Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim
The 22nd Annual Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim took place on Sunday, May 25, 2025! Participants picked their distance and swam from Maho to Cinnamon, or Maho to Trunk, or the 3.5 mile long course from Maho to Hawksnest!
Every Memorial Day weekend, swimmers take to the beautiful waters of Virgin Islands National Park on St. John to raise funds for kids swim programs, marine conservation, education outreach and more! One of the most beautiful swims in the world, Joe Kessler's Beach to Beach Power Swim includes the beaches of Maho Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Hawknest Bay and Trunk Bay which is regularly on the world’s top 10 beaches lists. The swim is number 23 on the list of the World’s Top 100 Open Water Swims and number 7 on the World’s Top 100 Island Swims.
Race Results
Race results and times for the Power Swim.
Photo Gallery
Lots of great photos of the race.
2025 Hats
The 2025 Power Swim soft baseball-style caps feature the great turtle logo designed by Kate Nesbitt on the front, they are available in green and brown.
Personal Fundraising
Create your own fundraising page to support the swim and the programs it benefits. The person who raises the most money by June 15, 2025 will win a half day boat trip for up to 6 people courtesy of Salty Daze Charters and the second highest fundraiser will win a gift bag of goodies from the Friends of the Park store.
Become A Friend
Renew or become a member during the month of May and you could win a turtle-y awesome raffle prize!
YP Talk Series
Recorded Thursday, May 22
This is your chance to learn what it takes to be a distance open water swimmer and get some tips from a Power Swim GOAT! Friends Young Professionals Board presents marine biologist and ocean swimmer, Jeff Miller. Entitled Just Keep Swimming!, Jeff’s talk includes lessons learned crossing the Drake Channel from the BVI to St. John, circumnavigating the island, and swimming in the Power Swim every year since the first event 22 years ago.
In Memory of Joe Kessler
2024 year marked a new moment for the Power Swim. The event was renamed Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim in recognition of the events founder, Joe Kessler who had recently passed away with his wife, Cristina. Thank you to Joe and Cristina, for giving us the Power Swim and so much more.
Race Info
Information on registration fees, course information, practice swims and more.
Race Registration
Registration for 2025 is closed.
Pre-Race Meeting
Watch a recording of the 2025 pre-race meeting here.
Volunteer
Volunteers make this event possible! We need volunteers on land to help with beach setup, registration, timing and lunch/prizegiving; and safety volunteers in the water in boats, kayaks and SUPS. If you are interested in helping, please contact Jennifer Stone at jstone@friendsvinp.org .
SPONSORS
The support and generosity of the St. John community is awe inspiring. These businesses make extraordinary things possible. We cannot thank them enough!
If you would like to sponsor the 2025 swim, please contact Jennifer Stone at jstone@friendsvinp.org or 340.779.4940
