Most people think of swimming as an indoor sport.
The Prince George Barracudas make their home in the climate-controlled Prince George Aquatic Centre, where the weather outside is not usually an issue.
This summer, however, some of those Barracudas will be taking their swim racing pursuits outside.
Haley Black and Danica Ludlow, both 14, have been selected for Canada's prospects team to compete in the North American Challenge Cup, Aug. 4-6 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
The outdoor pool in Montreal is familiar to the top-level Barracudas who compete there each summer at the age group national and senior national championships, but the chance to race outdoors in balmy Mexico is a rare treat.
"I don't think they have indoor pools there," said Barracudas head coach Jerzy Partyka.
"When we go to Montreal for age group nationals it's always in an outdoor pool, so they have a little bit of experience with that. In Montreal, you [have concerns about the weather], but in Mexico, I don't think so."
For Ludlow, the Mexico meet will be a final tuneup before she joins 15-year-old Barracuda Sterling King on Team B.C. at the Western Canadian Summer Games in Kamloops, Aug. 11-14.
Eight Barracudas will be in Vancouver, May 27-29 for the Mel Zajac Invitational Canada Cup meet. King, Harrison Lagzdin, Jessa Wing, Kathryn Binnema, Claire Shrimpton, and Bailey Hardy will represent the Barracudas, while Ludlow and Black will compete under the Swim Canada umbrella.
Katie Mann and Grace Ni qualified for the Zajac meet but will be unable to attend due to conflicts with their high school graduation ceremonies.
All of the above mentioned Barracudas have also qualified for the age group nationals, along with Kailey Tress, Sava Yungman, Ethan Godden and Josiah Binnema. Black, Mann, Ludlow and King have the necessary credentials to race at the senior national event.
Partyka and assistant coach Jason Smith will take a group of 55 club swimmers to Kamloops for the Ice Classic long course meet, June 3-5. Also on the hit list for the Barracudas this summer are the double-A long course championships, June 24-26 in Kelowna, and the B.C. provincial long course finals, July 7-10 in Victoria.
