U.S.A.: 2012 WOWSA Awards
Cork, Ireland: 2013 WOWSA Awards on 11-13 October
Isle of Bute, Scotland: 2014 WOWSA Awards on 20-21 September
Tunisia: 2017 WOWSA Awards on September 11-13
Redondo Beach, California, U.S.A.: 2019 WOWSA Awards

Origins

He was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California, is a graduate of Harvard University, can speak, read and write Japanese and some Chinese, and currently resides in Huntington Beach, California where he coaches, researches, writes and promotes open water swimming and water polo.
He and his wife Rieko have four children (Sabrina, Skyler, Sydney, and Sofia Munatones). One of Munatones' ancestors was Don José de Mazarredo y Salazar de Muñatones Cortázar, considered to be one of the best Spanish naval commanders of all time who was born in Bilbao, Spain where the Muñatones Castillo is located.

Marathon Swimming Stories

He appeared with Shannon House Keegan on Marathon Swim Stories.

On 10 June 2022, Munatones pioneered the 24 km Palos Verdes Peninsula Swim from Cabrillo Beach to Redondo Beach in 6 hours 1 minutes 48 seconds at the age of 59, escorted by Quinn Fitzgerald. In July 2022, he pioneered the reverse 24 km course from Redondo Beach to Cabrillo Beach.

SCAR Swim Challenge highlights video produced by WOWSA

Steven Munatones describes the SCAR Swim Challenge to graduate students at the Claremont Colleges, produced by INSPIRAFY Media

スティーブン・ミュナトネスのプロフィール

1962年：アメリカ・カリフォルニア州ロサンゼルス市出身（56歳）
1984年：ハーバード大学経済学部卒業
1985年～1988年：ハワイ州ホノルル市長秘書課勤務
1988年～1990年：文部省の英語指導教師として来日、滋賀県教育委員会に配属される
1990年～1996年：日立工機の茨城県ひたちなか市工場及び日立開発センターで勤務（高速プリンター事業部）
1994年：妻利江子と結婚（現在、15歳の長女、13歳の長男、8歳の双子をもつ）
1996年～現在：パンパシフィックパトナーズ株式会社をロサンゼルス市で設立（三井物産、ＴＯＴＯ，リコー、日立工機、日本出版販売などの顧客）

競泳・水球・遠泳・単独チャレンジ

1980年～1984年：ハーバード大学のスイムチームメンバー及び水球チームキャプテン及びMVP
1981年：全米水球チーム代表メンバー（18歳以下チーム）
1982年：世界オープンウォーター水泳選手権国際大会で優勝（英国のウィンダミア湖で25キロ、6時間11分、世界新記録、ＢＢＣやＣＮＮテレビ放送）
1982年：全米スイムチーム代表メンバー
1982年：全米オープンウォーター水泳選手権大会で優勝（ロサンジェレスで16キロ、2時間43分、米国内新記録）
1983年：全米水球チーム代表メンバー（東部）
1984年：マンハッタン島一周マラソンスイム（ニューヨーク市で46キロ、7時間52分）
1984年：米国からカナダ間マラソンスイム（カナダ・ケベック県のマゴッグ湖で42キロ、9時間16分）
1984年：セントジョン湖国際水泳縦断大会（カナダ・ケベック県で38キロ、9時間32分）
1984年：カブサンルーカス国際マラソンスイム大会（メキシコで40キロ、8時間47分）
1985年：アトランテックシティー一周マラソンスイム（ニュージャージー州で36キロ、9時間23分）
1985年：米国からカナダ間マラソンスイム（カナダ・ケベック県のマゴッグ湖で42キロ、9時間8分）
1989年：琵琶湖縦断スイミングマラソン（前人未致のコース、世界初、10時間36分、ＮＨＫサンディースポーツタイム全国放送）
1990年：津軽海峡往復遠泳（前人未致のコース、世界初、青森→北海道への25キロ、6時間17分＋北海道→青森への23キロ、6時間35分、朝日テレビ放送など）
1991年：国後島から北海道へのInternational Goodwill Swimをキャンセルしまう（国後島→ねむろ半島への16キロ）
1991年：全米オープンウォーター水泳選手権大会で優勝（ロサンジェレスで16キロ、2時間57分）
1992年：富士五湖トライアスロンチャレンジ（前人未致のコース、世界初、5時間17分、スイム: 14.5 キロ+ バイク: 30キロ + ラン: 8キロ、ＮＨＫなどの放送）
1993年：沖縄トライアングル・スイム・マラソン（前人未致のコース：石垣島→竹富島→西表島往復遠泳、世界初、10時間16分、37キロ、ＮＨＫなどの放送）
1994年：日本最西端与那国島一周遠泳チャレンジ（前人未致のコース、世界初、29キロで7時間8分）
2003年：International Swimming Hall of Fame (国際スイミングの殿堂）入り 2008年：Open Water Swimming Dictionary辞典を作成、北京オリンピックOlympic 10K Marathon Swimアナウンサーなど

