As the occasional fill-in blogger for B&B, I’m familiar with rule #1 in the B&B
blogging manual:
Avoid politics, religion, and sexual references.
Obviously, today had to be all about politics. I apologize in advance for the lack of religious or sexual references and do refer to Monday’s blog instead.
DISCLAIMER: If you haven’t been voting yet, please stop reading now and cast
your vote immediately. The following analysis is likely to influence your voting
behaviour - and as a strictly non-political swim blog, we are committed to
non-interference with the democratic process unfolding in our country today.
Having said that, the real counting happened much earlier this morning,
when 234 swimmers and many more sea creatures turned up to cast their votes
on important questions such as:
Which is the most popular swimming attire?
What’s the most popular après-swim hang out?
And most importantly…
Which party would rule over Shelly Beach this morning?
Yes, it shaped up to be an action-packed morning, with two of our most popular
swimmers celebrating their birthdays today. Who’s birthday party would attract
the bigger crowd – Kara or Ian? Oh yes swimmers, it was on!!!
But let’s start at the beginning.. after missing the sunrise, I arrived early enough to capture 6:30 Drinks Express walking into the water. Drinks himself abandons his 6:30 flock on weekends to indulge the more leisurely 7:00 weekend swim or, as today, has a sleep in.
In fact, today’s 6:30 crowd was made up of only 4 brave men. They insisted to be referred to as the ‘Boulder Bastards’. So here you have them, the Boulder Bastards..
Once the Boulder Bastards were off, the usual 7am crowd started gathering.
Correct registration is critical on a day like today.
Bob Katter from Katter's Australian Party showing new voters how to register
correctly..
John K guiding other first time voters throught the registration process..
By 6:45am it became clear we were heading for a record voter turn out.
No real surprise, considering the fierce campaigning that both Kara and Ian had
engaged in over recent weeks. And even this morning, Kara's supporters were
out in force to win over last minute swing swimmers..
Kara herself making an appearance:
Ian's team not far behind.. you can see the campaign has taken its toll on supporters
of both teams.
Ian was polling very well with female voters in the last weeks of his campaign. These two ladies have made up their minds..
Still undecided - swing voters John K and Shaun D:
Ian N in an attempt of last minute pork barreling – handing out free bananas to
support Ian F’s campaign:
And who doesnt remember James P’s ‘Hammerhead’ scare campaign of last week.
A desperate attempt to make sharks an election topic..
Back to today's swim. Here's the Cabbage Tree Bay electorate walking down the
ramp, all 230 of them (that's excluding the 4x Boulder Bastards)..
Waiting at the point..
Waiting at the point has become an election issue of late, so here's an interesting
poll on the most common excuses for not waiting at the point:
Soon after it was 'let's go' for the race to Shelly.
As the crowd gathered at Shelly, John K made the all important announcements:
1. Kara’s birthday
2. Ian's birthday
3. Anna's 1000k
Yes, with today's swim Anna became the first female swimmer to ever complete
a total 1000k in Cabbage Tree Bay. What an inspiration!! Well done Anna!!
Finally, a swim is not a swim without the social coffee or breakfast afterwards.
At Bluewater, the home of good B&B breakfast, Kara's birthday party was in
full swing..
It wouldn't be election day without a bit of friendly back-stabbing..
..or a cute baby photo..
Talking of favourite apres-swim hangouts: Bluewater is still leading the polls by a mile with the Table of Knowledge distant second. However, Havana is rapidly catching up and will clearly be the venue to watch over the coming months..
Here a few impressions from this morning's festivities at the Table of Knowledge:
The slightly less popular 'men's table':
And the couple’s table..
Anna basking in her new earned fame as first woman to ever tick over 1000k in BnB:
Now, it wouldn't be election day without a few more charts and numbers.
Let's take a look at a few more of today's exit polls..
With the return of some swell, visibility isn’t as great anymore. Stephen and Lesley
still managed to get these shots of marine creatures for me (the last one is Lesley’s):
Talking of fish, here is another chart for you – most blog appearances by marine
creatures year to date:
As you can see, it’s a 3 horse race. However, after preferences the cuttlefish is well
ahead I am told.
I'm concluding this mornings election analysis with..
The Stats:
234 registered swimmers
17 first timers (!!!)
18.9c water
Big Thank You to my roving reporters Lesbubbles and Stephen who took many of this mornings photos!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Lips
Art in Odd Places.
