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Tempting Fate or Embracing the Oceans

Bruckner Chase — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:13:41 GMT

To my ocean athlete friends, Would you be the one talking or the one being talked about?

Excerpt from The Wave, by Susan Casey (Ironically also author of The Devil's Teeth.) pp: 125-126

"Far from instilling cockiness, their years of survival validated the attitude that had been there from the start: profound respect. Though none of the three had actually been born in Hawaii, they were native in their outlook, so the point of superstition. Whenever Jaws broke, they always carried a ti leaf along on the Jet Ski - a Polynesian tradition when going on a risky journey-for protection. 'You take the leaf out,' Hamilton explained, 'and the leaf brings you home.' For all the flash and technology that went along with tow surfing, they believed in timeless principles like karma, that a person gets back what he gives out, and they understood the hubris of humans trying to impose their will on the ocean."

"...In this belief system, to rush around after a cash prize for the title of First Man to Ride a Hundred-Foot Wave was to tempt fate. 'As soon as Billabong put the golden carrot up, that was when the carnage started,' Hamilton said. 'That was the beginning of skis on the rocks, guys getting hauled away. Everyone came out of the woodwork to get their shot at it.'

'They didn't need to outsurf anybody, Kalama said. 'They just needed to stand in the right place long enough for someone to take a picture.'

'How big was my wave?' Hamilton said, in a mocking whine. 'Is my wave bigger than his wave? His was sixty-eight feet? Well, mine was sixty-eight and a half. Biggest, longest, widest, tallest - what is it, a dog show?' "

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First Believe, then Pursue, then Watch Amazing Things Happen

Bruckner Chase — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:51:27 GMT

A special Thank You and message for 2012
2011 ended with some incredible endorsements of the work Michelle and I began in earnest just one year ago. We received a prestigious Hollings Ocean Grant from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, I was honored as a nominee for Open Water Swimming Man of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association, and we began work on probably the only high school class in the world to teach Open Water Swimming & Ocean Science with the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the American Samoa Dept of Education. I have huge goals for 2012 to expand our positive impact around the world. I started 2012 with a 6 AM New Year's Day flight to American Samoa, and in the paraphrased words of Harry, "When you realize how you want to spend the rest of your life doing what you love with the person you love, you want that life to begin as soon as possible." (When Harry Met Sally) As for the voting, I finished 4th out of an elite group, and I was encouraged that an "Ocean Positive" message was valued so highly by so many around the world. Now...onward, and check back here often. The ocean is calling, and we need you to answer that call.

Bruckner Chase
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The Only Possible Demons in the Ocean are Us

Bruckner Chase — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:29:16 GMT

To Diana Nyad: Was very sad to read the recent article in the NY Times. In my experience long distance ocean swimming has created a connection in our family that spans generations while also creating local and global ties to individuals and communities that continue to enrich our lives in countless ways. I have logged countless hours in the oceans and have been stung by more jellyfish than anyone could count. I would suggest that the Demons you are facing in the ocean are ones you are bringing with you from land. In my experience finding serenity in chaos and recognizing the depth of enlightenment in every ocean experience allow for successes far greater than the fleeting and misguided perception that it is even possible to "Conquer" a channel or crossing.

From the NY Times, Elizabeth Weil, 12/1 on Diana Nyad, "To be a person possessed by marathon swimming is not an easy lot. Nyad describes it as â€œthe loneliest sport in the world.â€ And when itâ€™s not lonely, itâ€™s awful. A marathon swimmer can expect chafing, nausea, hypothermia, swollen lips, an irritated mouth, diarrhea, sleep deprivation." I don't think you are doing it right, Bruckner Chase-Ocean Positive

What I learned on my way from the summit to the sea

Bruckner Chase — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:19:59 GMT

It does not have to have a sound byte name like Extreme or Ultra. It does not have to be a World Record, a first or a major media event to have purpose. Find what you love and embrace the challenges along the way. The rewards will always come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pGSNzcuzvQ&feature=share

Bruckner Chase

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Jobs putting life's pursuits in perspective.

Bruckner Chase — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:17:14 GMT

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_steve_jobs_michael_oher_life_100711

....and puts in perspective what we take from our own morning ocean plunge in a wetsuit or massive ocean crossing following the strictest of rules. Take a look at what is going on in the ocean when you don't have your face in the water. What are you going to do to help others connect with what you love?

