Open Water Swimmers to Complete Record 500th Crossing of Famed Alcatraz Channel in San Francisco Bay on June 11

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Accomplished open water swimmers Gary Emich, Steven Hurwitz and Pedro Ordenes each will complete their 500th solo Alcatraz crossing on June, 11 2007.

The swimmers have chosen this date to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the infamous Frank Morris and Anglin Brothers Alcatraz escape on June 11, 1962.

The swimmers enter the water at the South End Rowing Club, 500 Jefferson Street in San Francisco, at 10 a.m. A media pilot boat will parallel the swimmers' approximately two-mile route to Alcatraz and back to the finish at the bleachers in Aquatic Park. Swimmers are expected to be in the water for approximately one hour.

The trio has been swimming together year-round at the South End Rowing Club for the last four years. San Francisco Bay is frequently subject to high winds, whitecaps and waves reaching four feet. The swimmers must also navigate extremely strong and tricky currents that can exceed 6 knots (7 mph). Water temperatures can dip to 46 degrees. None of the swimmers wears a wetsuit.

About the Swimmers

Steven Hurwitz, 46, President of Bay Area Herbs & Specialties in South San Francisco, is an accomplished open water swimmer, record holder for the fastest two-way Alcatraz race at 56 minutes and a member of The South End Rowing Club. A Burlingame resident and father of two, Hurwitz has swam around Manhattan Island, Tampa Bay, Boston Harbor, the English Channel and participated in the Catalina Channel relays.

Gary Emich, 56, is author of "A Swim Criminal Looks at 100: A Swimmer's Guide to a Successful Escape" and the co-host of a new DVD, "Lane Lines to Shore Lines: Your Complete Guide to Open Water Swimming." Among his swims are the Amazon River, Peru's Lake Titicaca (the world's highest navigable lake at 12,500 feet) and the peat black waters of Scotland's legendary Loch Ness.

Pedro H. Ordenes, originally from Chile, is known around the world for his challenging, record-breaking swims. He is the only person to have completed a round trip crossing of the Beagle Channel between Chile and Argentina, in water temperatures averaging 39 degrees (without a wetsuit). In 1999, Pedro swam across the Strait of Magellan in 39.7 degree waters to celebrate the new millennium.