By: Angie Abdou
Without a doubt, the loudest night of the year at the Fernie Aquatic Centre is during the annual Skins race.
“Skins” is an elimination style competition. A full heat of swimmers race one length. Each time, the slowest swimmer is eliminated until the event comes down to a face off between the last two standing swimmers. The first race is freestyle and afterwards the stroke is chosen by a random pick of the hat, which includes fly, back, breast, and free. As a sprint, the competition obviously tests speed, but since the races are back-to-back, the swimmers are also tested for their endurance and recovery, and since the event covers all strokes, it tests swimmers’ depth and versatility as well.
This type of elimination swimming event first became popular in Australia and later became a feature in the US professional swimming league. Dolphins’ head coach, Aidan Chudleigh has a swimming background in both of those countries and was excited to bring that lively, engaging format to Canada. Dolphins include a Skins Race every spring at the Fernie Fox Invitational.
Where some Skins events only house one heat of women and one of men, the Fernie meet runs a Skins Race for each of the age groups. Swimmers march out for each race to loud music and cheering. Mike Wrigglesworth provides some high-spirited announcing.
“It’s a very spectator-friendly event. The energy and volume are off the charts. We look forward to it each year. All in attendance would say this event brings something special and memorable to the Fernie Fox meet," said Chudleigh.
This year, Dolphins made it into the top six for each age group, so Fernie viewers had extra reason to cheer.
In the 10 & under boys, Leo Longshaw made it to final showdown and came out second. In the 11-12 girls, Layla Rella out touched her opponent in a tight butterfly race to win her age group. In both the 13-14 and the 15 & over boys’ categories, Matthew Cassidy and Ethan Sauve, respectively, outraced their fellow male competitors in some very tight races to end up second. In the 15 & over girls, Katherine Hafke hung in with some stiff competition to place third, where alumnus Olivia Howse came first.
The random approach to deciding which stroke the athletes will race adds to the excitement of the event. Katherine Hafke, for example, was happy when her weakest stroke, breaststroke, was chosen early to give her a wider field from which she only had to beat one. Once the field narrowed to twenty-year-old varsity swimmer Olivia Howse and an eighteen-year-old American heading to University of Utah on a swimming scholarship, Hafke hoped for her best stroke, backstroke, feeling that she had a good chance of beating the American. However, freestyle showed up next, and Hafke was out-touched and settled for third.
“That’s the gaming aspect of it,” Chudleigh explained. “The element of chance, the suspense of what stroke will come next and how that might affect the outcome, adds to the viewing enjoyment.”
The noise level at the Aquatic Centre proved Chudleigh right – crowds got into the fun spirit and cheered the home team to great results.
