Laguna Beach Indy | A Bond Forged in Salt Water

The teen, who finished third among women with a time of 1:15, was the second youngest competitor in the six-mile swim, which passes Alcatraz Island and through the bay’s notorious currents en route to the Bay Bridge that connects San Francisco to Oakland. Times ranged from 1:09 minutes to just under two hours, all but eight swimmers wore wetsuits, according to results on the website of event organizer Water World Swim of Corte Madera.

“We couldn’t believe how disciplined she is in this sport,” said Water World Swim founder and open-water trainer Pedro Ordenes, who says the Hales are the first father-daughter pair to compete in the Bridge to Bridge race.

Ordenes swam South America’s Strait of Magellan in 2000 and over 28 years has made 978 crossings to Alcatraz, including one with both Hales in 2011 when they wore wetsuits.

Continued on lagunabeachindy.com