Each swimmer, like the one in this photo from a previous Swim the Suck 10-mile race, is assigned a pilot, or spotter, in a kayak who provides snacks and watches out for other boats. Photo by Phyllis Williams.RiverRocks, the multiday, multievent, multilocation extravaganza designed to show off this area’s natural beauty and outdoor opportunities, has added a 10-event Adventure Sports Games to its lineup.
The Adventure Sports Games are expected to attract athletes from around the nation to compete in everything from rock climbing and long-distance swimming to trail running and stand-up paddleboard racing. The top men, women or team in the 10 sports games will be awarded medals made by craftsmen at Set in Stone, who will hand-craft the awards from local river rocks, according to Dave Santucci, vice president of communications with the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Santucci said the ideas behind creating the games were to attract elite athletes to Chattanooga and to add a new component to RiverRocks.
“For us Chattanoogans, there is also the great entertainment that is part of the event, and now we will be able to go and watch these athletes compete,” he said. About 100 events make up the entire schedule. While not an official part of RiverRocks, the 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival, for example, takes place on Oct. 4, making it part of the entertainment in place takes place Oct. 4, making it part of the entertainment during the event.
RiverRocks was started three years ago to celebrate the many outdoor activities in the area. It features some new elements created just for it and some events that existed previously. One of those is the 4-year-old Swim the Suck long-distance swimming race. Organizer and race director Karah Nazor said this year’s swim, a 10-mile race that will take about six hours to complete, will have about 80 swimmers, including 10 from California.