Swimmers go pier-to-pier in annual tradition

Hundreds of swimmers dived into the waves off Newport Beach on Saturday morning for the annual pier-to-pier swim.

The open-ocean swimming challenge has been a tradition in the area for decades, but this year it was held in honor of Ben Carlson, the Newport Beach lifeguard who died during a rescue last year.

“Ben was a buddy of mine,” said Lifeguard Capt. Gary Conwell, who organized the event this year.

About 250 people completed the 2-mile route, which takes swimmers out to the end of the Balboa Pier and then up the coast to the Newport Beach pier, where they return to shore, Conwell said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck