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KGMB9 Evening Team
Big Wave Surfer Attempts Swim Around Oahu Print E-mail
Written by Tina Chau - tchau@kgmb9.com   
September 08, 2008 10:23 PM

 
It's a surface swim, to bring attention to garbage on the bottom of the ocean. Surfer Alec Cooke wants to be the first to swim around Oahu, outfitted with a mask, snorkel and fins.

He began his crazy journey from Haleiwa Friday, Sept. 5 and hopes to make it back to Haleiwa next Monday, Sept. 15.

Monday, Sept. 8, he swam from Kewalo Basin on Oahu's south shore to Black Point. That's where he's spending the night, resting for another long swim tomorrow.

Struggling against a large south shore swell, Alec Cooke, better known as Ace Cool, makes his way through the Waikiki current. With a mask, snorkel and fins and a support boat. The 52-year-old is swimming counter-clockwise around Oahu to bring attention to the island's polluted waters. He takes a breather at the wall in Waikiki and tells us about the rubbish he's seen along the North Shore where he began his journey three days ago.

"The whole bottom is like 70 percent human trash," he says, "car parts, batteries, telephones."

Ace says this attempt is not for self glorification. He doesn't need it. He's already known in the surfing community for some crazy stunts, like being dropped from a helicopter onto a monster wave which was immortalized in a 1985 postcard. This stunt he says is about the ocean and keeping it clean.

"The Department of Health has shown the e-coli levels have been just horrendous," he says.

Ace is about a third of the way to his destination at Haleiwa. He's been swimming about seven hours a day and stopping when it gets dark. He admits he hops on the boat especially around polluted and "sharky" waters.

"Have you seen any?" asks KGMB9's Tina Chau.

"I haven't seen any," Ace says, "but they are there."

Tuesday, Ace plans to swim from Black Point to Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai. That's about eight miles.



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Last Updated ( September 08, 2008 10:23 PM )
 


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