Flathead Lake Monsters host first and successful Queens Bay open swim event

The Flathead Lake Monsters welcomed swimmers from around western Montana to Polson this weekend for the Queens Bay Lake Monsters Open Water Swim, an event designed to bring the swimming community together while introducing athletes to a different side of the sport.

The event drew 38 swimmers for 5K, 10K and 1-mile races in Flathead Lake. For the Lake Monsters, a relatively small program based at Mission Valley Aquatics, the turnout made the event a tremendous success as the team continues to develop its open-water tradition.

“The biggest goal was to bring people together, have fun and give swimmers an opportunity to experience something different,” said Pat Gilmartin, Lake Monsters head coach and race director. “Swimming can sometimes feel like a lot of going back and forth in a pool. Open water shows kids that all of those skills they work so hard to develop can also take them to some pretty amazing places.”

Open-water swimming is a competitive discipline, with sanctioned competitions held throughout the United States and internationally. The 10K open-water swim is also an Olympic event. Lake Monsters swimmers have qualified for regional open-water competitions, and the team hopes events like Queens Bay can introduce more local swimmers to that side of the sport.

The Lake Monsters try to take advantage of having Flathead Lake in their backyard, occasionally bringing swimmers to the lake for fun, instruction and opportunities to become comfortable swimming outside the traditional pool environment.

Former Lake Monster Gus Hertz, who now swims for Pacific Lutheran University, won the 5K in a hard-fought contest with Ryker Perales. Barry Flightner, a former collegiate swimmer for the University of Washington, who now coaches high school and assists at the YMCA in Missoula, won the 10K. 14-year-old Missoula Aquatic Club swimmer Ryker Perales won the mile.

For Gilmartin, seeing athletes and coaches from different programs sharing the lake was as important as the racing itself.

“Montana swimming really does feel like a big family,” Gilmartin said. “Nearly every face out there was a familiar one from previous open water swims, masters practice and meets around the state. It was really cool to see everyone come together in Polson, race hard and support each other.”

Several Lake Monsters also challenged themselves by completing both the 5K and mile events.

“As a coach, I’m really proud of our swimmers who were willing to take that on,” Gilmartin said. “This sport can be a grind sometimes, but through that work you develop skills that let you do some really cool things. Swimming around an island in Flathead Lake is a pretty memorable example of that.”

After weeks that included smoke and summer storms, swimmers were greeted by clear skies and excellent conditions on race morning.

“We joked that the swim gods came through for the Lake Monsters,” Gilmartin said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

The team also thanked Lake County Search and Rescue, Porter Moore for swimmer safety, and all the volunteers and paddlers who helped provide safety support throughout the event.

While the swim served as a fundraiser for the program, its larger purpose was to build community and showcase opportunities available to swimmers in Polson. The Lake Monsters hope to build Queens Bay into a welcoming annual event that swimmers from around Montana can look forward to.

“We’re fortunate to have a great pool, an incredible lake and a community that allows us to do some unique things,” Gilmartin said. “We want to be a team that welcomes people to Polson and gives our own swimmers experiences they’ll remember. Hopefully this becomes something people look forward to coming back for each year.”

The Flathead Lake Monsters begin their short-course season at Mission Valley Aquatics in early September, with opportunities for swimmers of different ages and experience levels. A school bus drops students directly at the facility after school, making the program accessible to local families interested in joining.

For the Lake Monsters, the Queens Bay swim was ultimately about more than finishing times or places.

“It was 38 people getting out in the lake, challenging themselves, making memories and enjoying this incredible place we get to call home,” Gilmartin said. “That’s exactly what we hoped this event would be.”