The American Swimming Association LLC, an Austin-based organization, is pleased to announce that the world’s only open water swimming stage race is being re-named to honor the memory of Julian “Tex” Robertson. The 2009 Tex Robertson Highland Lakes Challenge will be October 21-25 with its five stages held respectively in Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, and Lake Travis. The Inks Lake Stage will also be named in Tex Robertson’s honor, and will be called Tex’s Darn Challenge.

Tex Robertson, a former University of Texas head men’s swimming and diving coach and 2003 International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee, made a huge impact on the sport of swimming not only in Texas, but internationally. A tireless supporter and promoter of the sport, Robertson was credited with inventing the flip turn. In his thirteen years as coach of the University of Texas Longhorns, Tex won 13 conference championships. Robertson left UT in 1950 to run Camp Longhorn, which he founded in 1939 in Burnet county.