Swim outside the box, Think outside the box

Bruckner Chase — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:55:15 GMT

If any person ever embodied this philosophy it was Jobs. God help us...we can't even think originally enough to avoid remaking Footloose.
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman

http://blog.ted.com/2011/10/05/remembering-steve-jobs/

Bruckner Chase
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It's about the experience not the shoes...

Bruckner Chase — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:57:29 GMT

Long before I met my first real jellyfish I ran really long distances, and most of us did it for the pure joy of the experience. There were always a couple who seemed to miss the point that meant everything to the rest of us, so this is for my marathon swimming friends concerned about how others choose to experience the water...:"If the shoe fits...

Excerpt from "Finding the Longest Distance to the Finish Line"

Bruckner Chase — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 15:13:54 GMT

After years of being landlocked and hardly touching chlorine I was forced back to the pool while recovering from what would become my last ultra-distance run. I had always preached that swimming is one of those rare activities that we can take with us for a lifetime. Water demands an athleteâ€™s full attention, and the medium is as happy to stop forward progress, as it is to pull you under. When swimming moves beyond the pool anything becomes possible. At times knowledge lets old guys rule or at other times distance and conditions give women the edge. I had originally come to open water swimming as a triathlete just wanting to get to his bike. This time I came to the ocean seeking the opportunity to discover what was beneath every wave.

Bruckner Chase

Remember your favorite running trail, now apply to your favorite aquatic path

Bruckner Chase — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:10:54 GMT

Thanks to US Masters Swimmer Magazine and a great article from Jim Harper and Steven Munatones. What if we felt the same way about our favorite open water venue as we do about our favorite running trails or bike routes? What would you do to keep them healthy, clean and safe so that you don't need inoculations to jump in and you won't hit plastic bags as you crest the waves.

http://www.brucknerchase.com/uploads/USMS_Swimmer-OceanActionArticle-BChase.pdf

Bruckner Chase
718 Bay Avenue
Ocean City, NJ 08226
Mobile: 831-345-9550
Skype: 831-440-7396
skype: bruckner.chase
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Even Tennesseans Can Positively Impact the Oceans

Bruckner Chase — Thu, 05 May 2011 05:39:00 GMT

The connection is the same for all of us. How we discover and then express that connection is unique to each of us. Click to read more...

Half Full? Half Empty? Doesn't Matter.

Bruckner Chase — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:02:00 GMT

April 30th, 2011 brings me to a hypothetical half-way point in life, and that 44th year led me to a place I never would have imagined.

Now the opportunity is not about deciding what I call where I am now. The opportunity is to contemplate what I have already poured into my life and to wisely choose what I add to space that remains.

When Men (or Women) & Mountains Meet

Bruckner Chase — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:30:00 GMT

"Great things are done when men and mountains meet: this is not done by jostling in the street." William Blake

No matter how noble our cause or heroic our goal it often seems that the most daunting challenges we face are the jobs, bureaucracy and daily frustrations that conspire to make us focus our vision on just surviving another week.

In long distance ocean swims we push ourselves in isolation surviving and moving forward until a little support arrives every half hour or so at the end of a rope along with encouragement and prodding from a committed crew always just a few yards away. While the swimmer stares into the abyss, there are always those nearby who not only believe in the goal but can more clearly see where we are going, the course to travel and the threats along the way.

The details of a passionate and purpose driven life are unique to each of us, but the challenges that work to pull us from that course are common to us all. There will always be uncertainty and fear, and the more time we allow ourselves to get pulled into the scuffle in the streets the harder it can become to regain the confidence and courage to pursue with passion the call we have heard.

When I find myself in the streets I must hold onto that vision of the summit or shore. I have learned I must keep moving forward and watch for the rope to arrive exactly when its most needed to sustain and guide me to where I am supposed to be.

Thank you, thankyouocean.org

Bruckner Chase — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:23:00 GMT

CLICK TO WATCH AND JOIN THE SOCIAL NETWORK AT thankyouocean.org

Who is the "Real Deal?"

Bruckner Chase — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:12:00 GMT

Several times in my life I have found myself having to abandon or move away from all that I previously planned out for my life. Every time that I paid attention to the forces driving the change and continued to listen to that inner voice of core principals I ended up with opportunities greater than I ever could have imagined for myself. I have no doubt that I am where I am because I failed to cross the English Channel in 2006 and Monterey Bay in 2009.

We see so many of the athletic or intellectual elite succeeding again and again, and we are told they are "The Real Deal." Laird Hamilton in big waves, Kelly Slater winning a world title (again) or Phelps setting a world record.