Call out for swimmers to take part in a performance art piece as part of the Art In Odd Places movement! Show off those skills in the pool for a 7 minute dance swimming routine – practicing this Sunday at 12 noon at Dee Why Pool – check this link & contact artist Vicky for more details on 0413276946 http://www.cantoo.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Swimming-Performance-Piece.pdf. Also check out www.artinoddplaces.org
22 comments
Snorkles
07/09/2013 at 1:41 pm
OMG!!! Too funny! Even IF you did leave out my voting fish photos!!!!
lesley
07/09/2013 at 1:50 pm
hehe yeah so funny…. love the graphs! BUT I reckon the cuttlefish definitely beats the port jackson surely??
Who was the cute baby??
Fifi La Mur
07/09/2013 at 3:10 pm
Excellent reporting!! A splendid post.
Sorry I missed the drinks express, seems I slept in,
( also forgot to tick…Ian? )
Crushed and Beaten
07/09/2013 at 4:02 pm
“my googles are fogging up”….cant find a thing… 🙂
Snorkles
07/09/2013 at 4:22 pm
I’ve just realised your clothing chart is wrong!
Didn’t a few B and B ers experience a nude solstice??
Demanding a recount!
Mary
07/09/2013 at 4:42 pm
Well done Lips. At last some clear, unbiased reporting. Not too much on the policy front but then maybe both parties are keeping these to themselves in case the other party steals their ideas.
Kara and Ian have a wonderful day!
Lips
07/09/2013 at 5:06 pm
Right, the fish votes.. I knew I forgot something!
Lips
07/09/2013 at 5:10 pm
Cuttlefish had a commanding lead all thru winter. However, the PJ gained ground in the last couple of weeks, supported by his trigger happy campaign team: Stephen and Nick.
Lips
07/09/2013 at 5:14 pm
Thanks Mary!
Re policies, both Kara and Ian, if elected, promised to implement a six point action plan to put an end to the fogging up of goggles.
Elaine de Jager
07/09/2013 at 5:19 pm
Hilarious blog Rainer! I vote you for Prime Minister! Love your graphs especially the ‘Most Popular Reasons for not waiting at The Point’!! Hope the blog didn’t take you too long!
Happy birthday Ian and Kara, and fantastic achievement Anna!
JeffwithaJ
07/09/2013 at 5:35 pm
Very funny. I enjoyed your blog.
Robsters Speedos
07/09/2013 at 5:36 pm
Best blog I have ever read, efficient and humourless.
Jane
07/09/2013 at 5:40 pm
Couldn’t agree more, Lainey-Loo – I was giggling so much reading it I forgot where I put my glass of wine!
I saw that PJ too – it has hardly anything left of its pectoral fins, you know why? When they are mating the male clamps his jaws onto the female’s pectoral fin so she can’t get away, often biting some of it off. I reckon that female has had more than her fair share of encounters with enthusiastic males. Soon they won’t be able to mate with her because there’ll be nothing left to bite! See http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Port-Jackson-Sharks-mating-2/ and http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Port-Jackson-Sharks-mating/
DWTG
07/09/2013 at 6:48 pm
I have seen the same bite out of Snorkles flipper.
Snorks, is that what happened?
Slow Ian
07/09/2013 at 6:57 pm
Sorry I couldn’t make it for my birthday celebrations. Doc says no swimming for a few days. Thanks for the signs too. Happy birthday Kara.
DWTG
07/09/2013 at 6:58 pm
Great blog Lippy.
Do you have a stat on 1/2 way exits? Or google searches for Jimble lips?
Congratulations Anna, 1000 km a huge feat worthy of queen status.
A quick check with the integrity police who are all over this one.
Apparently, they have had a forensic audit and given you the all clear. Congratulations !!
Joining 3 other legends of the ocean, well done.
DWTG
07/09/2013 at 7:02 pm
Happy birthday Kara and Ian.
I hope you both had a great day.
It’s ok Ian, I ticked for you as a birthday present. You can take it off Little Sarah’s account.
Snorkles
07/09/2013 at 8:30 pm
It’s when I wear them at the Boatshed that happens ……
Stephen C
08/09/2013 at 7:47 am
Awesome blog Lips. I think you’re the Saturday man – apprenticeship over. LSA has approved your permanent appointment!
Alyson
08/09/2013 at 5:33 pm
Hmm it seems Hugh forgot his pink cap!
Caro
08/09/2013 at 6:50 pm
Hilarious blog! I kept clearing my foggy goggles in the hope Hugh would appear again but it appears he was a mirage……
LSA aka HKTQ
08/09/2013 at 11:52 pm
Yes, definitely approved and voted for….
Just been laughing out loud with Henchy Jon….love the charts, especially The Point one… !!
sorry for the delayed response, got a bit behind with the voting…. too busy recruiting Triad members and more henchmen here in Vietnam….
Obviously, the Blog Tarts need to step it up!