361 Swimmers Participating in Joe Kessler’s Beach To Beach Power Swim
PRESS RELEASE | May 20, 2026 | In its 23rd year, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park’s Annual Joe Kessler’s Beach To Beach Power Swim is ranked in the top 25 of Open Water Swims in the world and takes place every Memorial Day weekend. This year there will be 361 participants, ranging in age from 5 to 86, swimming down St. John’s North Shore beaches from Maho Bay beach to Cinnamon or Trunk or Hawksnest.
“We are so proud of the community spirit and joy that is so much a part of this event and I wish everyone a great swim,” said Tonia Lovejoy, Executive Director, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park. “We are grateful for the critical funds raised to support our work including our Learn To Swim program that trains instructors and lifeguards and offers free swim lessons throughout the year. Nine members of our Learn To Swim team will be swimming on Sunday.”
Proving that swimming is truly a family event, about 57 families are registered and 27 youth under the age of 18 are swimming! There are 221 females entered and 140 males including three Relay teams, of which one team is made up of 3 members who have swum in every one of the 23 events to date.
Participants come from near and far to help raise funds for Friends of Virgin Islands National Park’s programs including Learn To Swim, Sea Turtle Protection, and education outreach. This year, 35 US states and territories are represented plus British Virgin Island, Canada and Brazil.
At 8:00am on Sunday, swimmers will be competing in the distance of their choice:
- Cinnamon Short Course for solo swimmers only from Maho Beach to Cinnamon Beach (1 mile)
- Trunk Intermediate Course for solo swimmers only from Maho Beach to Trunk Beach (2.25 miles)
- Hawksnest Long Course for solo swimmers from Maho Beach to Hawksnest Beach (3.5 miles)
- Relay Long Course for 3-person relay teams from Maho Beach to Hawksnest Beach (3.5 miles). The relay team transition points will be at Cinnamon Beach and Trunk Beach.
In 2025, 15 year old Teague Gleason was the first male across the line in the unassisted long course from Maho to Hawksnest in 1 hour, 11 minutes and 17 seconds. The top female finisher was 20 year old Sabina Csak in 1:23:34.
Power Swim Volunteers & Sponsors
This event is made possible thanks to the local community and business sponsors. There are 135 volunteers helping on land and at sea, as well as 55 sponsors.
2026 Logo Design
Every year, a creative member of our community designs the event logo. The 2026 event logo was designed by Alyssa Paris. Born and raised on St. John, Alyssa’s multidisciplinary work is informed by a background rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and a hands-on approach to making. This emerging artist embraces experimentation and creative discovery.
Information on Joe Kessler’s Beach to Beach Power Swim as well as the programs it funds can be found on the Friends website at www.friendsvinp.org
