Ten Years of Barnegat Light Ocean Mile Swim Shirts: A Walk Down Memory Lane

If you know me, actually, if you’ve so much as seen me in the last 10 years (literally ten, since July 2009 – hey, that’s #neat!), chances are I was wearing one of these Barnegat Light Ocean Mile Swim t-shirts… No joke, I’d guess those odds would be through the roof – like over 50%.

Undoubtedly these shirts would be the odds on favorite to be the winner of the “What shirt is Taylor wearing today?” contest… Although, truthfully, I guess the same could be said for probably anyone in the BLBP fam.

Anyway, in honor of Saturday’s ELEVENTH annual Barnegat Light Ocean Mile Swim – of which, Water Cooler Sports is THE official blog – I wanted to take a walk down memory lane of all ten shirts… and maybe, JUST MAYBE, throw you a sneak peak into what Saturday’s 2019 shirt will look like.

Ok, let’s ride!!

2009

Navy shirt, white text

This was the original. The OG. The trusty lead off hitter.

Both classy and sophisticated, going with a navy and white, these shirts weren’t looking to start any trouble with some wild color combo. Think about it, we had JUST convinced 18 sponsors to throw us some money toward something that had never been done before, had no history of success… All we promised them in return was that we’d put their names on the shirts we were giving out.

If the shirts looked stupid, there was the risk these sponsors wouldn’t come back next year… But you know they did. They trusted us. They trusted the process.

What became a historically incredible run of A+ Barnegat Light Ocean Mile Swim t-shirts got off on the right foot in 2009.

A navy shirt with white text – you simply cannot go wrong.

FINAL 2009 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2010

Green shirt, white text

I have owned VERY FEW green shirts in my lifetime – and every one I have worn until they were tattered. Before this was a hand-me-down “Irish Fight Night” shirt, then there was this shirt, and after came the original GetLIVIN shirt… no joke, THREE.

Why do I bring this seemingly irrelevant fun fact about me up? Well, because just like chicks, with t-shirts I have a “type.” Green shirts with white text might as well be blonde hair, blue eyed babes ~~who are going to shit on my life~~. Sue me, I got a type!

Love this shirt, it’s STILL in the rotation today in 2019.

(Also, worth noting we got FOUR new sponsors in year #2… That’s 22% growth. Goddamn, the BL Ocean Mile swim was growing faster than the US economy that year! #ThanksObama)

FINAL 2010 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2011

Maroon shirt, white text

This old school Phillies inspired color scheme was always a favorite of mine.

I mean, if you give me a shirt that’s going to remind me of the Phils every time I put it on – make me think of Shane Victorino, Pat the Bat, Chase Utley, RYAN HOWARD?!

Oh my word! I’m getting hot and bothered just thinking of it… Let’s just give this a ten already and move on before I have an accident.

FINAL 2011 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2012

Orange shirt, navy text

Guys, I have had a few “favorite” shirts in my lifetime. THIS shirt is one of them… It very well could be THE one.

This photo gives it a very orange look to it, but I promise it’s more of a cream-sicle orange (if that makes sense)… and that cream-sicle orange, I can promise you, is maybe the world’s most perfect color.

2012 also was the first “soft” BL Ocean Mile shirt. Like, it was that awesome kinda cotton that you would put on and it felt like air.

Lightweight like a cloud.

It was amazing!

This shirt was the GOAT from day 1 all the way to today – Day # 2,552.

You can bury me in this shirt. No, seriously, cite this blog. My family will understand.

FINAL 2012 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2013

Black shirt, electric blue text

2013’s edition was a GREAT shirt. Another lightweight play here which did, and will forever, get points from me… But the thing that stole the show here?

Look at the second sponsor on the list: “Andrew Curran Baxter, Jammer Model.”

Ol’ Andy Baxter was a lifeguard on the squad with me since I had started way back in 2008… And one year, during the offseason, he found himself a gig as a swimwear model – specifically he was a model for jammers.

(NOTE FOR NON-SWIMMERS: “Jammers” are basically biker shorts. They’re shorts but skin-tight and swimmers wear them when they aren’t ~~hung like a horse~~ confident enough to rock a traditional speedo)

So, naturally when we found the magazine with Baxter in it… Well, the boys and I had a field day. We took it all the way to scrounging together $100 to get his name on our beloved Barnegat Light Ocean Mile Swim shirts. Ultimate troll job, his name and “occupation” will be on those shirts forever.