全米水泳チーム

1993年パンパシフィック水泳選手権大会（神戸）でSwimming World Magazineの代表者
2001年世界水泳選手権大会（福岡）、2003年世界水泳選手権大会（バルセロナ・スペイン）、 2005年世界水泳選手権大会（モントリアル）、2007年世界水泳選手権大会（メルボールン）で米国スイムチームコーチ
2006年、2007年、2009年の米国水泳連盟の米国スイムチームのNational Open Water Swimming Campのコーチ
2001年、2005年、2007年USA SwimmingのAwardを受賞
2002 年パンパシフィック水泳選手権大会（横浜）及び2002年カリブ海での国際水泳大会で米国スイムチームのマネジャー
2004年世界水泳選手権大会（アブデュバイ）で米国スイムチームのヘッドコーチ
2006年のAmerican Swimming Coaches AssociationのWorld Clinicでのスペーカー

記者・レース実行委員会長

1985年～現在年：Swimming World Magazineの毎月の水泳・競泳・水球イベントのカバーストリー及び記事の執筆　
1987年：「Distant Shores: A Guidebook to Open Water Swimming」という本の執筆
1987年～1988年：ハワイのWaikiki Roughwater Swim（世界一の海上競泳大会）
1999年～2003年：USA Swimmingのウェッブサイトで国際・国内競泳についての記事の執筆
数々のハワイ州のトライアスロン大会及びトレーニングキャンプを主催

Social Media

To The Saviors

He is included as one of the saviors in the video tribute, To The Saviors. The Voice and Soul of Open Water Swimming is a highly accomplished American athlete, journalist, and entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to open water swimming. A graduate of Harvard University, where he was a collegiate water polo player, Munatones is a polymath in the aquatic world, serving as an athlete, coach, administrator, writer, and Olympic commentator. As a professional marathon swimmer, Munatones was a world champion, winning the 25 km International Long-Distance Swimming Championships in England in 1982. He holds a Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of the Tsugaru Channel in Japan. His most lasting contribution is the founding of the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA), the Daily News of Open Water Swimming, and the Oceans Seven challenge. Through WOWSA, he established a global platform for the sport, providing information, promoting events, and recognizing achievements. He also serves as the NBC commentator for the Olympic 10K marathon swim and has coached multiple U.S. National Teams. Following a near-fatal heart attack in 2016 where his son saved his life with CPR, Munatones became a dedicated ambassador for the American Heart Association. He advocates for safety and created certification programs for coaches, referees, and administrators. He has been honored by the International Swimming Hall of Fame and inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame for his exceptional contributions.

External links

Water Polo Articles

Publications

Open Water Swimming
Science of Swimming Faster
Swimming with Shivers
KAATSU Training: KAATSU Military Edition, March 2020
KAATSU Training: Dr. Cory on KAATSU, April 2020

Podcasts

KAATSU Training and KAATSU Aqua

Interviews & Quotes

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