The Facebook message that created one of the most popular tests in Catalonia

BarcelonaThis is the story of three friends who cannot spend much time away from the water. Three men with their own jobs. One is an architect, another works in a hospital, and the third does so in a bank. And all three were great athletes. Dani Serra participated in the swimming events at the Seoul 88 Olympic Games, Sergi Roure did so at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and Àlex Amorós was an international water polo player. Good friends, all three kept swimming. And they liked to do it in open water when they spent the weekend on the Costa Brava.

"We used to spend the summer in Llafranc and liked to swim to Calella. Back then, few people did these things… And chatting with the town pharmacist one day while having breakfast after swimming, he asked me if it wouldn't be a good idea to gather a group for a crossing. And look, I wrote a message on Facebook, which was what was done back then, saying that if anyone wanted to sign up, one day we would do a swimming crossing. And more than 100 people signed up," recalls Dani. It was the year 2009. Thus, one of the most popular events in current swimming was created.

The three friends realized that many people wanted to participate in these crossings. More and more people were challenging the fear of going far from the beach to swim. So, with the collaboration of CV Calella and CA Palafrugell, they gave shape to the crossing, which gradually became "more professional, especially to ensure safety," he recalls. The next step was to create the Radikal Swim club, first as "a non-profit association and later as a sports club based in Barcelona." The club and the event have become two of the cornerstones of the open water swimming trend, a discipline that attracts more and more people, "as it is liked because it allows being in contact with nature," says Serra, who also points to another factor to explain this growth: the success of the triathlon.

This weekend, La Radikal reaches its 17th edition with nearly 2,500 registered participants. "There could be more, but we must respect space and safety," says Dani. "But the event moves many more people, including friends and onlookers. This weekend, thousands of people will arrive, and that brings life to the towns" at a time of year when tourism is already declining. The competition is debuting a new 3.5 km route, with the start and finish in Llafranc. "We are always thinking about how to improve everything. For example, we are conducting a pilot test with eight GPS-controlled buoys that do not need to be anchored to the seabed, with the goal of minimizing the competition's impact on the ecosystem," he explains.

To ensure safety, the organizers have 35 boats and 40 support kayaks, 12 aquatic lifeguards, 2 rescue jet skis, ambulances, and an assistance tent. "And we have the radikal angels swimmers, experienced swimmers who do not participate in the competition but who swim the crossing with the goal of offering their help and accompanying swimmers who need support. An idea we discovered in the United States," adds Serra. "Some people, especially when they are debutants, are a bit afraid to think about what will happen if they get tired or injured in the water. At the club, we hold courses and have designed a best practices manual. In the race, having an experienced person swimming nearby can provide a lot of security," he says.

Participation of Andrea Fuentes and the artistic swimming team

This year's competition will feature the Catalan open water swimming team, led by Luis Rodríguez, with top-level swimmers such as Guillem Pujol, winner of La Radikal on several occasions, and Olympic swimmers like Ferran Julià and Clàudia Giralt. There will also be a presence from the Spanish artistic swimming team, led by Andrea Fuentes, who will participate in the 2 km course as part of the team-building activities. The team, which spent a few days in Puerto Rico, will be on the Costa Brava for the crossing. "A few years ago, the women's water polo team participated and created a great atmosphere by passing the ball during the journey. The artistic swimming team is incredible, because afterwards they perform their tricks in the water and people get excited. I have played water polo and I know how hard it is to get half of your body out of the water. And they do those jumps," says Dani Serra, fascinated.

The main event is the 3.5 km race, starting and finishing in Llafranc, which requires going to Calella and returning. But there are also 2 and 7 kilometer races, which start from the beach of Calau, in Calella de Palafrugell. All this in a weekend where in the village you will be able to find stalls from brands related to swimming and places to hang out. All revolving around a very simple idea: swimming in the sea. "When we started, we didn't think we would get this far. More and more people value being able to do it and there is also an awareness of the need to take care of the sea and keep it clean. Seeing the community grow is beautiful. And in many cases, like mine, it is moving when you see how the children who watched it from the sand when they were little are now participating with their friends," concludes Serra.