Registration is now open for one of the nation’s longest-running and most iconic open water swimming events, the Columbia River Cross Channel Swim, returning for its 81st year on Saturday, Aug. 30.  It started in the 1940s, when Hood River local Roy Webster first began swimming the river with his family.  This year’s event will again be hosted at the Sternwheeler paddleboat dock in Cascade Locks.  Swimmers board the historic Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler and are ferried across the channel to Washington’s shore.  Participants leap from the decks into the river, commencing a 1.1-mile open water swim toward the Columbia River’s Oregon shore.  There is a dedicated swim lane, flanked by volunteers on sailboats, kayaks, and paddleboards, ensuring guidance, encouragement, and safety.  Swimmers will now be required to use a tow buoy to enhance safety by improving visibility and providing participants a more efficient way to rest during the event if needed.  To register for the Columbia River Cross Channel Swim, visit columbiariverswim.com.