Here's the Thing of It
In these grimmest of times, we have decided that our Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival needs to go virtual. Although vaccines will be becoming available shortly, it will be too soon for them to have their widespread and desired effect. But, by July, we see the Cloud of Covid lifting from the land, and we are hard at it planning the parade and parties at Kingdom Swim .... and straight ahead: a robust season of open water swimming, running, and biking in the Kingdom. We be so at the ready for what we are calling The Grand Homecoming. Information and on line registration for all summer events is open at:
Virtual Winter Swim
Members of our Low Society of Memphremagog Winter Swimmers are FAMILY. And, Families don't let Families fall apart. We zoom, We tap to one another on our prison walls. We do what we can with what we've got to stay together, even apart.

Our Virtual Winter "Swim" will include a Hat Competition, a Ribbon Ceremony, a Jammie and Vodka Shooter Zoom Party, and we will raise some funds for The Halo Foundation.

Entry fee is $35. Each "swimmer" (volunteers are welcome to participate) will get a Memphremagog Winter Swim cap, a patch, a bumper sticker, and a ribbon to be used to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or some other harsh disease. After covering our costs, all net proceeds will be directed to our local Halo Foundation. We are a rural, economically challenged area. Even travel expenses for treatment can be huge and even prohibitive. Halo helps local patients and families with uncovered costs of the battle.

Here's the plan:

  • Choose your day during the period 2/20 to 2/27, 2021
  • Choose your own venue. Water. Ice. Snow. Sand. Barren Field. Top of Jay Peak
  • Choose your pod or if you go it alone, stay in shallow water (or away from cliffs) and bring an observer.
  • Wear your bathing suit, even if you have no open water
  • If in pods, where masks and remain socially distanced
  • Hat Competition – Display your hat Post a picture.
  • Ribbon Ceremony - to honor those with Cancer who have died, who are in the battle, or who have survived and those facing huge health challenges in The Age of Covid. If you want extra ribbons we will send them for an additional donation of $5 per ribbon  
  • Zoom Jammie and Vodka Shooter Party on Saturday, February 27th, 2021, with selection of best hats and jammies. Special Prizes will be mailed to the winners


Strong Together - Even Apart
Summertime in Vermont - It's On - Homecoming Parties and All
DERBY, VT - We can see clearly now. Soon beyond these grimmest of times, the vaccines are on their way, They will be widespread by spring. The Cloud of Covid will clear. And we are already hard at it preparing for a Summer of Homecoming Celebrations in the Kingdom. We have a full schedule of 25 days of swimming. On line registration is now open for all of our swims

Kingdom Swim on July 24th, 2021 is our Flagship Swim. This year it includes the 10 Mile USMS Ultra Marathon Distance Open Water National Championships. 36 swimmers have already signed up. Also at Kingdom Swim is our 25 km Border Buster and our 10 km, 5 km, and 1 mile distances with another 35 already registered. We will be hosting a Homecoming Parade on Friday evening, just after our Vermont Open Water Swimmers Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies at Jaspers. And, yes we will host our Swimmers and Yackers pasta dinner at the EastSide with Patti Casey and Tom MacKenzie providing music to laugh and dance. And, back by popular demand is our Brault's Pig Roast on Prouty Beach following the swim.

NEK Swim Week on August 7 - 15, 2021 has steadily grown since we started it in 2013. We swim 8 Lakes over the course of 9 days. Steamed Corn on the Cob after every swim. Relaxed afternoons in the Kingdom. Great Camaraderie. Space is limited. We are already half filled.

Saturday Clubhous Swim Series starting on June 26, 2021 and continuing on most Saturdays throughout July and August and into September. We swim out to and around the Islands of Derby Bay on Lake Memphremagog. Pick your distance, 2, 3.3, 4, 6.5 and 10 miles. We started this series in 2020 as small group, socially distanced swims, perfect for beginners in the sport and marathon swimmers alike. They were so well received AND so much fun we have added these arrows to our quiver of summer swims.

In Search of Memphre - Seven 3-day windows throughout July, August and into September. The logistics of this iconic 25-mile international swim have changed over the years. Instead of swimming on a fixed day with an expeditionary force of up to 10 swimmers, we now offer multiple 3-day windows (picking the best of the three to swim) with room for 1, 2, or 3 swimmers in any given window. We provide the boat and a pilot who knows the lake. We are near full for 2021 but have room for a couple more Swimmer Scouts.

Our boats are in the barn for the winter. But they will emerge with the coming Spring and "ready up" for the Celebration of the Miracle of Summer in The Kingdom. And, what a Grand Homecoming it will be.



NO LANES - NO LINES - NO LIMITS