Remembering Jon Erikson

evmo

We are heartbroken at the loss of Jon Erikson, one of the greatest channel swimmers ever, and the first to complete an English Channel triple crossing. Jon was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (distinct from our IMSHOF) this year, quite a rare honor for an open water swimmer.

Our deepest condolences to Jon's father and Forum member Ted Erikson @SdogV, and the rest of Jon's family.

JenA

His accomplishments were truly inspiring. I am grateful for his influence on the open water swimming community.

loneswimmer

I never met Jon. And now I will never collect his autograph, something I'd always hoped to do. We are greatly saddened at his departure.

I was at this open water swimming lark a couple of years before I heard of Ted, then of Jon. When I first heard "three-way English Channel", I thought I must have misheard, it could not be possible.

Some years later, now knowing the Channel more intimately, in some ways I am even more profoundly moved by the achievement which in over three decades has only been accomplished three times. Jon crossed the English Channel eleven times, including two two-ways and was in his time the youngest ever Channel swimmer. He also broke his father's time for @svdog's famous Lake Michigan swim. It's a sad day.

evmo

From the induction speech:

Of the 11 times I crossed the Channel, I've swum it as fast as 8 hours 38 minutes, and as slow as 17 hours 50 minutes. And I can tell you that I was swimming stronger, faster, and harder, when I swam 17:50.

IronMike

RIP.

evmo

A 1975 People magazine article about Jon's two-way EC, which broke his dad Ted's record by three minutes.

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20065608,00.html

This was six years before the three-way.

Dredpiraterobts

Is there a thread to honor passed greats in general?

I'm still new to the whole history of the sport. But this woman, seems to have been important to the zeitgeist of mature swimming.

June Krauser Obit from the NYT

I'll just say my thanks to her, not for me but for my father, who after retirement took up Masters Swimming and found new confidence and contentment in himself as a result. (this isn't meant to imply he was "One of the greats" but to illustrate June Krauser's contribution to people she never met.)

evmo

Great obit on Jon in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-jon-erikson-obituary-met-20140814-story.html