Aussies Win Waikiki Open Roughwater Swim

HONOLULU -- For 42 years, the Waikiki Rough Water Swim from Kaimana to Duke Kahanamoku Beach has drawn some of the top open water swimmers in the world.
This year's 2.4-mile race ended with a memorable finish and also a chance for some swimmers to compete in a different way for the first time.It was a finish not even the winner expected."I thought I had it pretty comfortably. I started walking. One of my teammates crossed the jetty wrong spot and bolted up. I had no idea he was there. The crowd shouted to get going!" said George O'Brien, the men's winner.O'Brien, 19, from Australia took home his first win in his first try with Colbie Grimsey coming in second.On the women's side, another Australian Luane Rowe, 22, a familiar name in this event, won the race for the fourth time in four tries."Every year it gets more competitive and there's a big Aussie contingency here probably the biggest so far i've been here," said Rowe."Now with open water swimming an olympic sport, we're getting the top athletes in the world and participating in signature events like this," said Mike Lewis, Managing Director of openwatersource.com.Lewis added open water swimming is the fastest growing sport with more than 4,000 races in the world this year.But this 42-year tradition isn't just for the open water elite swimmers, it's for anyone who wants to challenge themselves."I always tell my students about the three As: Athletics, Academics and Arts. I have to be a good model too. I'm a pencil pusher but I'm also showing them to go out and exercise. That's why I'm doing it," said Justin Mew, Prinicipal Niu Valley Middle School.Race organizers say more than 1,000 participants raced on Monday.Part of the $100 entry fee per swimmer goes toward "Swim With Mike", which helps physically challenged athletes by awarding college scholarships.