Polar Bears (was Re: Topless subways
Cindy Kandolf
>What's with these Polar Bear clubs? Are they unique to this country? And
>how do these people not die of pneumonia?
They're not unique to the US, no. There are some here, too, although
i can't remember off the top of my head what they call themselves.
Same idea, though - people who for reasons which i cannot fathom get
together in the middle of winter and throw themselves into ice cold
water. (This is not to be confused with sauna enthusiasts who throw
themselves into ice-cold water after a very hot sauna - a practice i
find just as bizarre but which at least i understand the origins of.)
As far as how they avoid hypothermia: The swimmers are all in good
physical health (even if their mental stability is questionable), they
don't stay in the water long, and they do take care to warm up quickly
afterwards.
-Cindy Kandolf, certified language mechanic, mamma flodnak
ci...@lise.unit.no
Trondheim, Norway
I never saw a purple cow; cow has the property [ -purple ]
Cindy Kandolf
>In article <CINDY.94S...@bokfink.lise.unit.no>,
>Cindy Kandolf <ci...@lise.unit.no> wrote:
>
>> .......(This is not to be confused with sauna enthusiasts who throw
>>themselves into ice-cold water after a very hot sauna - a practice i
>>find just as bizarre but which at least i understand the origins of.)
>
>I've heard of, the Scandanavian practice of diving into snow banks/
>frozen water/whatever after a hot sauna is the one I've never been
>able to understand.
Credit where credit is due: both the concept of the sauna and the idea
of diving into cold water or a snow bank afterwards are Finnish, not
Scandihoovian.
The idea is that the hot sauna is cleansing, but makes you drowsy. A
rapid cool down will make you alert again.
I suppose i misspoke when i said i understand the origins, but i do
understand the purpose of it, sort of. Personally i prefer the
gentler approach of a cool (not cold) shower. If i had to speculate
on the origins of the practice, i would guess vodka was involved.
William VanHorne
>The idea is that the hot sauna is cleansing, but makes you drowsy. A
>rapid cool down will make you alert again.
Or throw you into cardiac arrest.
>I suppose i misspoke when i said i understand the origins, but i do
>understand the purpose of it, sort of. Personally i prefer the
>gentler approach of a cool (not cold) shower. ...
No kidding.
>............................................. If i had to speculate
>on the origins of the practice, i would guess vodka was involved.
Ah, of course. It begins to make sense now.
---Bill "hic" VanHorne
Jim Grubs, W8GRT
> In article <CINDY.94S...@bokfink.lise.unit.no>,
> Cindy Kandolf <ci...@lise.unit.no> wrote:
>
> >The idea is that the hot sauna is cleansing, but makes you drowsy. A
> >rapid cool down will make you alert again.
>
> Or throw you into cardiac arrest.
>
> >I suppose i misspoke when i said i understand the origins, but i do
> >understand the purpose of it, sort of. Personally i prefer the
> >gentler approach of a cool (not cold) shower. ...
The Scandanavians always claim the sauna makes them healthy. Actually,
I think one might well argue that the sauna improved the average
physical health and stamina of Scandanavians over a period of several
generations by simply killing off all the weak ones.
--
jgr...@voxbox.norden1.com
Member, National Association for the Advancement of Mongrel People
'Two of the gravest general dangers to survival are the desire for
comfort and a passive outlook.' -- U.S. Army Ranger Handbook
Marc Reeve
>Taking a break from Kenny's dirty rice, s...@panix.com (Steven Cherry) writes
>
>> And doesn't Syracuse have a Polar Bear Club? Jones Beach does.
>>
>>Steven "no, I wasn't topless in the cab" Cherry
>
>Nor, in fact, was I. But I'm going to digress...
>
>What's with these Polar Bear clubs? Are they unique to this country? And
>how do these people not die of pneumonia?
>
>devoted to a New Year's Day swim in the ocean. I watched them at Coney
>Island one year. How they avoid hypothermia is beyond me. Is there some
>sort of beneficial health thing going on here? Anyone know how they started?