This "RD" status is not a zone limited to the athletic or intellectual elite who seem to always succeed.

The "RD" zone is where we all get the chance to live and perform every day. "RD" status includes the days when the environment turns against you, when the workout sucks or when every step is a struggle. Find your passion and follow it even when on some days "Following it" does not mean you reached a mountain peak or crossed an ocean.

We Create the Greatness in Our Lives

Bruckner Chase — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:54:00 GMT

"Examine yourselves, let each of you discover where your true chance of greatness lies....Seize this chance, rejoice in it, and let no power or persuasion deter you in your task." from Chariots of Fire

Most of us want to accomplish great things, and the possibilities are as unique and infinite as the personalities that surround us. I have often felt like an outsider who just could not feel at home on the path and future my family, peers and community seemed to expect of me. In my teens I was given the opportunity to step outside of that box of expectations when I spent my 16th year in Australia as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. The experience changed me. The challenge became holding on to that passion and vision of accomplishing something more once I returned to the everyday world most of us carve our lives from.

For years stories in the paper, on the news or in an alumni newsletter left me feeling that I missed my opportunity to do great things in the world and make a difference. The problem was not that I had lost the opportunities, the problem was that I was not paying attention. I had missed seeing the impact I had on my family, the kids I worked with or the people I came in contact with each day. Somewhere over the years I forgot that the opportunity to create that "Greatness" was inside me as much as it was inside the people I read about.

Everest is a mountain, the English Channel is a swim, and Ironman is an event. Places and pursuits come alive with potential from the passion behind the human endeavor each of us applies to them.

Hillary and Norgay did not create a legacy when they stood on the summit of Everest. They achieved a legacy of greatness from how they climbed and what they did after they stood there.

To Make a Positive Impact - Just Keep Showing Up

Bruckner Chase — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:49:00 GMT

I was disappointed the other day listening to a triathlete on a podcast say about his endurance career and Ironman distance racing, "Not to take anything away from the accomplishment and the significance, but it is almost like everyone is doing it. What can I do now to branch out, make a statement, be a little bit bolder?"

From my experience, if you are going to train and take part in a 5k walk, marathon run, Ironman triathlon, channel swim or multi-day adventure race, and if your motivation for showing up is just to be noticed - get used to disappointment and a relatively short career spent struggling for long term motivation.

If you are going to set off into the ocean, down the road or up a mountain in search of your passion and a connection to what makes you feel alive - get used to a lifetime of amazing experiences that will keep you feeling alive with unlimited potential.

Long before I made headlines for swimming across some ocean I was the new guy in town that others saw showing up and swimming every day at the community pool. Eventually one or two others joined in, then a workout group formed and now a whole community of athletes heads out together into the world on foot, on wheels or in the water.

You don't have to be the first, go the longest or run the fastest to make a difference. JUST SHOW UP! I promise you, people will notice, and you will change lives.

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Howard Thurman

A constant source of strength and motivation

Bruckner Chase — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:52:00 GMT

1967 - Farallones to Bolinas - Stewart and Pauline Evans
2007 - Ocean City Island Swim - Bruckner and Michelle Evans-Chase

Pursuing Goals Beyond Your Horizons

Bruckner Chase — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:48:00 GMT

Bruckner Chase Speaking at Rotary's ESSEX Conf 1-15-11 from Bruckner Chase on Vimeo.

Ocean Ambassador and former Rotary Youth Exchange Student to Australia speaking to the Rotary Eastern States Student Exchange Conference on the impact Youth Exchange can have in expanding our vision and goals beyond the horizon.

National Geographic Weekend Podcast - Roz Savage, Bruckner Chase hosted by Boyd Matson

Bruckner Chase — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:55:00 GMT

It's not about avoiding extremes, It's about how you get there

Bruckner Chase — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:16:00 GMT

According to the Dalai Lama, "A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one's everyday existence."

I am a marathon swimmer who loves water below 50 degrees. My wife is a 3rd year PhD student embarking on a new career path in her 40's. Most of our friends have done more sprint and Ironman distance triathlons than I can count. I can pick up my phone and dial people who have stood on top of Everest, run across deserts and been to some of the deepest places on earth.

Yep, avoiding extremes is not really happening for me.

My life has been and will always be shaped by what I have learned pursuing experiences that appear extreme. The irony lies in the fact that I have never succeeded or excelled in any endeavor if I did not enter the water or toe the starting line feeling balanced, centered, focused and connected to those people and feelings that have always given my life meaning.