By JAMIE TROUGHTON
A dicky ticker means Richard Arnold can't swim in Sunday's Harbour to Surf race but easing the disappointment is the pride at how far the event has come since he helped set it up 25 years ago.
The Tauranga engineer was involved in the Mount Surf Club in 1983
when they organised the swim around Mauao as a fundraiser.
He's been there ever since, either competing or organising, and most years both.
"The first year, we had around 20 people doing it and for the first few years, we did a 7.5km swim out around Rabbit Island," Arnold said. "It's come a long way - last year we had nearly 300 people and it's recognised as one of the best swims of its kind in New Zealand."
Now raced as a 4km event from Pilot Bay to the Mount Maunganui's Main Beach, the increased recognition will see the swim double as the New Zealand Masters open water championships.
Auckland's Brent Foster is the pre-race favourite - Foster, 39, is a former world surf swim champion and still holds the Ironman NZ swim leg record.
Defending champion, 16-year-old Rotorua star Kane Radford, is in Hawaii competing but last year's female winner Gabrielle Capp, who finished in 53mins 31secs, has entered.
Veterans like Whangarei's Peter Wilkinson, 67, and 76-year-old Mount personality Sid Salek are also expected to slide into Pilot Bay waters at 10.30am.
* The weekend of swims starts tomorrow with the 14th Bodyline Bridge to Bridge event, run as a memorial to former Bodyline Wetsuits owner Murray Dingle.
About 150 swimmers are expected to take part in the open water swims along the Tauranga Harbour edge, which includes a 600m swim and a 1500m swim. Registration is based on The Strand from 12pm.
