The bit that gets the coldest, says Ian Lindeman, organiser of the Canberra Winter Solstice Nude Charity Swim, isn’t what you think it might be.
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“It’s actually your feet,” says Lindeman.
“You forget how cold everything else is because your feet are freezing.”
Lindeman was inspired to start a Canberra swim after attending Hobart’s Dark Mofo Nude Solstice Swim in 2016.
“I think there were about 600 or 700 people there and I was impressed with the camaraderie and the friendliness of it all and I thought Canberra would be a great place to hold a similar event,” he said.
He gathered his mates from the Williams Crossing Bicycle Club, which is not really a cycling club, just more of an excuse to get together for a beer and some stories and raise money for charity, and in 2017 they attempted to hold an event.
“Swimming naked in Lake Burley Griffin is actually illegal and there was the problem of a $20 million insurance bill and all sorts of rules and regulations,” he says.
“But we ignored all that and went ahead anyway, just four of us, and we raised $2100 for the Love Your Sister charity.”
This year the planning began well ahead of time and the ACT government is on board and the swim will go ahead with full support.
Registrations are open, swimmers pay an entry donation of $30 and can choose whether they want to support Love Your Sister or Lifeline. All monies go to the charities.
Swimmers check in from 6.20am on June 21 and the swim starts at 7.12am at sunrise. Swimmers must be registered before the event due to insurance issues. Entries cannot be taken on the day.
There’ll be a sausage sizzle and coffee supplied by the Tuggeranong Lions Club and a catch up later that afternoon at the Old Canberra Inn, which is one of the major sponsors.
“We’ll finish up thawing out at the Old Canberra Inn and everyone is welcome back there,” Lindeman says.
The Yarralumla shoreline will be lit by fires and candles and Lindeman is hoping for a bagpipe player to serenade them into the water.
“Last year with the mist over the lake it was quite a spiritual thing,” he says.
“There’s this whole idea of it being a way to get rid of all the negative things of the past year, it’s the shortest day of the year, what lays ahead looks good.
“You do come out refreshed, in more ways than one.”
Lindeman said the only other time he got nude was in the shower, where he could adjust the water temperature.
“Last year the water was 10 degrees when we got in but it was worth every minute.”
Head to wintersolsticeswim.com for more information.
