The Swimming Committee is one of the oldest committees at the Outrigger Canoe Club. In its first form in 1945, it was known as the Canoe, Swimming and Surfing Committee and was chaired by Gay Harris, and in 1946 by Harris and Neal Ifversen. In 1947, it became the Swimming Committee chaired by Olympian W. W. Harris Jr. and then disappeared until 1955 when it was named the Castle Swim Committee. In 1955 it was chaired by A. E. “Toots” Minvielle Jr. and in 1956 by Gay Harris. In 1960 it was renamed the Swimming Committee and chaired by Olympian Richard Cleveland and Barry Yap and was chaired by Roy Oness in 1961. In 1969 it reappeared as the Open Ocean Swimming Committee chaired by John Marshall.
Finally, the Swimming Committee reemerged in 1976 and has been an athletic standing committee ever since.
The mission of the Swimming Committee is to encourage members to enjoy swimming for personal fitness, recreation and/or competition. The Committee sponsors two events each year: the Castle Swim on the Sunday after Thanksgiving for members only, and the OCC Invitational Open Ocean Swim for members of local masters swim clubs in early summer. Working with the OCC Running Committee, the committees have put on run/swim biathlons, and run/swim/bike triathlons in the past.
Serving as chairs of the Swimming Committee have been:
1976 Gerry DeBenedetti
1977 Gerry DeBenedetti
1978 Gerry DeBenedetti
1979 Ian Emberson
1980 Ian Emberson
1981 Ian Emberson
1982 Ian Emberson
1983 Ian Emberson
1984 Ian Emberson
1985 Ian Emberson
1986 Ian Emberson
1987 Pam Zak
1988 Pam Zak
1989 Pam Zak
1990 Pam Zak
1991 Pam Zak & Laura Miller
1992 Pam Zak & Laura Miller
1993 Arnold Lum
1994 Arnold Lum
1995 Arnold Lum
1996 Arnold Lum
1997 Arnold Lum
1998 Chrissy Lambert Rhodes
1999 Chrissy Lambert Rhodes
2000 Chris Worrall
2001 Chris Moore & Peggy Danford
2002 Peggy Danford
2003 Dennis Blake
2004 Dennis Blake
2005 Dennis Blake
2006 Dennis Blake
2007 Dennis Blake & Jim Wiencke
2008 Dennis Blake & Jim Wiencke
2009 Stefan Reinke
2010 Stefan Reinke
2011 Stefan Reinke
2012 Stefan Reinke
2013 Stefan Reinke
2014 Todd Iacovelli
2015 Todd Iacovelli
2016 Todd Iacovelli