Saturday, February 6, 2010

Maiden of Sea (spring 09)

On an overcast Saturday morning at the beginning of the summer I was down at Oak Street beach in Laguna hanging out with a group of swimmers getting ready for a “dip” in the Pacific Ocean. These are not your every day pool lap swimmers… instead they are a hearty, affable group of five women that take their swimming and affinity for the ocean quite seriously. The plan was for a leisurely swim up the coast to Main Beach and back.

One of the swimmers in particular, Lynn Kubasek, is a maiden of the sea. She has her sights on long distance swimming and particularly is aiming to swim the Catalina Channel. That is from Catalina Island to Newport Beach, a good 22 miles in low – 60’s degree water.

I’ve known Lynn a good couple of years now and have enjoyed her presence and enthusiasm for life. Whenever one is greeted or re-united with Lynn, her smile and happiness radiates and becomes infectious. When asked how things are going, she tampers on the latest swim or an upcoming one… and how rad her artwork is coming along.

On this morning, I had an opportunity to get her attention before she took to her beloved sea. Whether it’s an overcast day and the water is less inviting to most, or a sunny one and the water is as clear as a fishbowl, this is the Lynn that you will see…