Shout-out to the #27Strong crew for finding the original pictures (**more at the bottom of this blog**)… I present to you all, the reason for this sponsorship, Andrew Curran Baxter, America’s Favorite Jammer Model:

FINAL 2013 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

ANDREW CURRAN BAXTER JAMMER MODEL REVIEW: 69/10

2014

Blue shirt, yellow text

Damn.

I did just say that the 2012 shirt was the GOAT, but here we are – only two years later – with another one I want to call the GOAT?

Lightweight again – but this time it was a color that really made my baby blue eyes pop?? Damn… can’t beat that.

THIS one actually might be my favorite.

PLUS, this one had @Loude_Taylor on it (aka my BeerFest Twitter handle) as a sponsor and let’s face it – BLBP & BeerFest were probably the two greatest things my life had going for it, so merging them was glorious.

Ok, it’s official. Bury me in THIS one.

FINAL 2014 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2015

Green shirt, gold text

I believe camo was the play here? Green & tan(ish) – support the troops!

This was our eighth consecutive 10/10 and if you think otherwise you’re pretty much the Taliban.

P.S. I’ve been ignoring most of them but “JB Peterman Quinoa Farms” is laugh out loud funny to me.

FINAL 2015 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2016

Grey shirt, navy text

I’ll be honest with you, I do NOT remember this shirt. I don’t know if I missed this year, if I just forgot to ever pick up my shirt… Shoot, I don’t know!

But had someone put a gun to my head and told me to name all the shirts or they’d blast my head off, I think I’d get them all – the years and their colors – except for 2016.

I’d have to tell them to pull the trigger.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s back to the classy colors – grey and navy is a phenomenal play – and odds are it’d be a shirt I’d wear very often given the versatility of the color scheme (aka it can go with any color pants/shorts).

I just… I just don’t remember it.

Regardless, easy to call this a 10 outta 10.

FINAL 2016 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2017

Purple shirt, teal text

This is the sort of shirt that grabbed your attention. I loved it right from the get-go.

“Who’s that guy walking down the street with the purple t-shirt on?”

“I don’t know… but I’ll tell you this: he definitely fucks!”

^^This EXACT conversation probably happened more times than you could ever imagine after July 2017.

Plus, Water Cooler Sports made its first appearance on these suckers… That’s right, WCS has been sponsoring this ocean mile swim since 2017!!

Who knew blogs brought in enough money to give back to the community?!

FINAL 2017 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

2018

Navy shirt, white text (with red accents)

‘MERICA!!

The 10-year anniversary shirt flexing a tri-color red, white & blue color scheme?! INJECT THAT INTO MY VEINS.

I loved it the day I saw it. I love it today. I’ll love it every day for the rest of my life.

Plus, this year I went with the whole “make your sponsor space the longest text out there so people will notice” strategy and low and behold – WE WERE!!

FINAL 2018 T-SHIRT REVIEW: 10/10

And last but note least…

🚨 SPOILER ALERT!!! 🚨

2019

Electric yellow shirt, blue text

FUCK YEAHHH!!!!

Nothing quite says “SEND IT” like a bright yellow tee with blue text!!

And, hilariously, it looks like Water Cooler Sports’ sponsor text somehow got even longer since 2018 (or maybe everyone else got smaller? SUCKS FOR THEM!!).

Shout-out to us on that!! THAT is how you get your name out people!

Gotta stand out to get the brand out!!

(Is that a saying? It should be.)

Welp, there you have it… Ten years of the legendary Barnegat Light Ocean Mile Swim t-shirts, plus some added commentary, for your reading pleasure!

It was a blast putting this all together and reminiscing. Best of luck to everyone heading down there this weekend – whether you’re participating, helping run it, or spectating & supporting the cause – have fun!!

Oh, and I’ll do something helpful here (shocking, I know) – if anyone is still looking to sign up, the deadline is Friday. All info that you need to know can be found here on the mile swim’s Facebook page.

If I wasn’t going to be absolutely trashed in Atlantic City on Saturday for a bachelor party, I’d say meet me at the tent afterwards for a beer or two (or twenty).

Or (and this is only if you’re feeling REAL frisky) you could go to the mile swim, and thennnnnnn… MEET ME TONIGHT IN ATLANTIC CITY!!