Cool event naming opportunity gone with the wind

An optimistic blue patch peeks through storm clouds over Lake Waccamaw Saturday morning. Stuart High photo

Competitors in the Take the Lake X-TREME! 48-mile endurance challenge have nine more days to train, as the event has been postponed with the onset of Hurricane Irene wind and rain Saturday.

Lake Waccamaw was spared the brunt of the storm, which stayed several miles offshore, but the heavy winds were not suitable for the nine remaining competitors who will swim across the lake, and kayak, cycle and run or walk around it.

"We are very disappointed," said organizer Mark Gilchrist (that's me,) "because if we had held this endurance event today, we could have called it the 'Irene-Man' Quadrathlon.'

"What the heck," he continued, "we just may call it that anyway -- I like the mascot potential." 

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