About the SKINS Event

The South-West SKINS event is a fun event, suitable for everyone. Due to smaller numbers, it is run in a very relaxed atmosphere, with a great afternoon tea and prizes.
This year we have included a choice of a 200m IM or 100m Freestyle as event 1, followed by 50m sprints in any of the four strokes. Swimmers may enter up to 3 sprint events (events 1-5). All swimmers will be invited to swim in the Random Relay, plus we will include as many people as possible in either the Freestyle SKINS or the Splash-for-Cash SKINS events.

Random Relay:

This is a fun relay comprising a mix of traditional strokes and swimming drills to ensure that everyone can enjoy a relay even if they don’t have sufficient swimmers from their club participating to take part in a traditional relay. Swimmers are grouped to ensure as many clubs as possible are represented in each team. Although there is a small prize for the winning team, the emphasis for this event is definitely on “fitness, friendship & fun”!

Freestyle SKINS:

Swimmers who don’t qualify for the feature Splash-for-Cash SKINS event may be grouped according to age-group and 50m Freestyle time to create up to 4 competitive groups. The SKINS format involves a series of three or four (depending on age-group) 50m Freestyle sprints at 3-4 minute intervals, with the slowest 1-2 swimmers being eliminated each round. Each group will likely start with 6-7 swimmers, with 4-5 in round two and 3-4 in the final round. The handicap system gives slower swimmers a head-start of up to 5 seconds to ensure the races are all close and exciting, with everyone having a chance of winning.

Splash-for-Cash SKINS:

This is the feature event of the program and is very exciting for both spectators and swimmers. The fastest 7 men and 7 women from the 200m IM will qualify. The event consists of up to five 50m sprints at 3-minute intervals with the Womens and Mens events alternating each round so there is a race start every 1.5 minutes. Rounds 1-4 consist of each of the four Medley strokes (in reverse IM order), followed by a Freestyle final. There will be a maximum of 7 swimmers in round one, with the slowest swimmer being eliminated each round, until there are 3 swimmers left in the Final. TPS Training has kindly provided $210 to be split as prize money for this year’s event.

Bunbury is a great location, an easy 2-hour drive from Perth with plenty of affordable accommodation for anyone who wants to make a weekend of it. The pool is a superb indoor 50m pool with excellent support facilities and plenty of free parking.

The event offers plenty of prizes via a raffle, many swimmer prizes (including for closest to nominated time in any one of the sprint events by M/F in 15-year age-groups), plus cash and other prizes for the first, second and third place getters in the feature Splash-for-Cash SKINS.

Come and give it a try!