>
As far as I can tell (I'm one of these swim-in-the-ocean-on-January-1 types,
by the way. I'm not sure if the Pacific Ocean counts, though. It's certainly
colder in summer than the Atlantic is, so I suspect it might.) there's not
a lot of health behind it. Other than proving that one is MANLY enough to do
such a thing. (Most of these Polar Bear clubs seem to be all-male organizations.
Further proof that women have more sense.) I guess this would be the oppisite
of a dick-size comparison. (a shrinkage comparison? "Mine shrank more than yours
did!")
Of course, the *real* Polar Bear clubs are the guys in Michigan and that region
who cut holes in frozen lakes and swim in them. Now that takes a special kind
of insanity. (Either that or a lot of alcohol, which sort of qualifies as a
special kind of insanity.) Not for me, thanks.
>kim "what color was the bear?" scheinberg
Marc "blue is the color of my true love's bear" Reeve
--
... --- ... ... --- ... ... --- ... ... --- ... ... --- ... ... --- ...
Marc Reeve cmr...@deeptht.armory.com | @gorn.iuma.com
"But I like being a snotty little bully." - Paul Tomblin
Coming soon to a university near Santa Cruz!!!
Cindy Kandolf
>The Scandanavians always claim the sauna makes them healthy.
No, the Finns claim sauna makes you healthy. Scandinavians claim that
it feels good, is a good place to socialize, and in the case of some
local university students i could name is the best place to play Ludo.
> Actually,
>I think one might well argue that the sauna improved the average
>physical health and stamina of Scandanavians over a period of several
>generations by simply killing off all the weak ones.
I personally believe it's all a part of the Finnish plot to someday
get revenge on the Russians. Those of you who know your history will
realise that this is going to be one hell of a pay-back.
YuNoHoo
: Jim Grubs writes:
: >The Scandanavians always claim the sauna makes them healthy.
: No, the Finns claim sauna makes you healthy. [...]
Sure, but you left out something. The Finns I know claims that
sauna and alcohol cures everything. ("Sauna ock sprit kurerar alt!")
Contrary to many peoples belief a sauna is not the same as any room
that's just uncomfortably warm. Guess my favourite story is when I
visited at a British Y some years ago. First they tried to tell me
that I couldn't use the sauna until I produced a statement from a
doc saying I was fit to do so. Then, when I finally talked them out
of the medical nonsense, I got scolded by the staff because I
turned up the heat to a comfortable level.
Then there was the Norwegian hotel that refused to serve alcoholic
beverages in the sauna...
---
YuNoHoo "Ludo? What kind of drink is that?"
Anders Thulin
>The Scandanavians always claim the sauna makes them healthy. Actually,
>I think one might well argue that the sauna improved the average
>physical health and stamina of Scandanavians over a period of several
>generations by simply killing off all the weak ones.
Assuming, of course, that everybody does sauna.
Some doesn't.
UL: Some prefer vodka instead of water. On the hot stones, that is.
--
Anders Thulin a...@linkoping.trab.se 013-23 55 32
Telia Research AB, Teknikringen 2B, S-583 30 Linkoping, Sweden
Jyrki Valkama
: In article <CINDY.94S...@bokfink.lise.unit.no>,
: Cindy Kandolf <ci...@lise.unit.no> wrote:
: > .......(This is not to be confused with sauna enthusiasts who throw
: >themselves into ice-cold water after a very hot sauna - a practice i
: >find just as bizarre but which at least i understand the origins of.)
: Well, then enlighten me! Of all the utterly weird third-world habits
: I've heard of, the Scandanavian practice of diving into snow banks/
: frozen water/whatever after a hot sauna is the one I've never been
: able to understand.
: --Bill "now, if it was Kiwis that did it, I wouldn't bat an eye" VanHorne
As a finn I should know this, it's not anything particularly special.
