36 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE The third time was a charm— sort of—for Jon Wagner. While he and his relay team of swimmers failed in their attempted crossing of the English Channel in July, the semi-retired real estate developer who moved to the area eight years ago at least came close. He had tried twice before, turned back first by weather and then because of a teammate’s rules violation, without ever getting into the water. Minutes before Wagner’s turn, the swimmer made contact with the boat. With Wagner on this attempt was Misha Golbin of Monterey. Born and raised in Belarus, Golbin earned an MBA from Rutgers and now is a “computer guy” for Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. In his spare time, Golbin is usually found in or on the water. He has a stand-up paddleboard and also rows with outrigger canoe teams. Swimmers began testing channel waters in the 1870s. In 2019, American Sarah Thomas completed four laps, nonstop. Relays are a more recent phenomenon. Relay teams of six swimmers are guided by rules of the Channel Swimming Association. Each member spends an hour in the water before passing the figurative baton to the next person. Crossing the busy and cantankerous body of water can take as little as six hours and 45 minutes (the individual record) or more than 15 hours. While Golbin has been swimming since he was a child, Wagner took up the activity just six years ago. Both swim in Monterey Bay almost daily. And neither of them wears a wetsuit in the shivering waters. As Wagner explains, “When you get in, there’s an adrenaline rush.” Now both can say they almost crossed the channel. Weekly: What’s it like to swim the English Channel? Golbin: It’s like swimming in Monterey Bay, just a little warmer. Wagner: The weather is definitely more dramatic. Here you are going to swim in either fog or sun. There is a tide here, but there it’s like a river. There are times when it’s rough. It feels like you are in a bar fight—you’re just out there swinging. The 21 miles turns into 25-26. And they claim it’s the busiest channel in the world. Golbin: That’s why you have a support boat. My second leg was in the dark, but the boat has a spotlight. You just stay in the light. Wagner: The second swim for me was rough. The current was really strong. There were jellyfish. He swam right through them. He was a monster in the water. Night, waves, jellyfish—no big deal. Golbin: I only hit one. You didn’t make it. Wagner: The tide dictates where you go. But the wind picked up and it stopped the tide—I didn’t know it could do that. We were two miles away. We tried to get them to keep going, but we would have had to go a long way [gestures in a different direction]. Golbin: They pulled the plug. Wagner: But it was a great experience. When it was done, I was really grateful. It wasn’t that we didn’t try. More important question: Why? Wagner: That is the biggest question I get asked. I read an article about the channel relay. I thought, “I can do that.” I tried to find a team and someone reached out to me—two teams. I never got in the water, twice. I needed to create another team. Misha jumped on it. Golbin: I didn’t jump, I was reeled in. Maybe I’m easy to sway. So what is the appeal of swimming in the ocean? Golbin: It’s pretty. When you swim on a good day, you can see the kelp forests, sea urchins, sea stars. And look [gestures at the coast]. Wagner: To me, there is a meditative peace. I don’t get that in a pool. This is like a yoga class. It’s very peaceful when it’s still. When you’re a couple hundred yards offshore, it’s really quiet. Golbin: And there is a friendly group of people who swim. You know there are sharks. Golbin: When you ride a bike, there are cars on the road. Wagner: When it happened to Steve [Bruemmer, who suffered serious injuries from a shark bite near Lovers Point in 2022], I didn’t get in for a few weeks. And when I did, there was some apprehension. But then I was swimming again. Are you going to try the channel again? Golbin: Mmm [scrunches his face]. Wagner: All the spots are filled for next year. Rough Waters Two local men tried to swim the English Channel as part of a relay team. They almost made it. By Dave Faries Misha Golbin (left) and Jon Wagner (right) recently attempted to swim across the English Channel as part of a six-person relay team. Both regularly swim in Monterey Bay with groups like the Kelp Krawlers. DAVE FARIES
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