1/11/2014 When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object

When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object – its supposed to be one of the great imponderables of science but for the B&B its a daily occurrence.

Theres no doubt that the Bold & Beautiful is an unstoppable force.

From a casual conversation between two friends, on a summer day nearly 6 years ago now, it has continued like a runaway locomotive on a downhill track every single day since – taking no pause, sweeping up more than 8000 willing souls on its journey and always growing more momentum.

Todays Quintessential Pink Capper is Jenny. If it weren’t for Jenny none of us would have a B&B because it was her who got a few friends together on 27 Dec 2008 for a swim and that band of 5 the first morning has grown to the wonderful daily event that is the B&B. Thank you Jenny from the bottom of my heart – the B&B has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I know I am not alone in that!

Its been said that “the only thing that is a constant, is that change is a constant”

Often the things that change & whir around us in our daily lives  grab a disproportionate share of our attention. But sometimes its the solid unchanging things that are the foundation of the quality and enjoyment of life.

Todays blog is a fishless feature and pays homage to some of the stationary things we encounter on our daily swim.

The first of these is the pine tree which forms the ‘maypole’ of our happy gathering.

It shelters our bags, and props our message board which so many check to find out what John Bond’s thermom said.

Today 19.2, getting closer and closer to the magical 2 big figure where most people say they will ditch the wetsuit.

The concrete beach wall and its shin high lip is the outdoor change room and supports many a Bold & Beautiful bottom – twice each day, the second time wet, as does the bench by the shower.

Sometimes the sand is a key pointer to the weather. It can be burning in summer and blindingly glaring reflecting the sun or freezing cold and subdued in winter. On some of the chilliest winter mornings the sand between the water and the ramp is the coldest part of the swim for me.  The sand is also an indicator of the water’s clarity. On clear days I can see all the ripples on the sand well below us.

The sand also hosts our Booty Camp and Yoga early starters. Here is Roger he did the 6 am yoga today and said he was so blissed out by the setting and experience that he wasnt going to swim because he wanted to ‘stay in the moment’. Many of you will recognise that Roger is the incredibly gifted artist and blogger who often prepares our Friday blogs.

Theres the water of course.

We pay a lot of attention to the swell, chop, winds, directions, rips, waves & temperature but every day, whatever those variances are there is always …..the water, and the special health benefits it imparts to those that embrace it, the saline, the ions, the refreshment, bouyancy, invigoration etc

Then there are the rocks. Tim (the bishop) did a whole series of Thursday blogs about the rocks and focussed on the individual rocks at the point, especially their significance to the speeding racers who vie for stage honours amongst each other every day. This poor crew, who splash away at the other end of the pack ie the less leisurely end of the pack are known as the A team. You can revisit Tim’s rocks blogs by following the archive link on the website.

Speaking of the A team there was controversy over who was first in today. Sterling said it was a dead heat but JP claimed victory. Here JP’s #1 photo is bombed by Dave and the Spaniard.

Now I thought Jane’s photobomb earlier in the week set a new standard but check this out……..

Yep – our very own Dreamboat Dave managed to photobomb the Foreign Minister in front of a papp. Classic !! Go Dreamboat you good thing. That definitely sets the bar pretty high for others trying to claim the title of 2014 B&B Photobomber of the Year. The Gauntlet has been thrown down everyone – who can outdo that ? Nice to see Dave back to help celebrate Peter Anthony’s 55th. The bonds of friendship forged in the waves off Manly run very deep.

Back to the rocks…
I see the rocks as milestones. The first low ones we swim over on the way out to the point are always a great distraction from the bracing cold of having just submerged my face and they help me settle.  Then when the rocks start to reappear on the other side I know the end is in reach as I near Shelly. There are the rocks the cuttlefish often swim near and the pale rocks near the hut where so many schools of fish abound and its so cool going around or over the top of them and sweeping back on to the sand again on the homeward leg. Then the rocks at the edge of the ‘shelf’ are the place to find the Port Jacksons et al.  Sometimes the stationery shells on the rocks look like sparkling silver, mother of pearl or diamonds.

Some Pink Cappers use other stationary things like certain houses or buildings or the sculpture by the pool or palm tree cluster on the grass as milestones indicating their progress or to sight to keep them on course.

Without doubt my favourite stationary things in the swim are the marine plants. I splash over them and look over them every single swim but I dont ever overlook them. They are so different & varied from land plants. In such a short space they display a huge range of colours from black through to every shade of yellow, green and brown and their foliage is so exotic and such a gamut from still black spines to bright green sashaying grass to waving auburn tresses. I experience it as the most magnificent floral bouquet and sometimes I muse that I am looking over the swathe of colour at the flower markets or the buckets of ‘fleurs’ on the cobbled streets of a Paris square or the cacophony of greens on a lush bushwalk.

