History

Lake Tahoe is best known for boating, skiing and rough water sailing. With a surface temperature of 41 to 64 degrees, brief shoreline dips and wetsuit clad skiers are the norm. The Lake is 22 miles long, 12 miles wide and boasts the second greatest depth (1685') in the United States. This icy cold water circulates to the surface when the Lake gets choppy in the afternoon. The Lake elevation of 6225' adds another challenge to visiting athletes. Only four people are known to have successfully crossed the length of Lake Tahoe.

Ken began competitive swimming at age nine when he joined the Indian Valley Swim Team in Walnut Creek. It took most of that summer in 1969 to win his first third place ribbon in the 50 yard breastroke. In addition to competitive swimming, he learned to play Water Polo at Las Lomas High School and became an All-American in 1977 & 1978. He continued his Water Polo at University of the Pacific earning an athletic scholarship. After college he began to swim again and entered his first two mile open water swim race in 1987 at Lake Berryessa.

Click here for a chronological history of Ken's swims.

Only twelve people are known to have successfully crossed Lake Tahoe.