I remember my early childhood how we, brother and cousins, did that stunt
quite regularily, typical little boys macho bullshitting and 'doing manly
things', till we outgrew it. It's 90% psyching ("it's nothing")
and 10% physics (heat convection).
As you are in hot sauna your skin gets hotter and hotter from outside to
inwards. When there comes the moment you think that it can't possibly get
hotter without skin burning, run straight out fast (you lose that heat
fast too) and jump straight into snowbank. It takes time before you
even notice cold and longer still you feel quite comfortable as the heat
gradually dissipates from your skin (from outside to inwards again).
Go into waiting room of sauna leisurely and acclimatise peacefully before
you get inside the sauna proper.
Coming from very cold outside into very hot sauna is the real killer,
you get the typical drowsiness/nausea.
Cardiac arrest can happen any time with sudden temperature changes or
any stress, but it's in fact quite rare. There are of course risk groups
for nearly everything. Actually quite a number of people die plain falling
asleep in sauna.
Cheers! Jyrki Valkama
PS Don't tell anybody! As I said it's one of those "macho bullshit things".
Surprise somebody, but practice it out beforehand, psyching, besides
you lose the "heat layer" if you hesitate too long.
Cindy Kandolf
>Then there was the Norwegian hotel that refused to serve alcoholic
>beverages in the sauna...
Um... owned by the Temperance Society or something?
There was an article in the local paper many moons ago about a
businesswoman (from the US i think) complaining that there were
scantily-clad men in the sauna at the hotel where she was staying.
She seemed a bit surprised by this. It seems the further from Finland
you go, the more corrupted the tradition becomes...
bill nelson
: YuNoHoo writes:
: >Then there was the Norwegian hotel that refused to serve alcoholic
: >beverages in the sauna...
:
: Um... owned by the Temperance Society or something?
:
: There was an article in the local paper many moons ago about a
: businesswoman (from the US i think) complaining that there were
: scantily-clad men in the sauna at the hotel where she was staying.
What's wrong? Was she pissed because the men were not nude?
Bill "A place to make hot dates" Nelson
Cindy Kandolf
>: There was an article in the local paper many moons ago about a
>: businesswoman (from the US i think) complaining that there were
>: scantily-clad men in the sauna at the hotel where she was staying.
>
>What's wrong? Was she pissed because the men were not nude?
Now, see, that i could understand... but she was pissed because the
men were sitting there in their skivvies. She thought they should be
required to wear a bathrobe or swimtrunks.
How wearing swimtrunks is more modest than wearing underpants is
beyond the understanding of this humble poster...
M. Jonas
>What's with these Polar Bear clubs? Are they unique to this country? And
>how do these people not die of pneumonia?
>
>For those who don't know... Polar Bear Clubs are a group of people
>devoted to a New Year's Day swim in the ocean. I watched them at Coney
>Island one year. How they avoid hypothermia is beyond me. Is there some
>sort of beneficial health thing going on here? Anyone know how they started?
>
Well... one-of-the-books-I-used-to-read-as-a-kid-only-I-can't-cite-it-as-
it's-with-my-parents-and-I'm-not had a whole chapter on the history of
ice water swimming. As far as I remember (however far that is), the biggest
of these swims takes place every Christmas Day (?) in Geneva, where quite
a big horde swims from one Rhone bridge to the next. This originated in a
stupid bet (well, what else) several decades ago (note I'm quite vague here
as would befit anybody who dares show his face without a proper reference)
Allegedly, none of the participants has ever caught a cold, even though it
is considered manly (womanly as well, I presume) to linger around in the
water for a bit longer after reaching the finishing bridge. Anybody from
Geneva (or who kept his/her childhood books around for longer) who can
substantiate? The same book also mentioned that breaking up the ice surface
and swimming a bit in the middle of winter is considered to be good fun in
Scandinavia and (especially) in Russia.
Martin "now where did I leave my steam-heated neopren suit" Jonas