- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,150
- Reaction score
- 59
There were 200 competitive swimmers — and two monsters — in the warm waters of Goffstown Sunday morning for the latest "episode" of the Glen Lake Swim series.
The first monster was Glennie, a serpent-like sea creature reminiscent of the Loch Ness Monster. Although it has never been studied up close, it's said to be about 10-12 feet long.
An unusually long-lived animal, Glennie may be the same serpent trawling the Piscataquog River in Abenaki legends. It’s been a full-time resident of Glen Lake since it was dammed over 100 years ago — or so the folklore goes.
The second monster is informally known as Bruce, a freakishly large shark that "terrorized" the fictional Amity Island in the 1975 film “Jaws.” Estimated at 25 feet long, Bruce — and his accompanying theme music composed by John Williams — made a generation afraid to go in the water.
Glen Lake Swim organizer Gary Girolimon couldn’t say how the shark made its way from the ocean to the freshwater environment of Glen Lake, yet something resembling a large dorsal fin was sticking out in the middle of the lake.
They were going to need a bigger boat.
The Glen Lake Swim series involves yearly races themed around movies and pop culture. This year’s theme, of course, was “Jaws,” the Steven Spielberg-directed classic that left the model for summer blockbusters in its blood-stained wake.
“The idea came about with a group of people who I’ve been swimming with for over a decade,” Girolimon explained. “On a lark, I met with (the parks and recreation director) and started telling him about how I swam in Glen Lake all summer. I half-jokingly asked him if we could hold a race. He said, ‘Great idea, let’s do it!’”
The event featured one- and two-mile races. Participants were divided into wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions. Wetsuits can give an edge to competitors by improving their buoyancy and streamlining their posture, so they are judged separately.
But with the water temperature at a balmy 77 degrees, many swimmers eschewed using a wetsuit, if only for comfort. Girolimon said that if it was just one degree warmer, he would have disallowed wetsuits completely, per U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) rules.
This year’s Glen Lake Swim had the best turnout so far, with many friends and family of the swimmers cheering them as they watched from the south side of Glen Lake.
Girolimon said that because of the pop culture connection, the race doesn’t just appeal to competitive swimmers.
Non-competitors could still join the fun by dressing up as people from the movie, with USS Indianapolis-survivor-turned-shark-hunter Quint and bit part character “bad hat Harry” being particular favorites. There were also “Jaws” trivia games in town after the race.
The movie tie-ins started small but have gotten more pronounced in recent years. Past themes included “Star Wars,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and “The Twilight Zone” TV series. Girolimon makes his own arts and crafts for the events, including the trophies awarded to the fastest swimmers.
This year’s trophies were handcrafted by Girolimon and functioned as stand-up bottle openers and featured a scene inspired by “Jaws.”
“It was a bold choice to use ‘Jaws’ as a theme this year,” said Eric Nilsson, of Boston.
Nilsson said that he always looks to participate in open-water swimming events near him, including events in York, Pennsylvania, the Charles River, and Boston Harbor earlier this summer.
This was the fifth time that Nilsson made it to Goffstown for the Glen Lake Swim, and he placed third overall in the 2-mile swim this year. He attributed his strong performance to his 15 years of experience in open water swimming, including training in Hawaii.
Tracy Grilli of Londonderry placed fourth among women in the 2-mile swim, non-wetsuit division. Grilli was secretary for the USMS from 1996 to 2017, the governing body that sanctioned this event and other competitive open water swims.
Grilli said that she loves swimming because almost anyone can participate despite their age. She’s still swimming strongly at 68 years old. She also said the competitive swimming community is small and closely knit.
“Usually, the people swimming with you are fun,” Grilli said. “The swimming community is a small one, and if you talk long enough with someone, you’ll find that you have a friend in a common.”
Another swimmer, Meghan Bilz, said that she’s participated in all seven Glen Lake Swim events. She said it’s a great race for experienced swimmers looking to dip their toes in open water swim competitions because the waters are calm, the course is clearly marked with buoys, and volunteers in kayaks float around the perimeter to help struggling participants.
When asked if she saw Glennie or Bruce this year, Bilz claimed she saw both monsters locked in a struggle. She thought Glennie would win with the “home field advantage.” She added that Glennie is ultimately a benevolent creature that does not attack humans.
Girolimon said proceeds from the event will be donated to support local outdoor recreational opportunities and safety.
Races' top finishers
Top three male finishers - non-wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Thomas Erwin
2. Xavier Orlic
3. Eric Nilsson
Top three male finishers - wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Jessie Johnson
2. Matteo Caputo
3. Adam Langmaid
Top three female finishers - non-wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Meredith Lubelczyk
2. Meghan Freed
3. Sabina Csak
Top three female finishers - wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Rachel Saks Aronis
2. Brooke Oconnor
3. Meredith Wegener
Top three male finishers - non-wetsuit - 1 mile
1. William Mcclelland
2. Michael Giraldi
3. Kyle Pinheiro
Top three male finishers - wetsuit - 1 mile
1. David Keyes
2. Sean Carter
3. Kyle Oliver
Top three female finishers - non-wetsuit - 1 mile
1. Kaitlyn Lester
2. Kysa Crusco
3. Laurel Gingrich
Top three female finishers - wetsuit - 1 mile
1. Jocelyn Nokes
2. Pamela Rogers
3. Alyse Borelli
Continue reading...
