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A Day At The Pool
Last week I was reading a post by Ben Edwards and he mentioned
underwater bending in a tongue in cheek kind of way and that got me to
thinking. I am always looking to challenge my bending so I decided hell
why not give it a go. I decided to try a kind of dummy run in the
bathtub. - LOL
I have a corner bath so its quite wide but not long enough to lie in head
to toe so I had to improvise a little. I grabbed a bastard bar equivalent
and wrapped it up with no chalk just elastic bands. I have to put my
head, shoulders and a bit of upper body into the bath water with the rest
of my torso and legs up and over the side of the bath. I can only imagine
the wife’s face if she had walked in. - LOL
I quickly found out that this awkward position really restricts your
breathing but decided to go for it anyway. I took hold of the wrapped bar
in one hand, took a deep breathe and assumed the position.
I managed to do the bend but its was very awkward and I thought if I
inhale or laugh I’ve had it.- LOL
So mission one accomplished and I learned something from this dummy
run. First - I cannot hold my breath no were near as long as I thought I
could and secondly that if I could bend underwater in this less than ideal
position then being submerged in a swimming pool would be a lot easier.
The next day armed with a couple of stainless bastard bar equivalents, a
set of wraps and some elastic bands I went to my local swimming pool
after work.
Once changed I pre-wrapped a shiny bastard and put it and the other
shiny in my locker and decided to survey the territory first. Things were
seemingly on my side since there were only a few people in the water as
it was mid afternoon. As I scanned the my underwater battleground I
spied the water chute - LOL. Now that’s a challenge, I go up to the top
and do a dummy run. It was fast since I hadn’t been swimming in a long
time let alone on one of these since the kids were little. I quickly notice
that I wont be able to have my elbows out right on the initial kink as the
chute ain’t that wide but I was not discouraged because this was going to
be to much fun.
I go to the locker and grabbed the pre-wrapped shiny and up the stairs
to the top of the water chute I go. I like Evil knienvel before a big jump
get in position and set myself up for my own big attempt. I have to hold
the bar further down my chest not under the chin and also have to bring
my elbows down and in a bit.
I take a deep breathe and shuffle forward on my butt and off I go. Shit
this is hard! I burned my elbow on the side of the chute and nearly went
upside down just before I was slung into the abyss - ba-doosh- LOL I was
concentrating so hard on the bend that I forgot to breathe so stupid me
decided to try and breathe whilst under water. I popped up with bar in
hand and had a big coughing fit but at least I am getting used to these
after biting off that chink of my tongue bending the weak before. LOL
Once I reached the side of the pool I realized that the shiny is only half
bent so up to the top I go again whilst getting back into position I let the
bar go and have to go to the bottom of the pool and locate it. Then up I
go again this time I finish the bar off so now I want to take it a step
further and do a bend in the swimming pool completely submerged.
I take the bent shiny to the locker and wrap up the new one and back I
go again to survey the pool. On the way to the pool I walk past the life
guard with my wrapped steel in hand and he asks me what it that. So
calmly I explain what I intend to do “I am going to jump into the deep
end and bend this stainless steel bar”. He says you can’t do that, I say
why not and we have a discussion on health, safety and contamination of
water by steel. I point out that it is stainless steel which is non-corrosive
and give him a small lecture on the finer points of stainless steel and its
properties etc…
He then says that he has to go speak with the manager but I go with
him because who knows how this was going to go over. He goes into the
managers office and I wait outside like a school kid waiting to see the
principle. He finally comes out and says
“The manager thinks you’re a fruitcake!”. - LOL
I thought for a second to myself yes this may be true but I going to be a
soggy bar bending fruitcake if you give me half a chance. I go into the
managers office and educate him on what I do and that I am deadly
serious and not a fruitcake. I don’t know if he bought the last part
though -LOL
I ask the manager if I can do the bend if no one else is using the pool and
he says yes but just this once if I am quick about it . I am back out
poolside looking for my opportunity. The first the pool has a few people
using it but the second pool has no one in it so its now or never.
I stand on the side of the deep end and get ready take a deep breathe
and jump in, once my feet touch the bottom I start the bend and its
easier than the water chute bend. One stainless bastard equivalent bent
underwater without coming up for air and I just make it but it feels
really strange. I thought that this would be a good test for lung power
and as extra resistance.
When I completed the bend and surfaced 2 lifeguards were standing on
opposite sides watching me. They came over as I got out and inspected
the bent bar. I gave them each one of the bars I had just bent. I engaged
the manager in another conversation who says that he is prepared to let
me have a pool to myself for the day the next time they are
draining/cleaning the pool out.
I am going to organize an underwater bend-a-thon of various bars only
coming to the surface for air and to be handed more stock I might try
something like how many 60ds nails in 1hour or a 100 60ds etc…
It will be videoed and photos will be taken since I was a one man show
today and couldn’t get any photo footage since cameras are not allowed
when its busy for obvious reasons.
All in all I had a nice day and a nice change of pace with this new
challenge. I look forward to my next episode at the swimming baths. I
also plan on doing a bend-a-thon under a waterfall for charity and the
kicker is a bend whilst doing a bungee jump. Now that will be fun for
sure so stay tuned!
NO LIMITS!