This great pic by Lexie – our youngest blogger and winter badge recipient got it right. Its not just about the water and the fish – the plants are a major feature.

My favourites are the vibrant lime green grass at the point which always bookmark my swims. They sway with the waves like lithe limboing dancers first this way then that and inspire me to both stand my ground but also roll with life at the same time.

Exiting the water our daily adventure is only half over. Surely you didn’t think it was just about the swim did you? Theres the shower and tap for a refreshing rinse off, the change areas for friendly chatter,  the benches for bright often boisterous banter and bonhomie, and the coffee shops for cappuccino fuelled conversations and latte lead laughter.

Here is Alanna rinsing off and Anne waiting.

Alanna comes down from Collaroy and today was her third swim in a row after 18 months off. The fist day she found tough so the second day decided to come down early and went at 6.30 but they left her for dead. They aren’t called the Drinks EXPRESS for nothing. Of course they did the B&B thing and waited for her at Shelly. This zig-zagging zedder only made the mistake of swimming with them once. It was the dead of winter and even though I had told Drinkie not to wait for me they did – a long time – in the freezing cold water with windchill at Shelly exacerbating it. I couldn’t do it to them again. Maybe had somehting to do with the fact that after standing there watching me zig and zag in any direction but towards them as they froze they were so relieved I actually made it they cheered my arrival!

To the benches – whenever I hear “to the benches” I think of the ‘family’ in The Godfather going “to the mattresses” ours is a much more positive experience.  I feel fortunate I started the swim in winter when numbers were small and it was easy to get to know some people. If you haven’t been “to the benches” yet please come and mingle with us tomorrow or next weekend. Don’t be timid, its a very relaxed, friendly scene. If you are brave enough to don a pink cap and do the swim you can summon the courage to join us and say hello – we would love to meet you.

Meet Jenny who comes over from McMahons Pt nearly every day,often with her two gorgeous poodles Bella and Molly. There are a lot of lovely, friendly people in the B&B and I would have to say Jenny is one of the most positive amongst us – a true gem and one of those inspiring people who had the guts to walk away from a high profile o/s banking career to choose a job that made her happier as a Personal Trainer. Now thats gutsy and she is one gutsy gal.

Actually we are ALL pretty gutsy, every single one of us. If you have been handed a pink cap and faced down those waves and the deep water and marine environment and pushed yourself over to Shelly CONGRATULATIONS ! There might be a lot of us but millions would never have the courage.

It also takes courage to know your skill level and change your swim according to the conditions. As the bottom of the blog says – there are no prizes for scaring yourself silly. Of course there are no prizes for pride either – on the contrary – pride in the water if you are in trouble can be fatal. If you get in trouble then seek help. Thats what happened again today and lots of people looked on in concern from ashore

Thankfully a potential disaster was averted and our swimmer came in safely again with the help of a lifesaver and his board. Alls well that ends well.

Many of our mob are away up North this weekend for the Noosa Triathlon. Good luck to you all!!

You didnt think I had forgotten a bond girl did you ? Here is todays ,Eula, in her bondgirl wetsuit. What a smile – it must be in the genes !! Eula’s uncle is our stalwart surfer dude Greg.  Eula came down to swim all the way from Eastern Hill ha ha. But if you chat to her you will discover that she is doing truly inspirational work for our indigenous communities and has not so long ago returned from a spell in the NT including a long period on a remote community. Now she is in our lovely community and we are the better for having her, and her gorgeous uncle!

So, returning to my theme… everyday the unstoppable force which is the Bold and Beautiful meets the immovable objects of Cabbage Tree Bay.

Those stationary items are the unchanging  scenery which provides the backdrop to our exceptional daily experience. Just like the solid foundations of our lives that can make our days so rich, many of which we might take for granted – great friends or family, a beautiful place to live and swim, our individual health or the stability and culture of our society that allows us to do this uplifting swim amongst such a great bunch of people day after day after day.

Just for this weekend turn down the volume on all the movement and noise around you which usually demands your attention and give some thought to the solid immovable things that give your life stability and structure. One of them is the Pink Capped community so beautifully described in Tims blog and its comments on Thursday. The unstoppable force which is the Bold & Beautiful

Have a great rest of the day, weekend and week ahead and “may the force be with you”

ZZZZab