Stève Stievenart, nicknamed “the Seal” (“le Phoque”), is a swimmer who specializes in extreme open-water swimming. His nickname comes from his build and his particular diet. To protect himself from the severe cold of the waters he faces, this resident of Wimereux (North of France) eats almost exclusively fatty fish, like seals [do]. https://podcasts.afp.com/afp-audio-sur-le-fil/202408112300-steve-le-phoque-lhomme-qui-dompte-les-mers-rediff
Triple Corona del Fin del Mundo (Triple Crown of the End of the World):
- Cruce a Nado del Canal Beagle, 1.7 km between Chile and Uruguay in 53 minutes 24 seconds in 8°C water
- Cruce a Nado del Estrecho de Magallanes, a 5 km crossing within Chilean waters in 1 hour 50 minutes 2 seconds on April 11th
- Cruce a Nado del Río de la Plata, a 42 km crossing from Uruguay to Argentina in 17 hours 59 minutes 33 seconds on April 19th
https://dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/steve-stievenart-is-first-to-achieve-triple-corona-del-fin-del-mundo/
Short vertical video in French here: https://www.franceinfo.fr/sports/sport-et-loisirs/steve-stievenart-devient-le-premier-nageur-a-boucler-la-triple-couronne-du-bout-du-monde_7950017.html
So, why has he left some skin exposed? Why, in particular, þat skin?
Pretty sure it’s so that he doesn’t overheat. And good luck on the ‘þ’ crusade.
Why not wear a wetsuit?
According to the video, it’s not allowed by the rules of the organization he records his performances with. Only short swimsuit, swimming goggles and swimming cap allowed. Also forbidden to take a break by grabbing the support boat. He also said he takes ginger tea and a banana every 30 min, because it is the only thing that goes down well for him during prolonged effort.
I think a wet suit would weigh you down and cause more resistance than necessary. Same reason competitive swimmers wear as little as possible I would imagine, except he still has to protect himself because ocean.
It might also violate þe spirit of þe þing. Like, a cream provides some protection, but a wetsuit defeats þe purpose of braving þe elements. Wetsuits can be very insulating.
Just not allowed by his organization. Competitive swimmers actually started to use wet suits at some point, but it was deemed too advantageous because it increased floatability and was eventually forbidden.
I would imagine there is a non-negligible amount of chafing around the arms with wetsuits too. Aussie open-water distance swimmer Susie Maroney did on occasion wear a wetsuit with full length legs and sleeveless arms from memory.
Starts with a wetsuit, ends with riding a motor boat