Making a splash at the 29th Long Bridge Swim

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

Local athletes and adventurers can beat the heat Saturday, Aug. 3 with the 29th annual Long Bridge Swim. This 1.76-mile trek from Sagle to Sandpoint is a time-honored tradition that’s grown to nearly 10 times the size of the original 78-person event in 1995.

Swimmers participate in a past Long Bridge Swim. Courtesy photo.

“We’re almost at 700 registrations for this year, so we’re nearly back up to our pre-pandemic numbers. In fact, I think we will be this year,” said Race Director Jim Zuberbuhler.

The massive undertaking is run by a team of more than 250 volunteers who set up the event, as well as transport, feed and ensure the safety of all participants.

“I really like the idea that we have at least a hundred people every year who do this for the first time, and a lot of them don’t know if they can swim across the lake. That’s really exciting — to be able to provide enough support that we can do that,” said Zuberbuhler.

The organization’s overall theme is safety. In addition to ankle trackers and volunteers with counters on both ends of the bridge — ensuring that everyone who goes in comes out — there are more than 70 safety kayaks paddling alongside the swimmers, 10 bridge spotters monitoring from above and a sheriff’s boat complete with a dive team in the unlikely event of an emergency.

The Long Bridge Swim also works all year to bring swim lessons and lifeguards to Bonner County with the aid of local sponsors.

“We serve about a thousand children a year with our safety swim program — our three-day program for third-graders,” said Zuberbuhler. “We serve the kids from Southside all the way out to Clark Fork, all the way up to Bonners, all the way out to Priest River, so we’re very busy all year round and it’s all volunteer.”

Local swimming holes are suffering from the national shortage of qualified individuals willing to staff the lifeguard stations. Anyone able to serve as a lifeguard, swim instructor or assistant is invited to reach out via longbridgeswim.org.

“A big thank you to our volunteers and our sponsors and to participants. It takes all of those folks to make this work,” said Zuberbuhler.

To register and see the full schedule visit longbridgeswim.org. Registration is $55 if completed by Thursday, Aug. 1, after which the price will increase. There is no race day registration.