The Swimmers

The Swimmers is a long term personal project that is very close to my heart and soul.

When one winter day my friend told me about her morning swims at dawn in the sea and suggested I join her one morning, I didn’t know such a thing was even envisageable. I couldn’t say no, I had to find out what this was about. The Pacific Ocean is like another world compared to the Mediterranean sea of my childhood. It’s cold, it’s temperamental, untameable. On sunny days, as the sun makes its way up behind the Bluff Hill of Napier, the day takes on some enchanting quality. I decided to join my friend in her morning routine, and a day after my first encounter with hypothermia, surprisingly enough I was hooked.

And, one morning after the next, as I bathed in the refreshingly freezing sea and revelled in this most transforming experience, I started noticing the swimmers. There’s the ones with their wetsuits, swimming caps and goggles on. They arrive in their cars, congregate on the beach, discuss the state of the water and whether it’s going to be cold today or not, and together as one, they make their way to the water. It’s like watching a ballet unfold in front of your eyes. I find their rhythm from car to sea to buoys and back to the boot of the cars where they get changed intriguing and fascinating.

There’s also Jeff and Davey and others whose names I don’t know yet, who swim with togs and a cap only, every day, at dawn for at least 2kms minimum. Impressive!

Straight away I wanted to do a photo series about the swimmers. And the photo series became a long term project. I swim too. To the first buoy and back. At dawn. The early morning light holds a mysterious, transcendental quality that is magic and addictive. That’s when I photograph this mesmerising scene.