Gary “gazza” Hunt
Last week I was reading a post by Ben Edwards and he mentioned
underwater bending in a tongue in cheek kind of way and that got me to
thinking. I am always looking to challenge my bending so I decided hell
why not give it a go. I decided to try a kind of dummy run in the
bathtub. - LOL
I have a corner bath so its quite wide but not long enough to lie in head
to toe so I had to improvise a little. I grabbed a bastard bar equivalent
and wrapped it up with no chalk just elastic bands. I have to put my
head, shoulders and a bit of upper body into the bath water with the rest
of my torso and legs up and over the side of the bath. I can only imagine
the wife’s face if she had walked in. - LOL
I quickly found out that this awkward position really restricts your
breathing but decided to go for it anyway. I took hold of the wrapped bar
in one hand, took a deep breathe and assumed the position.
I managed to do the bend but its was very awkward and I thought if I
inhale or laugh I’ve had it.- LOL
So mission one accomplished and I learned something from this dummy
run. First - I cannot hold my breath no were near as long as I thought I
could and secondly that if I could bend underwater in this less than ideal
position then being submerged in a swimming pool would be a lot easier.
The next day armed with a couple of stainless bastard bar equivalents, a
set of wraps and some elastic bands I went to my local swimming pool
after work.
Once changed I pre-wrapped a shiny bastard and put it and the other
shiny in my locker and decided to survey the territory first. Things were
seemingly on my side since there were only a few people in the water as
it was mid afternoon. As I scanned the my underwater battleground I
spied the water chute - LOL. Now that’s a challenge, I go up to the top
and do a dummy run. It was fast since I hadn’t been swimming in a long
time let alone on one of these since the kids were little. I quickly notice
that I wont be able to have my elbows out right on the initial kink as the
chute ain’t that wide but I was not discouraged because this was going to
be to much fun.
I go to the locker and grabbed the pre-wrapped shiny and up the stairs
to the top of the water chute I go. I like Evil knienvel before a big jump
get in position and set myself up for my own big attempt. I have to hold
the bar further down my chest not under the chin and also have to bring
my elbows down and in a bit.
I take a deep breathe and shuffle forward on my butt and off I go. Shit
this is hard! I burned my elbow on the side of the chute and nearly went
upside down just before I was slung into the abyss - ba-doosh- LOL I was
concentrating so hard on the bend that I forgot to breathe so stupid me
decided to try and breathe whilst under water. I popped up with bar in
hand and had a big coughing fit but at least I am getting used to these
after biting off that chink of my tongue bending the weak before. LOL
Once I reached the side of the pool I realized that the shiny is only half
bent so up to the top I go again whilst getting back into position I let the
bar go and have to go to the bottom of the pool and locate it. Then up I
go again this time I finish the bar off so now I want to take it a step
further and do a bend in the swimming pool completely submerged.
I take the bent shiny to the locker and wrap up the new one and back I
go again to survey the pool. On the way to the pool I walk past the life
guard with my wrapped steel in hand and he asks me what it that. So
calmly I explain what I intend to do “I am going to jump into the deep
end and bend this stainless steel bar”. He says you can’t do that, I say
why not and we have a discussion on health, safety and contamination of
water by steel. I point out that it is stainless steel which is non-corrosive
and give him a small lecture on the finer points of stainless steel and its
properties etc…
He then says that he has to go speak with the manager but I go with
him because who knows how this was going to go over. He goes into the
managers office and I wait outside like a school kid waiting to see the
principle. He finally comes out and says
“The manager thinks you’re a fruitcake!”. - LOL
I thought for a second to myself yes this may be true but I going to be a
soggy bar bending fruitcake if you give me half a chance. I go into the
managers office and educate him on what I do and that I am deadly
serious and not a fruitcake. I don’t know if he bought the last part
though -LOL
I ask the manager if I can do the bend if no one else is using the pool and
he says yes but just this once if I am quick about it . I am back out
poolside looking for my opportunity. The first the pool has a few people
using it but the second pool has no one in it so its now or never.
I stand on the side of the deep end and get ready take a deep breathe
and jump in, once my feet touch the bottom I start the bend and its
easier than the water chute bend. One stainless bastard equivalent bent
underwater without coming up for air and I just make it but it feels
really strange. I thought that this would be a good test for lung power
and as extra resistance.
When I completed the bend and surfaced 2 lifeguards were standing on
opposite sides watching me. They came over as I got out and inspected
the bent bar. I gave them each one of the bars I had just bent. I engaged
the manager in another conversation who says that he is prepared to let
me have a pool to myself for the day the next time they are
draining/cleaning the pool out.
I am going to organize an underwater bend-a-thon of various bars only
coming to the surface for air and to be handed more stock I might try
something like how many 60ds nails in 1hour or a 100 60ds etc…
It will be videoed and photos will be taken since I was a one man show
today and couldn’t get any photo footage since cameras are not allowed
when its busy for obvious reasons.
All in all I had a nice day and a nice change of pace with this new
challenge. I look forward to my next episode at the swimming baths. I
also plan on doing a bend-a-thon under a waterfall for charity and the
kicker is a bend whilst doing a bungee jump. Now that will be fun for
sure so stay tuned!
NO LIMITS!
Gary “gazza” Hunt