Invitation to the 2017 club conference and work party
Dear fellow cold-water swimmers, you are invited to the I. plavecký klub otužilců Praha conference on Sunday 28 May 2017 at 16:00 in our clubhouse.
Nová Paka, 8 April 2017: the winter swimming season finale
The final race of the winter swimming season was a celebration. Our hosts, Karavana otužilců Nová Paka, were marking their twentieth anniversary, so alongside the races they organised a ball and helped visiting swimmers find accommodation so that they could stay until Sunday. Saturday afternoon also brought the presentation of the final results of the 2016/2017 Czech Winter Swimming Cup. Read more…
Braník Ice 2017
On Saturday 4 February 2017, Braník Ice took place as one of the three major winter swimming events run by I. PKO. This season’s first and most prominent event, the 70th Alfred Nikodem Memorial, is already behind us; the third, our fifth Czech Winter Swimming Breaststroke Championships at Prague-Podolí, still lies ahead.
We can say straight away that the event was another success and appears increasingly popular with swimmers, as the growing number of participants shows. But first things first. Read more…
Alfred Nikodem Memorial 2016
On St Stephen’s Day, 26 December 2016, the traditional 70th Alfred Nikodem Memorial took place beside Prague’s National Theatre, organised by our club. Swimmers entered the chilly Vltava at 4.2°C, colder than in recent years. Fortunately, it did not rain, and the air reached 6.6°C. Read more…
Invitation to the Christmas Cold-Water Swimming Festival 2016
I. plavecký klub otužilců Praha warmly invites you to the 70th anniversary edition of the Alfred Nikodem Memorial, our Christmas swimming competition in the Vltava.
The oldest and best-known cold-water swimming event will take place on Monday 26 December 2016, St Stephen’s Day, at 11:00 in the Vltava beside Prague’s National Theatre. Read more…
Information for Unregistered Swimmers Wishing to Enter the Alfred Nikodem Memorial
The Alfred Nikodem Memorial takes place, as usual, on 26 December at 11:00 at the northern tip of Slovanský Island. We are delighted that you would like to join its 70th anniversary edition.
The event is also open to swimmers who are not registered with the Czech Swimming Federation. If that applies to you, you must meet the following conditions: Read more…
Introducing Young People to Cold-Water Swimming
On Wednesday 7 December, we held our very first “Children, meet cold water…” event.
Club chairman Tomáš Prokop and several other experienced cold-water swimmers welcomed pupils from schools in Prague 1. We introduced them to our club’s activities and discussed the benefits of regular cold-water swimming. It seems that nothing now stands in the way of starting regular sessions for schoolchildren in the near future. Read more…
Punkva Caves 2016
On 2 October 2016, Blansko hosted the annual opening of the cold-water swimming season, with 300- and 100-metre swims in the Punkva.
This was our first time at the event, and we hope it will not be our last. The magic of the caves, the wonderful atmosphere and the mutual support and togetherness of the I. PKO swimmers made it unforgettable. Read more…
Autumn Club Trial and Campfire
On 25 September 2016, I. PKO’s cold-water swimmers gathered for their traditional meeting ahead of the 2016/2017 winter season. As usual, it had three parts: a work party, a club trial and a campfire.
The work party thoroughly cleaned both the grounds and the rooms inside our clubhouse. Most effort went into preparing firewood for winter, to provide the warmth our chilled bodies would need after regular club training throughout the season. Read more…
Swimming from Vrané nad Vltavou to Prague
Looking for a little excitement in winter swimmers’ quiet summer season, we decided to try reviving regular swims from the Vrané nad Vltavou dam, river kilometre 71.4, to I. PKO’s clubhouse in Braník at kilometre 59.4: about twelve kilometres in water around 17°C. Those figures clearly make it a long-distance swim and a respectable cold-water achievement too, with more than three hours in the water! Five swimmers ultimately signed up: initiator Ivan Landa, Jakub Valníček, Zuzana Procházková, Zdeněk Tlamicha and, at the last moment, Lucie Leišová. Jack Bright and Vladimír Kolář handled logistics and refreshments. The photographs capture the outing and its atmosphere. Read more…