MSF Charter Members Present the Navigator Award

emkhowleyemkhowley Boston, MACharter Member
edited February 2018 in Cheering Section

The Marathon Swimmers Federation recently hosted another rousing round of marathon swimming awards with several worthy winners getting the nod in a variety of categories, from most prolific (the Barra Award) to the most devoted to helping others succeed (the Streeter Award).

Amid the flurry of friendly nominations, an undertone of discontent emerged from the community. One person who has routinely been nominated for the Streeter Award over the past several years, Evan Morrison (@evmo), again declined his nomination. His reasons? Always that as the person who counts the votes, it would be unethical for him to be on the docket as a potential awardee, so he recuses himself and counts the votes for other winners. And on a higher level, he wants to avoid the perception that MSF is insular and self-congratulatory.

We could have left it there, but the charter membership decided this was the year we would make a slight course correction in recognizing one of our own who consistently goes above and beyond to support other swimmers.

As the co-founder of the Marathon Swimmers’ Federation, moderator of the Marathon Swimmers Forum, and president of the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association, Evan has long been deeply involved in marathon swimming. And not just as a swimmer; if you’ve ever watched DRIVEN, you know he’s a force to be reckoned with in the water. But he’s an even greater force in helping swimmers connect with each other and reach new heights they might not otherwise be able to achieve. He’s done all this through the establishment and ongoing maintenance of the MSF forum, which he cofounded with Donal Buckely in 2012. (Where in the past, getting good information about a swim or being able to ask other swimmers important questions directly was hard, the forum makes worldwide connections and exchange of information much easier.)

Evan also developed the marathon-swimming friendly TRACK.RS system that lets us follow along on each other’s adventures. When those swims are completed, they’re added to the database project Evan’s been curating, his recently announced LongSwimsDB, which aims to catalog all marathon swims through the ages. It’s a lofty goal, but one that only grows in scope and accuracy with Evan’s ongoing efforts.

Add to these more recent contributions his lengthy service as a coach and advisor for other swimmers, his willingness to be the face of rule-abiding marathon swimmers everywhere in the face of controversy, and in his service to other swimming organizations including the now-defunct NYCSwim and being a voting member of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Evan has shown time and again that his love of this sport and its quirky community knows no bounds.

Evan has often been quoted as saying “extraordinary claims require extraordinary documentation.” Turning that concept 90 degrees, we believe that extraordinary contributions demand extraordinary recognition. To that end, the charter membership of the Marathon Swimmers Federation has voted to show our appreciation for Evan’s vast contributions to the sport with a non-annual award we’re calling the “Navigator Award.” Rather than competing with the Streeter Award, the Navigator Award honors a slightly different type or level of contribution to the sport and will only be granted in extraordinary situations such as Evan’s. (As a non-annual award, when extraordinary circumstances warrant a future edition of this commendation, the Charter Membership will be contacted for discussion.)

The 2018 Navigator Award is but a small token of our gratitude for Evan’s thousands of hours of unpaid work on the Forum as well as thanks for his development of truly useful commercial ventures like TRACK.RS. Taken all together, Evan’s contributions to the sport of marathon swimming have been nothing short of revolutionary, and we are grateful that he has applied his many and varied skills and talents to bring us into the 21st century and beyond.

Thank you, Evan, for all you’ve done and for all you have yet to achieve. We can’t wait to see which course you chart for us next.

sextant

Stop me if you've heard this one...
A grasshopper walks into a bar...
https://elainekhowley.com/

Tagged:
curlymjstaplesJanetJustSwimevmoSara_Wolfswimrn62slknightKatieBunJSwimKate_AlexanderKarenTmamillerthelittlemerwookieSoloMpolFrancoSwimmer18SwimUpStreamphodgeszohoViveBeneSydneDwendyv34rosemarymintKellieIronMikeSwimmersuztimsrootkejoyceKarl_KingerygrappledunkjendutSpacemanspiffMoCoJaimiedavid_barraCopelj26AnthonyMcCarleyrlmgregocbluemermaid9dpm50cold_water_zenMaryStellaKNicholasBridgetMvG

Comments

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited February 2018

    Whoa... is that a sextant? This is super-cool, guys. I don't know much about celestial navigation, but I try to compensate with my strong opinions!

    Thanks to the Charter Members who got this community going; and especially to those who have kept the conversation going these past almost-6 years. I'm honored by this.

    Thanks also to my brilliant collaborators Donal, Elaine, and Andrew -- who are not only skillful and adventurous swimmers, but also leaders and thinkers with a global view of the sport, far above the water line.

    Likewise, I hope MSF represents a movement, not just of swimmers, but of people who think about swimming and have a vision for it; people who want to learn about swimming, and people who create opportunities for others to swim. It takes a village!

    KatieBunJSwimKate_AlexanderKarenTthelittlemerwookieSoloFrancoSwimUpStreamphodgeszohocurlyViveBeneSydneDwendyv34rosemarymintIronMikeJustSwimemkhowleytimsrootKarl_KingerySpacemanspiffMoCoJaimiedavid_barraCopelj26AnthonyMcCarleyrlmgregocdpm50MaryStellaKNicholasBridgetMvG
  • A finely calibrated instrument with a rich history!

    Thanks to the charter membership for devising a way to recognize Evan's brightening marathon swimming's present and future and moving the sport forward substantially. Best trophy ever.

    Kate_AlexanderevmocurlyKarl_KingerySolorlmdpm50MaryStellaBridget
  • emkhowleyemkhowley Boston, MACharter Member
    edited February 2018

    evmo said:
    Whoa... is that a sextant? This is super-cool, guys. I don't know much about celestial navigation, but I try to compensate with my strong opinions!

    As a matter of fact, it is a sextant, and one will be headed your way shortly. @Karl_Kingery is taking the lead on organizing the physical trophy, so keep an eye on your mailbox soon. :-) A small token of gratitude.

    ssthomasJustSwimevmorosemarymintKarenTKarl_KingerythelittlemerwookieKate_AlexanderJaimiedavid_barraCopelj26AnthonyMcCarleyKatieBunrlmMoCogregocdpm50MaryStellaBridget

    Stop me if you've heard this one...
    A grasshopper walks into a bar...
    https://elainekhowley.com/

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin

    This is so cool. I love it. Thank you!

    20180226_140040
    20180226_140011

    Karl_KingeryssthomascurlyslknightrosemarymintrlmMpolKarenTloneswimmerIronMikeKatieBunthelittlemerwookieKate_AlexanderaafairmanJaywendyv34kejoyceJustSwimKellieJanetMoCogregocmolly1205bluemermaid9phodgeszohodpm50MaryStellalakespraySoloAnthonyMcCarleySwimUpStreamswimdailyBridgetMvG
  • swimmer25kswimmer25k Charter Member
    edited March 2018

    Dammit. I had a picture from "Land of the Lost" with the kids going over the waterfall. For some reason I couldn't post it.

  • dpm50dpm50 PA, U.S.Senior Member

    Awesome and well deserved! This forum is a wonderful resource not only for the experienced channel and triple crown and oceans 7 swimmers but for fledglings like me. I enjoy hearing about the huge accomplishments of people like Sarah Thomas.... and rejoice in the first time marathons of so many. I learn from the advice and the stories, and sometimes even have a laugh, as w the theme song thread!

    I've had the privilege of meeting some of you in real time, at the 24 Hour Relay and some NY races. And I knew a couple of you before I joined. My overall impression: a group full of vitality and a passion for swimming and helping newcomers get involved!

    Thank you, Evan for being so instrumental in growing this sport!

    ssthomasrlmevmocurlySoloAnthonyMcCarley
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