21st Annual Cascade Lakes Swim Series & Festival 2015

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Registration Schedule

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21st ANNUAL CASCADE LAKES SWIM SERIES & FESTIVAL
featuring the Oregon LMSC 1500-meter Open Water Championships

Elk Lake, OR      July 31 & August 1-2, 2015      5 Swims in 3 Days!

Hosted by Central Oregon Masters Aquatics and Bend Park & Recreation District
Sanctioned by Oregon LMSC for U.S. Masters Swimming. Inc. #375-W002
Operating under Special Use Permit from the United States Forest Service

LOCATION: Elk Lake, a beautiful, clear mountain lake nestled in the sunny Oregon Cascades 33 miles from Bend.  Water temperature is expected to be 66-69 degrees F. and will be posted on race days.

FESTIVAL: Elk Lake is a great place to bring your family for a fine outdoors experience and extravaganza.  Think FESTIVAL!

RACES: The Cascade Lakes Swim Series features five open water swims over three days.  Adult participants may enter any or all of the five swims.  Friday’s swim is a 3000-meter swim on a triangular course.  Saturday’s swims are an individual 500-meter time trial on an out-and-back floating line course and a 1500-meter swim around a triangular course.  Sunday’s swims will include a 5000-meter swim consisting of three loops of a diamond & triangular course and a 1000-meter swim on an irregular course following the shoreline.  The 1500-meter swim will serve as the Oregon LMSC 1500-meter Open Water Championships (championship policy below).

SWIM SCHEDULE (subject to change due to conditions):

Friday, July 31, 2015
4:30-5:30pm      Registration/Check-In for 3000-meter swim
6:00pm             Start of 3000-meter swim
Saturday, August 1, 2015
7:45-8:45am      Registration/Check-In for 500 & 1500-meter swims
9:30am             Start of 500-meter swim
10:15-11:00am  Registration/Check-in for the 1500-meter swim
11:45am           Start of Oregon LMSC 1500-meter Open Water Championships
Sunday, August 2, 2015
7:15 am-8:15am Registration/Check-In for 5000 & 1000-meter
8:45 am             Start of 5000-meter swim
10:00-11:00am   Registration/Check-In for the 1000-meter swim
11:45 am            Start of 1000-meter swim

Pre-race instructions 15 minutes before each start time.  A picnic lunch or dinner will follow the finish of swims each day.

SERIES:  The Cascade Lakes Swim Series includes a Short Series (500, 1000, & 1500-meter swims) and a Long Series (1500, 3000, & 5000-meter swims).  Each swimmer may enter one distance series only and must complete all three series swims to be eligible for series awards.  For series awards, points will be based on finish order in each race, with a Category II suit deduction (10% time penalty).  Swimmers who complete all FIVE swims will win special Survivor awards.

ELIGIBILITY:  Open ONLY to 2015 USMS members or foreign equivalents, who must be adults 18+ on Friday, July 31, 2015.  USMS “One-Event” membership is available for adults only for $21.

RULES:  USMS rules will govern this event.  Category II suits—including wetsuits—are welcomed in all swims, but scored in a separate category.  See event website for swimwear details.

STARTS & SEEDING:  The 1500, 3000 & 5000-meter swims will use a mass start.  The 500-meter swim will have individual starts and the 1000-meter swim will start in small heats; both swims will be seeded fastest-to-slowest based on 500-yard seed time.  Day-of-Race entries and those not submitting a seed time will not be seeded in advance and will swim last.  No changes allowed in seeding times at the race, so enter accurate times.

SAFETY—OUR PRIMARY CONCERN:  Safety boats will monitor the entire course and medical personnel will be on-site.  Swimmers must wear a brightly colored swim cap, have their race number on their arms or hands, and follow all announced safety rules without exception.

REGISTRATION—ONLINE ONLY (except Day-of-Race entries):
Online entries on Club Assistant software.  Entries received by July 20 will pay the normal fees.  Entries received July 21-25 must pay a $10 late fee.   The online entry system will close on July 25 at Midnight PDST.  After that, swimmers may only enter Day-of-Race at the event site, which requires a $20 late fee.  Save some cash--submit your entries on time!

ENTRY FEES:  One race is $35, and each additional race is $5 more.  Entry fee includes a swim cap and post-swim meals on your race days.

INSURANCE SURCHARGE:  There is a required $6 per swimmer surcharge to help cover the cost of USMS-mandated event insurance.

RESULTS:  Will be posted at Elk Lake promptly after each race and at www.comaswim.org and www.swimoregon.org after the event.

AWARDS: Age groups are standard USMS age groups.
Awards to individual swimmers by age group:

• Ribbons to three places in each age group in all other swims in both suit categories.
• Ceramic coasters to the top 3 Series finishers in each age group.  

Awards to individual swimmers regardless of age group:

• Ceramic mug to the top masters male & female in each Series.
• Special Survivor glass mug to everyone completing all five swims.

T-SHIRTS:  Custom Elk Lake event t-shirts will be available for purchase by swimmers who register by July 20.

MEALS:  Swimmers will receive post-swim meals on the days of their swims.  Specatator meals are $8, payable with entry.

OREGON OPEN WATER SERIES:  All swims count towards the cumulative season series.  The 1500 & 5000 are featured swims, while the 500, 1000, & 3000-meter swims are qualifying swims.

DIRECTIONS (Mapquest: Elk Lake):  From Century Drive in Bend, take the Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway approximately 33 miles to Elk Lake.  The start & finish site for all swims is the Beach Day Use Area, the southernmost exit, and last Elk Lake exit if coming from Bend.

PARKING:  Parking is limited to two large pullouts off the Cascades Lakes Highway, the Six-Lakes Trailhead lot, and the Little Fawn Group Campground.  A shuttle will run Saturday & Sunday only between the campground, trailhead, and the race site before & during registration and after races are completed.  There will be no general parking at the race site until after event activities have concluded.  Your car must display a 2015 NW Forest Pass to park anywhere other than the highway pullouts, trailhead, or campground.

CAMPING: Campground for Friday and Saturday night is now FULL. Thursday and Sunday night is still available. By pre-registration only (first come first served), we have reserved Little Fawn Group Campground for swimmers & spectators Thursday through Sunday.  Only tents or small motor homes are permitted.  Camping fee is $8 per day per camper 12 years or older—include fee with your entry form to secure your spot.  Limited parking at the campgrounds!  NO drop-in camping!

DOGS:  NO DOGS at Elk Lake (USFS Rule), but they may be in the campground on a leash.  Never leave your dog unattended in a car!

WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE INFO: www.comaswim.org

EVENT DIRECTOR:
Bob Bruce coachbob@bendbroadband.com 541-317-4851

Oregon LMSC policy concerning the Oregon LMSC 1500-meter Open Water Championships

Program:  The championship event shall be a 1500-meter or 1-mile swim for swimmers in Category I suits. 

Team Affiliation and Scoring:

• A swimmer shall represent the local team listed on the entry form.  If no local team is listed, a swimmer shall represent the local team listed with his or her OMS membership.  Swimmers with One-Event membership are required by USMS rules to swim as “Unattached”, and therefore cannot represent a local team.
• Cumulative team scoring shall be based upon point value by age group: 8-6-4-3-2-1.

Category II Swimwear:  Swimmers wearing Category II suits (including wetsuits) may participate in the event without the possibility of placing in the individual championship or scoring team points.   [Note that separate ribbons are awarded for Category II suits].

Note: If paying by credit card, your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "WWW.COMASWIM.ORG."