Thank you, BAM. BAMFest was fun. This year we had: 135 swimmers, 90+ volunteers, 50 BAMmers swimming, 22 people swimming in their first-ever Masters meet, 7 officials, and 3 national records (go Charlotte Davis!). The feedback I’m hearing from BAMFest is all positive. As BAMFest’s Meet Director, every year it is my personal mission to make this meet a memorable experience (in a good way!) for everyone who participates, whether as a swimmer, an official, a volunteer, a coach, or a spectator. This year, the meet worked. The atmosphere was...

Happy Friday, BAM! Register now for the Pumpkin 500, to be swum on Saturday, October 25, starting at 11:00 (warm ups at 10:00)! This is a combined BISC and BAM event, so you’ll have a chance to meet and mix with your future teammates. Registration will not be open for long – it closes late this coming Tuesday, October 14. Don’t delay. Please note: Per the USA Swimming Minor Athlete Protection Policy, the locker rooms are reserved for athletes age 17 and under. All swimmers 18 and older must use...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! Happy Birthday to the following BAMmers with birthdays in October: Amanda Davies Morgan Smart Kelly Thompson Marcus Cziesla Mark Bickford Lisa Claesson-Gordon Ben Upsall Graeme Esarey Jan Ringo Pete Randolph Heather Burger Norma Myers Mrogan Rohrback Janice Petaja Melissa McRitchie Ehren Brav, and Erika Borg Registration for the Pumpkin 500 should open in the next day or two… and it will close just a few days later on October 14. Keep your eyes open for the email if you want to swim! What is the Pumpkin 500?...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! The Pumpkin 500 is back! Long-time members of the team will remember this event that brings Masters and age-group swimmers together in pursuit of a common goal: to swim the 500 Free. The event will be on Saturday, October 25 th – more information coming soon. The BAM Boosters Holiday Potluck will be Saturday, December 13 at the American Legion Hall. A great way to learn what your teammates look like without a cap and goggles. Two upcoming meets (after BAMFest): the SAM Invitational on Sunday, November...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! I’m keeping an eye on the weather forecast, wondering when the rain will come, and the forecast tells me: not yet. I know my plants would appreciate the water, but I’m enjoying these bonus sunny days. BAMFest is just two and a half weeks away. (The registration deadline is one and a half weeks away.) Congratulations to the fifteen BAMmers who have already signed up, and especially to Archie and Cynthia who will be swimming in their first-ever Masters meet! Mike (Archie) Archambault Larry Hile Meegan Rucker...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! Fun BAMFest facts: Last year, 147 swimmers registered for BAMFest, our second largest BAMFest meet ever. (The largest was in 2010 with 157 swimmers.) Of those 147 swimmers, 21 were swimming in their first-ever Masters meet. BAMFest has a reputation as welcoming meet for first-timers. All but two swimmers left the meet with a ribbon because they placed top three in at least one event. A whopping 87% of the swimmers left the meet with at least one first-place finish... ... and yet 145 first-place ribbons were...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! Happy birthday to the following BAMmers with birthdays in September: Sarah Upsall Ali Dennison Nora Masters David Spinak Laurie Leak Dan Brelsford Sarah Ward Carrie Arndt Jonathan Ward Kathleen Stearns Archie Archambault Bridget Young Steve Wald Want to play a role in the most important swim meet we host? Sign up to be a timer! Nobody wants to swim in a meet and not get a time. I know that timers may seem redundant given the automated timing system and touch pads, but as someone who has...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! Its existence has been questioned… rumors circulated that it was just a myth… supposed sightings were unverifiable… but I’m here to announce that it is real, it is true, and it is happening: BAMFest 2025 Sunday, October 12 at the Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center BAMFest is our annual home meet. It is a chance to race with the home-pool advantage; a chance to show off our fabulous facility (the hot tub is particularly popular with visitors); and a chance to raise money for the BAM Boosters (so...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! Many thanks to the BAM Boosters board for hosting the Summer Pool Party (with root beer floats - yum) on Sunday! It was wonderful to chat with friends, new and old. At the party, Paul Webber spoke a tribute to Ken Bennett, a longtime member of BAM and former BAM Boosters president, who is moving to Orcas Island. We will miss seeing you at practice, Ken, but trust that you will remain a member of the BAM community! Paul also spoke of his gratitude for BAM, which,...

Happy Wednesday, BAM! Have you noticed new faces in the pool with you at practice? BAM welcomed ten swimmers to the team in the last month! Please extend a warm welcome to the following teammates: Daniel Brotsky Rebecca Tellekson Patrick Yalung Natalie Montanez Don Hebard Victoria Good Tyler Takeshita Carina Laukaitis Gregory Rosenthal Brett Walker News for the week: BAM will take a mini-break over the Labor Day weekend. There will be no practice on Friday and Saturday, August 29 and 30, and Monday, September 1. The BAM Booster Summer...