FAQ

If the race is cancelled, will I receive a refund?
Waikiki Roughwater Swim does not provide refunds for swim event cancellation or entry withdrawals. Waikiki Roughwater Swim Committee, Inc. is a not for profit Hawaiian Corporation. Our entry fee is set to recover our direct costs plus a 10 percent contingency fund. The swimmer entry fee is used to pay our annual swim costs. In 2008 we paid $30,000 for police services, mandatory insurance and permit fees, web services, data base maintenance, advertising, printing and mailing, swim caps, awards, professional water safety services required by the permit process, timing services, equipment rental, communications and sound system services, volunteer tee shirts and race day operations. To put it quite simply, the bills must be paid even if the race isn't held.

How is starting group seeding determined?
Waikiki Roughwater Swim seeds swimmers into one of five groups for course and swimmer safety. The race starts at 9 am with the subsequent groups staggered five minutes later at 9:05, 9:10, and 9:20. Group A starting at 9 am is reserved for top 100 finishers from the previous year's race, all previous overall and age group first place finishers, top 25 finishers from North Shore 2.4 mile Challenge (current year), current NCAA and High School all Americans and others at the discretion of the Race Director. Seeding assignment for Groups A,B, and C is accomplished on close of normal entry deadline, on September 1. All entries received late will be assigned group D. Assignment to other starting groups is at the discretion of the Race Director.

RACE PACKET:
For entries received prior to August 31, 2010 an Email Confirmation and Pre-Race Instructions will be Emailed to each entrant. If no Email Confirmation is received by Saturday September 4, you must go to the late registration desk to pick up your Confirmation Card. This card is required to obtain your race chip on race day.If you want confirmation of receipt of entry, look on the website or enclose SASE. Confirmation cards and information for entrants will be available for pick up at Sans Souci Beach on race day 7:00 am to 8:30 am.

DATE:
9:00 am, Monday, September 6, 2010

COURSE:
Out the Kapua (Outrigger Canoe Club) Channel, across Waikiki, and in the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel channel. Course will be marked by flags every few hundred meters.

START:
Sans Souci Beach between the Natatorium and the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, Waikiki. There will be staggered starts at 5-minute intervals beginning at 9:00 am.

SEEDED START:
To reduce crowding at the start, the field will be divided into groups of approximately 150 to 200 people based upon 2000 meter seeded times. The fastest swimmers will be in the first group and slower swimmer in the succeeding groups seeding is first come, first serve. Late entries may be put into slower groups depending on availability. The race committee reserves the right to place you in any group. If you have been unable to finish in the past or have difficulty swimming 2000 meters you should not enter unless you have significantly improved your swimming ability. If you swam last year’s Waikiki Roughwater Swim, please enter your time (can be found on the 2009 Waikiki Roughwater Swim Official Results) in the space provided on the application form.

SAFETY:
Your safety is our most important concern. There will be boats and paddlers on surfboards patrolling the racecourse. Swimmers are responsible for their own physical condition and are encouraged to train adequately and have a physical check-up prior to the swim. Swimmers who have not passed the buoy No. 10 by 11:00 am will be pulled from the water. All non-finishers will be taken to the Ala Wai Boat Harbor.

FINISH:
Duke Kahanamoku beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel. Swimmers must cross the finish line, which will be 20-30 meters up the beach from the water’s edge. To be an official finisher, you must complete the race in less than 2 hours and 40 minutes and wear a swim cap, during the race and while crossing the finish line.

NUMBERING:
Race day all swimmers will be numbered on legs. You will be disqualified if you are not numbered.

EMAIL:
Your race number will be emailed to you. If you do not have email, race number can be picked up in person at late registration table on Sept 5th or 6th.

ESCORTS:
To ensure fair competition, no escorts on surfboards, kayaks or boats are permitted.

SWIM AIDS:
This is a swimming event: flotation devices, snorkels, fins, wetsuits of any kind or any other swimming aides are prohibited. Goggles are strongly recommended. Your entry fee includes a swim cap that MUST be worn during the race.

PROTESTS:
Must be submitted to referee by 11:30 am or within 30 minutes of swimmer, whichever is later.

ENTRY FEE:
$75.00 per swimmer if postmarked by September 1, 2010. Entry fee is non-refundable. Checks payable to: WRSC. Mail to: WRSC, 6158 Summer, Honolulu, HI 96821. Register online at www.active.com and save.

LATE REGISTRATION:
$80.00 per swimmer. If out of state, do not mail in entries after September 1. Late entries will be accepted from 12:00 to 3:00 pm September 5, 2010 at the end of Paoa Place, between the Hilton Hawaiian Village and FT. $75.00 CASH ONLY. DeRussy (see map for late entry location).

RACE DAY ENTRIES:
Late entries will be accepted race day between 7:00 am and 8:00 am. Race day entry fee is $100.00: CASH ONLY.
T-SHIRTS: All T-shirts will be distributed at the finish line. If you do not swim or finish the race, you can still pick up your shirt at the Shirt Table. T-shirt table will close at 1:00 pm.

AGE DIVISIONS:
Male & Female: 10&Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, etc. Top three overall male and female finishers will be placed in an elite division.

AWARDS:
Name of the first individual to finish will be engraved on the “Alexander Hume Ford” perpetual trophy. Elite division awards to the top three male and female finishers. Elite division winners will not participate in the age group competition. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female finishers in each division (or 5% of entrants, which ever is greater). “Bossabean Cup 2009 trophy to the first place men’s 60-64 division. Awards ceremony to start at 12:00 noon. Timers will wait for the last official swimmer to finish. All entrants will receive complete race results in the mail. Awards will not be mailed to the winners at the expense of the committee. Awards will not be mailed to the winners at the expense of the committee.

QUESTIONS:
Please address questions in writing and send with a SASE to: WRSC, 6158 Summer, Honolulu, HI 96821; or by email: kaiawrs@gmail.com