A Labor Day Tradition: The Lake Toxaway Dam to Dam Swim
To most, Labor Day signals the end of summer, and many of us will be getting out in the great outdoors for one last hurrah.
As far back as the early 1900s, the original Lake Toxaway beckoned swimmers of all ages, as this postcard of the day clearly shows.
But for an intrepid group of homeowners on the revived Lake Toxaway, what Labor Day really means is that it’s time for the next Dam to Dam Swim.
According to long-time resident Ted Mullett, this special event was the brainchild of a group of neighbors (Bart Boyer, Dana Christensen, Tim Lovelace, and Brian Peterkin) who first entertained the idea of swimming from the Lake Cardinal Dam to the Lake Toxaway Dam. Tim invited resident Ted Mullett to join the swim, and Ted asked his daughter Suz Waddington to swim alongside him to complete the original group.
Tim, the well-known former owner of the Greystone Inn, orchestrated the swim for its first few years, inviting swimmers and their entourage (each swimmer had to be accompanied by a kayak or boat spotter, with family members often cheering from start and finish points) to a celebration brunch on his deck after the event.
Of the original group, Brian Peterkin moved away, and over time health issues and schedule conflicts led the remaining three “originals” to become occasional participants rather than regulars. Ted and daughter Suz participated until he retired, after the 2005 swim; she continued through 2016 before hanging up her fins. Ted and his wife Carol also directed the swim through 2017, when Jan Porges stepped in.
From the 1997 event — L-R: Ted Mullett, Suz Waddington, Tim Lovelace, Bart Boyer, an unidentified man (do you know who this is?), Dana Christensen. Front: Katherine Jeter with grandchild.
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the swim has attracted a range of participants over the years, though it has remained a mostly private affair.
Originally, the event began with swimmers wading in at the Cardinal Lake dam. However, after the dam was refaced with rock, residents Bart and Elaine Boyer came to the rescue, inviting the swimmers to start from their nearby dock instead.
Similarly, the event used to officially end at the Lake Toxaway dam, with a rocky climb out. Much to the relief of weary swimmers, Martha Ohaus and her family also offered their adjacent dock— then added to their delight with offerings of beverages, snacks, flags and balloons, garnering Martha the official moniker “Swim Godmother.”
Ted Mullett acknowledges, “So, the event is actually the Boyer-Ohaus swim but that title has no cachet, so we’ll stick with ‘Dam to Dam.’”
Cynthia Wood, an HTF Board member, and her family have fond memories of the event.
“In 1998, my son was the youngest swimmer to swim it (at that time), when he was nine years old. My husband accompanied him in a kayak. Although the swim is not a race, Taylor got to the dam first in his swim team Speedo, followed closely by Ted Mullett in a wetsuit. Ted said, “Who are you and where did you come from?!” (Taylor swam the race again 2 years ago at age 28, his only other attempt.)
An entry in the Lake Toxaway Estates association newsletter from 2009 had this to say:
“Nineteen swimmers completed this year’s Dam-to-Dam Swim. Once again, Swim Godmother Martha Ohaus and her family offered wonderful hospitality with towels, drinks, donuts and this year’s innovation, welcome balloons. The Ohaus’ lawn was the place to be on Labor Day morning as friends and relatives celebrated the arrival of each swimmer.
Eric Boyer returned from a hiatus of some ten years to turn in the fastest time. English Channel/Alcatraz swimmer Steve Rogers was joined this year by his daughter Adair. Senior swimmer Katherine Jeter was accompanied by her son Stephen. Suz (every year) Waddington brought along her sister Melissa Young. Chip Brown regained the title of “Most Courageous.”
Other swimmers were Glenn Austin [another HTF Board member], John Campbell, Mark Freeman, John Glidden, Susan McCabe, Billy Pinkston, Ed Royall, Patricia Vance, Rus Wagner, Elisha Zander and Chad Zimmerman.”
From the 2009 event—Godmother Ohaus welcomes some early arrivals.
From the 1998 event—Taylor Wood, front, with Katherine Jeter and her granddaughter Sara Katherine Hammond.
Frequent swimmer Katherine Jeter gave a sweet recollection of the swim on her Facebook page in 2014:
“It was a dam good swim – my final Labor Day Dam to Dam swim. From one end of the lake to the other is 2-1/4 miles. Son Stephen and grandson Matthew swam too. There were about thirty participants. Granddaddy Jack, at 82, is delighted to retire from his spotting duties. He has been a champ for herding me all the way all these years, logging countless hours in the kayak assuring that my line is straight…”
As we approach another Labor Day, we salute a random idea among friends that turned into something so much more – and we hope you enjoy your holiday with a healthy dose of the same kind of Historic Toxaway community spirit!
And the tradition continues…
Drone aerials of the 2023 Dam to Dam Swim. Photos by John Nichols.
Do you have memories to share of the Dam to Dam swim, or of any other area special events? Please send photos and stories to marketing@historictoxaway.org so we can share them!
