For all english speaking out there... summary
On July 8th 2012, ten Belgian swimmers will embark for the swim trip of their lives! All residing in Ghent, Belgium’s fourth biggest city and without any doubt one of the finest, they will make a 7 kilometer swim hike around their city center. The extraordinary trip is entitled ‘the Big Swim’, as the event takes place on the same day as the well known European Big Jump, taking place all over the continent.
Ghent has eagerly participated to the Big Jump since the early days: in 2006 the local organization “Ghent Environmental Front” was one of the initiators of the Big Jump in Belgium. Since then every year more than 500 people jump into the water at 'Portus Ganda' to express their wish for good water quality and to recall the aims of the European Water Directive, which imposed good water quality for all surface waters by 2015.
Like everywhere else in Europe, water quality of the rivers and canals in Ghent has improved considerably over the last decade. Moreover, Ghent waterfronts and canal sides have gone through a wonderful metamorphosis since the mid-nineties. Ghent actually owes its existence to the water. For centuries, water has been very important to the city because of being the main economical vein. But starting in the 19th century, the water began to decline in (economic) importance and inner waterways became nothing more than filthy sewers. It wasn’t until recently that water was given again a prominent place within the city.
The re-evaluation of the waterways started with bridges being put back into use again, a long stretch of parking-lot covering the river Leie being torn down, berths being installed and dock walls being reinforced and lowered. The opening of a new yacht passer-by marina (Portus Ganda) in 2005 was one of the crowning glories but not the end. Next, the historical convergence of the Leie and the Scheldt rivers has been restored and entire neighborhoods along the waterfront are being embellished.
Some local swim fanatics decided that it was about time to take the concept of 'enjoying the river' to the next level in Ghent: simply jumping under the Big Jump flag was not enough anymore, they wanted to go all the way. Going around town on their Big Swim, the enthusiastic bunch of swimmers wants to celebrate last decade’s exciting developments, both regarding water quality and city renewal. They are convinced that that there is no such swim as an outdoor swim, certainly not in the historical center of your very own hometown. Swimming under the open sky, jumping into the water on a hot summer day: a pure, uncut slice of pleasure not needing any further explanation. Or maybe a little bit… Outdoor swimming makes dreaming and longing, to long gone vacation days at the waterside, about the simplicity of happiness and about how uncomplicated life could be, hallelujah amen!
If it happens that you would be in Belgium on July 8th, don’t hesitate to pass by at Portus Ganda in Ghent to join the Big Jump at 15h00. The Big Swim swimmers are scheduled to arrive there at 15h30, so you can cheer them during the last meters. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to join the Swim itself, as for safety reasons we are only allowed by the authorities to make the trip with a limited amount of people. Anyway, our dream is to set up a Big Swim XL starting from 2013, in which everybody would have the opportunity to swim a stretch of inner waterways in Ghent, according to their abilities, so see you all in about a year!
You can keep an eye on our website (although mainly in Dutch): www.bigjumpgent.be !
Ghent has eagerly participated to the Big Jump since the early days: in 2006 the local organization “Ghent Environmental Front” was one of the initiators of the Big Jump in Belgium. Since then every year more than 500 people jump into the water at 'Portus Ganda' to express their wish for good water quality and to recall the aims of the European Water Directive, which imposed good water quality for all surface waters by 2015.
Like everywhere else in Europe, water quality of the rivers and canals in Ghent has improved considerably over the last decade. Moreover, Ghent waterfronts and canal sides have gone through a wonderful metamorphosis since the mid-nineties. Ghent actually owes its existence to the water. For centuries, water has been very important to the city because of being the main economical vein. But starting in the 19th century, the water began to decline in (economic) importance and inner waterways became nothing more than filthy sewers. It wasn’t until recently that water was given again a prominent place within the city.
The re-evaluation of the waterways started with bridges being put back into use again, a long stretch of parking-lot covering the river Leie being torn down, berths being installed and dock walls being reinforced and lowered. The opening of a new yacht passer-by marina (Portus Ganda) in 2005 was one of the crowning glories but not the end. Next, the historical convergence of the Leie and the Scheldt rivers has been restored and entire neighborhoods along the waterfront are being embellished.
Some local swim fanatics decided that it was about time to take the concept of 'enjoying the river' to the next level in Ghent: simply jumping under the Big Jump flag was not enough anymore, they wanted to go all the way. Going around town on their Big Swim, the enthusiastic bunch of swimmers wants to celebrate last decade’s exciting developments, both regarding water quality and city renewal. They are convinced that that there is no such swim as an outdoor swim, certainly not in the historical center of your very own hometown. Swimming under the open sky, jumping into the water on a hot summer day: a pure, uncut slice of pleasure not needing any further explanation. Or maybe a little bit… Outdoor swimming makes dreaming and longing, to long gone vacation days at the waterside, about the simplicity of happiness and about how uncomplicated life could be, hallelujah amen!
If it happens that you would be in Belgium on July 8th, don’t hesitate to pass by at Portus Ganda in Ghent to join the Big Jump at 15h00. The Big Swim swimmers are scheduled to arrive there at 15h30, so you can cheer them during the last meters. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to join the Swim itself, as for safety reasons we are only allowed by the authorities to make the trip with a limited amount of people. Anyway, our dream is to set up a Big Swim XL starting from 2013, in which everybody would have the opportunity to swim a stretch of inner waterways in Ghent, according to their abilities, so see you all in about a year!
You can keep an eye on our website (although mainly in Dutch): www.bigjumpgent.be !