ICE Hall of Fame - Honoree

Steven Munatones(62)

United States of America

Contributor Honoree 2019

Contribution Resume

Promoted the sport of ice swimming (under 5°C) and winter swimming via articles focusing on the events, personalities, rules, training and trends of the niche discipline including:

· a total of 1,028 articles regarding winter swimming events between 6 June 2008 and 25 September 2018

· a total of 3,246 articles regarding ice swimming events between 30 August 2009 and 25 September 2018

· a total of 1,259 articles about cold water swimmers between 12 July 2013 and 21 September 2018

Publicly proposed the possibility of adding ice swimming to the Winter Olympic Games at the 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. He first publicly wrote about the possibility of adding ice swimming to the Winter Olympics on 18 September 2013

Shared his advice on why it is important to focus on the 1 km race (versus the 1 mile) for international acceptance and Winter Olympic Games, IOC and FINA adoption, and provided myriad input to the International Ice Swimming Association when solicited by its members of the Board of Directors.

Helped define, codify and develop the concept of the Ice Sevens, Ice Ironman, Ice Ironwoman, water chill factor, high‐altitude swims, Ice Zero Mile, bioprene, and other terms commonly used by ice swimmers.

Nominated ice swimmers, administrators and event directors at the annual WOWSA Awards and promoted them worldwide including:

· 2010 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Lewis Pugh, OIG (Great Britain)

· 2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Ram Barkai (South Africa)

· 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Alexander Brylin (Russia)

· 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Pádraig Mallon (Ireland)

· 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Henri Kaarma (Estonia)

· 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Lewis Pugh, OIG (Great Britain)

· 2015 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Lewis Pugh, OIG (Great Britain)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Colin Hill (Great Britain)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Lewis Pugh, OIG (Great Britain)

· 2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)

· 2013 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Nuala Moore (Ireland)

· 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Bhakti Sharma (India)

· 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Nataliya Fatyanova, M.D. (Russia)

· 2015 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Elina Makïnen (Finland)

· 2015 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Renata Novakova (Czech Republic)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Victoria Mori (Argentina)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Women of the Year nominee: Sabrina Wiedmer (Switzerland)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Women of the Year nominee: Nuala Moore (Ireland)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Women of the Year nominee: Jaimie Monahan (USA)

· 2017 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Ludmila Maller (Russia)

· 2017 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Jaimie Monahan (USA)

· 2017 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nominee: Julia Wittig (Germany)

· 2009 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominees: Ram Barkai and Andrew Chin's 2.2 km winter swim in Lake Zurich

· 2010 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominee: Lewis Pugh (Great Britain)

· 2011 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominees: Patagonia Extreme Cold Water Challenge (Chile and Argentina)

· 2013 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominee: Bering Strait Swim, Crossing from Asia to America (International)

· 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominees: Diomede Islands Swim by Alexandr Brylin and Grigorii Prokopchuk (Russia)

· 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominee: International Winter Swimming Festival Argentina by Matías Ola (Argentina)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominee: Malvinas/Falklands Islands Challenge by Matías Ola (Argentina) and Jackie Cobell (Great Britain)

· 2016 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year nominee: Vasilly Mosin (Russia) Winter Swimming

· 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year nominee: 21 Yaks and A Speedo, Storytelling Life Lessons by Lewis Pugh (U.K.)

· 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year nominee: International Ice Swimming Association, Cooling To The Extreme (South Africa)