Welcome to episode 328 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast.

On April 6th, Max Andersson — two-time Ötillö World Champion, Otillo World Championship course record holder, and one of the most beloved people in swimrun — died tragically in an avalanche in Norway. He was in his mid-thirties.

This episode is our attempt to honor him. We talk about what Max meant to the sport, share our own memories of time spent with him, and try to put into words what so many in the swimrun community are feeling right now.

Max and Hugo Tormento of Team Ark Swimrun were the most dominant force the sport has ever produced. In 2022 they became the first team ever to win every ÖTILLÖ World Series race in a single calendar year, including the World Championship, finishing in 7 hours and 1 second — a course record that still stands. But anyone who knew Max will tell you the results were only part of the story. He was warm, generous, funny, and genuinely present with everyone he met. A fierce competitor and an even better person.

We were lucky enough to spend real time with him at Casco Bay in 2023 — lunch at our favorite spot, hours of conversation while the fog postponed the race. That time with him is something we will not forget.

He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with Max's family, Hugo, and the entire swimrun community.

Swimrun Shoes 101: Everything from the Knees Down | Episode 327

Welcome to episode 327 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

The most popular gear question we get is about shoes. Do you need a special swimrun shoe? Are you going to get blisters running in wet socks? We are busting every myth in this one.

Episode 327 is a full Swimrun 101 breakdown of everything from the knees down — shoes, socks, laces, modifications, how to test your gear at home, when it makes sense to upgrade, and how to retire a pair with dignity. It is a callback to one of our most popular episodes ever, the Swimrun Shoedown, recast for 2026 with everything we have learned since.

The short answer on shoes: you probably already own something that works for your first swimrun. Start with a trail shoe that drains well, do a bucket test to check, lace it snug, and pair it with a thin synthetic sock. Blisters are not actually a thing in swimrun — we have done 30-plus swimruns and countless training hours and it has never happened once.

For people looking to upgrade, we break down how to think about it — course type, race distance, technical terrain vs. fire roads — and what we are actually racing in heading into 2026. Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Trail Ultras have been our go-to for the last few years. The Hoka Tecton X3 is on our radar for Ötillö Worlds in September. We also cover lace swaps, the drilling holes debate, gaiters, dry bags for post-race travel, and the LTBz tradition of leaving your retired shoes at the race site.

Enjoy!

That's it for this week's show.

If you are enjoying the **Löw Tide Böyz**, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that's the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on **Apple Podcasts**, **Spotify**, and on **YouTube**. Check out our **website** for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page **@thelowtideboyz** on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at **lowtideboyz@gmail.com**. Finally, you can support our efforts on **Patreon**...if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

Chip and Chris

Welcome to episode 326 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

The Countdown to Ötillö series is back. With five months to go until the 20th anniversary of the Swimrun World Championship, we are kicking off a monthly series tracking our build all the way to September. This one is packed.

First, super intern Dave Damer joins us to break down the 2026 Ötillö start list. 199 teams, 24 countries, and nearly half the field doing Ötillö for the first time. US participation has gone from 16 athletes in 2022 to 68 this year, and two new countries, Argentina and Zimbabwe, are on the start list for the very first time.

Then Coach Liz — Chipper's swimrun coach and Ötillö finisher — sits down with us to talk through what a five month build to a race like this actually looks like. Rest days, balancing training with family and summer schedules, open water swim prep, wetsuit practice, gut training for a race that can go all day, and the gear decisions you want sorted before you are standing at the start line in Sweden.

Enjoy!

That's it for this week's show.

If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that's the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon...if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

Chip and Chris

Welcome to episode 325 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

We’ve got a great show for everyone this week! We’re going back into the vault for our Throwback Mixtape series with a conversation from 2020 with the one and only Erika Rosenbaum. Not only is she an amazing Swimrunner, she launched the “short course” Swimrun movement, and if that wasn’t enough, she literally coined the name “Swimrun” and then gave it away to help grow the sport. She’s a legend and we’re excited to re-share our conversation with her.

Enjoy!

~~~

That’s it for this week’s show.

If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

- Chip and Chris

Welcome to episode 324 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

Get your note pads out for this one! Our friend and race director Brent Molsberry is on the show this week to share a course preview for the 2026 edition of ÖTILLÖ Orcas Island. This show is a must listen/watch for anyone racing the event, whether it’s your first Swimrun or your thirty-third. We discuss how to get to Orcas Island, share a leg by leg breakdown for each race distance, and give some training and gear recommendations. This show is guaranteed to get you super stoked for Orcas Island!

Enjoy!

~~~

That’s it for this week’s show.

If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

- Chip and Chris

Welcome to episode 323 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

Joining us this week is pro triathlete (and Swimrunner) Eric Lagerstrom. He made his Swimrun debut last year at ÖTILLÖ USA Orcas Island and kicked off their “charity chaser” fundraiser with Eric starting 15 minutes after the start of the World Series distance began. Check out the show to find out how it turned out, what he thinks the future holds for Swimrun, and so much more.

Enjoy!

~~~

That’s it for this week’s show.

If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

- Chip and Chris

Welcome to episode 322 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

We’ve got our first race report of the year this week! Chipper and his wife Kristen raced HYROX Las Vegas as a team a few weekends ago and they are here to share all the sights (six-pack abs), sounds (DJ music all day), and spectacle (it’s Vegas) of the exercise craze that’s taken the fitness world by storm. Spoiler alert: they had a great race!

Enjoy!

~~~

That’s it for this week’s show.

If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

- Chip and Chris

Welcome to episode 321 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

We’re back this week with our second installment in our new series: Throwback Mixtape. In this episode we go all the way back to 2020 to re-share our conversation with Amber and Erin A.K.A., Team Better Tethered Together. Now six years later, this is still one of the most fun conversations we’ve recorded for the show. We interviewed them on the eve of Catalina 2020 and we can’t think of a better throwback to wrap up this year’s Partners Month.

WARNING: there is an uncommon amount of poop/real talk in this episode.

Enjoy!

~~~

That’s it for this week’s show.

If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that’s the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

- Chip and Chris