Swimming the Columbia River

By Ryan, eCommerce Manager 

On this past Labor Day I swam the Roy Webster swim for my third year in a row. It’s not really that difficult but pretty cool to say you swam across the MASSIVE Columbia River. Our team from The Fruit Company was the largest of around 21 people. Scott Webster, our CEO and President, convinced our Production Manager Pepe to swim, when Pepe’s swimming skills are little to non-existent (he might have almost drowned as a teenager). So…Pepe shows up to the swim with 2 wetsuits on, flippers, a kickboard, and one of those old school orange life vests. Needless to say it was quite amusing. My swim day started at 5am in the morning and everyone participating in the swim boarded the historic Sternwheeler and rode to the Washington side of the river. Where I jumped off the boat into the chilly Columbia River. The swim took me roughly 30 minutes and then after finishing I was greeted by other employees of The Fruit Company with fresh fruit for everybody participating in the swim. Everybody from The Fruit Company finished the swim(including Pepe) and then we went to a great breakfast together hosted by the Hood River Inn on the waterfront. Props to Roy Webster for starting this unique swim event and the Hood River Chamber of Commerce for hosting it each year.