The first monster was Glennie, a serpent-like sea creature reminiscent of the Loch Ness Monster. Although it has never been studied up close, it's said to be about 10-12 feet long.
An unusually long-lived animal, Glennie may be the same serpent trawling the Piscataquog River in Abenaki legends. It’s been a full-time resident of Glen Lake since it was dammed over 100 years ago — or so the folklore goes.
The second monster is informally known as Bruce, a freakishly large shark that "terrorized" the fictional Amity Island in the 1975 film “Jaws.” Estimated at 25 feet long, Bruce — and his accompanying theme music composed by John Williams — made a generation afraid to go in the water.
Glen Lake Swim organizer Gary Girolimon couldn’t say how the shark made its way from the ocean to the freshwater environment of Glen Lake, yet something resembling a large dorsal fin was sticking out in the middle of the lake.
They were going to need a bigger boat.
The Glen Lake Swim series involves yearly races themed around movies and pop culture. This year’s theme, of course, was “Jaws,” the Steven Spielberg-directed classic that left the model for summer blockbusters in its blood-stained wake.
“The idea came about with a group of people who I’ve been swimming with for over a decade,” Girolimon explained. “On a lark, I met with (the parks and recreation director) and started telling him about how I swam in Glen Lake all summer. I half-jokingly asked him if we could hold a race. He said, ‘Great idea, let’s do it!’”
The event featured one- and two-mile races. Participants were divided into wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions. Wetsuits can give an edge to competitors by improving their buoyancy and streamlining their posture, so they are judged separately.
But with the water temperature at a balmy 77 degrees, many swimmers eschewed using a wetsuit, if only for comfort. Girolimon said that if it was just one degree warmer, he would have disallowed wetsuits completely, per U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) rules.
This year’s Glen Lake Swim had the best turnout so far, with many friends and family of the swimmers cheering them as they watched from the south side of Glen Lake.
Girolimon said that because of the pop culture connection, the race doesn’t just appeal to competitive swimmers.
Non-competitors could still join the fun by dressing up as people from the movie, with USS Indianapolis-survivor-turned-shark-hunter Quint and bit part character “bad hat Harry” being particular favorites. There were also “Jaws” trivia games in town after the race.
The movie tie-ins started small but have gotten more pronounced in recent years. Past themes included “Star Wars,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and “The Twilight Zone” TV series. Girolimon makes his own arts and crafts for the events, including the trophies awarded to the fastest swimmers.
This year’s trophies were handcrafted by Girolimon and functioned as stand-up bottle openers and featured a scene inspired by “Jaws.”
“It was a bold choice to use ‘Jaws’ as a theme this year,” said Eric Nilsson, of Boston.
Nilsson said that he always looks to participate in open-water swimming events near him, including events in York, Pennsylvania, the Charles River, and Boston Harbor earlier this summer.
This was the fifth time that Nilsson made it to Goffstown for the Glen Lake Swim, and he placed third overall in the 2-mile swim this year. He attributed his strong performance to his 15 years of experience in open water swimming, including training in Hawaii.
Tracy Grilli of Londonderry placed fourth among women in the 2-mile swim, non-wetsuit division. Grilli was secretary for the USMS from 1996 to 2017, the governing body that sanctioned this event and other competitive open water swims.
Grilli said that she loves swimming because almost anyone can participate despite their age. She’s still swimming strongly at 68 years old. She also said the competitive swimming community is small and closely knit.
“Usually, the people swimming with you are fun,” Grilli said. “The swimming community is a small one, and if you talk long enough with someone, you’ll find that you have a friend in a common.”
Another swimmer, Meghan Bilz, said that she’s participated in all seven Glen Lake Swim events. She said it’s a great race for experienced swimmers looking to dip their toes in open water swim competitions because the waters are calm, the course is clearly marked with buoys, and volunteers in kayaks float around the perimeter to help struggling participants.
When asked if she saw Glennie or Bruce this year, Bilz claimed she saw both monsters locked in a struggle. She thought Glennie would win with the “home field advantage.” She added that Glennie is ultimately a benevolent creature that does not attack humans.
Girolimon said proceeds from the event will be donated to support local outdoor recreational opportunities and safety.
Races' top finishers
Top three male finishers - non-wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Thomas Erwin
2. Xavier Orlic
3. Eric Nilsson
Top three male finishers - wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Jessie Johnson
2. Matteo Caputo
3. Adam Langmaid
Top three female finishers - non-wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Meredith Lubelczyk
2. Meghan Freed
3. Sabina Csak
Top three female finishers - wetsuit - 2 miles
1. Rachel Saks Aronis
2. Brooke Oconnor
3. Meredith Wegener
Top three male finishers - non-wetsuit - 1 mile
1. William Mcclelland
2. Michael Giraldi
3. Kyle Pinheiro
Top three male finishers - wetsuit - 1 mile
1. David Keyes
2. Sean Carter
3. Kyle Oliver
Top three female finishers - non-wetsuit - 1 mile
1. Kaitlyn Lester
2. Kysa Crusco
3. Laurel Gingrich
Top three female finishers - wetsuit - 1 mile
1. Jocelyn Nokes
2. Pamela Rogers
3. Alyse Borelli
Continue reading...
