In a quiet pond near Royal Tunbridge Wells, Ironman Ian (not long of Manly and Cabbage Tree Bay) applies face paint, strips to his birthday suit and disturbs some rather plump looking ducks. A northern Summer Solstice.
A normally bustling Friday morning at the wall by 6am, is eerily quiet... where is everyone says Reid?
In Collioure, France a blue castle shelters 2 seemingly fashionable ladies from a biting mistral wind, before they plunge headfirst into a cool water, bodies striped of all worldly possessions.
Meanwhile closer to home, the Machine Men prepare for their favourite swim of the year. Chippo manscapes using a body trimmer to style a small german castle. Rubberman remembers his favourite Beastie Boys lyric 'Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair'... something about what goes around comes around'. Stealthy is seen sporting some new pants, after wearing his Australian triathlon swim shorts to threadbare. The boy from Esperance knows a thing or 2 about cold water and nudity, and strategizes re-entry scenarios.
And stumbling, early in the dark, i come upon Shelly Beach. Oh dear. Thank god it's dark I don't know where to look. Normally on Solstice day, we swim Manly, de-tog at the point, Deadmans, then into the pagan heartland before rushing off again. However tagged shark #1043 makes us rethink our route. So we walk into the fire at Shelly.
Capless off with the floating bar/cafe. Andre the Baker in full cry manning the bar. An interesting exit by our resident baker, hat, first layer, second layer, jacket, then cover up the wedding tackle. You can't unsee these things.
I hunt the heards there, I hunt the heartless asThese angry habits we holdDeep down inside
.. a new long necked turtle is spotted at half way. We do a rather loose Ted's Triangle.
Jen and her gang embrace the pagan ritual
The mighty Mermaids en masse, what a gang!
Meanwhile back beach side, Caroline reports in. All the triathletes didn't understand why people were swimming north. Charlie is speeding up. Driver pretending to be capless, swimming into anyone who gets close.
It's such a hard cold I've been unravellingThis man alone hereIs eager to know
Thanks for the swim and coffee Team. Remember don't let your true love run cold!
Rusty & carolinebythebeach, with a lot of help from the mighty Machine Men (Chippo & Faahany) and Lainey Loo who contributed and also officially approved the cover shot.
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