International Surf Festival Pier to Pier Swims 

by Brianna Smith

“Not fun,” is how one middle of the pack swimmer summed up the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim Sunday morning. The sentiment was widely shared.

The air was gray and cold. The water had dropped from a balmy 70 degrees a few days earlier to the low 60s. It was bumpy. And worst of all the current was running south, against the swimmers racing north from the Hermosa Beach to the Manhattan Beach.

The results reflected the challenging conditions. Of the record 1,409 who registered, fewer than 1,000 started the race and only 975 finished it. 

Alexander Cole claimed his second consecutive Pier to Pier win on Sunday. Photos by Ray Vidal

Alexander Cole won for the second consecutive year, in 41:55, three minutes slower than his 2023 time. His time almost certainly would have been still slower were he not being chased by Ryan Bullock, of Redondo Beach. Last year, Cole snapped Bullock’s seven-year winning streak, crossing the finish line just 12 seconds ahead of Bullock. On Sunday, Cole crossed the finish line just nine seconds ahead of Bullock.

Xavier Orlic, of Washington D.C. finished third, 17 seconds behind Bullock.

Lifeguard Kelsey Cummings won her seventh consecutive Pier to Pier Swim on Sunday.

Lifeguard Kelsy Cummings may have been the only swimmer the conditions didn’t appreciably slow down. Cummings finished fourth overall, and won the women’s division for the seventh consecutive year in 43:03, just 18 seconds behind her winning time last year. Anastasia Orlic, of Washington D.C. was second in 46:06. Eva Vass placed third in the women’s division in 48:56.

For complete results visit SurfFestival.org.