Okay, somebody please give me some insight. Why do so many pool swimmers not participate in open water events?
With a background that didn't include distance freestyle, I wondered if it would be fun to try an open water event. Was it really swimming without a line on the bottom, flip turns, and chlorine? I've found open water swims to be pleasant complements to pool swims. This really makes me wonder why open water events don't seem to generate more participation? I'm eager to hear why so many competent pool swimmers seem to neglect their open water options...
Parents
Former Member
Sigh... pool ballerinas...
We need to put a bullet in this shark thing, once and for all (yeah, right).
So, here's the current betting line (USA only). Your odds, this year, of being:
Killed in a car accident: 1:7,000
Killed by a tornado: 1:450,000 (much worse odds if you live in a trailer park, I assume)
Killed by falling airplane parts, for God's sake: 1:10,000,000
Winning the California lottery: 1:13,000,000
Attacked by a shark: 1:100,000,000
Killed by a shark: 1:300,000,000
A day of open water swimming, followed by brewskis and the admiring glances of buxotic love-nymphs: priceless
Other idiotic things to know for your next team social:
More people are killed by pigs each year in the US than sharks.
More mail carriers are killed by dogs each year than by sharks.
The shark odds for open water races in fresh water are slightly higher (approaching 1:infinity), since there has never been a reported shark attack in places that haven't seen salt/brackish water since, say, the Cambrian era.
Therefore:
Since you are 30 times more likely to be killed by falling airplane parts than a shark, it is more reasonable to move into the basement of your house and not go outside without a hard hat than to avoid open water races because of sharks.
No more whining. Get out there!
-LBJ
Sigh... pool ballerinas...
We need to put a bullet in this shark thing, once and for all (yeah, right).
So, here's the current betting line (USA only). Your odds, this year, of being:
Killed in a car accident: 1:7,000
Killed by a tornado: 1:450,000 (much worse odds if you live in a trailer park, I assume)
Killed by falling airplane parts, for God's sake: 1:10,000,000
Winning the California lottery: 1:13,000,000
Attacked by a shark: 1:100,000,000
Killed by a shark: 1:300,000,000
A day of open water swimming, followed by brewskis and the admiring glances of buxotic love-nymphs: priceless
Other idiotic things to know for your next team social:
More people are killed by pigs each year in the US than sharks.
More mail carriers are killed by dogs each year than by sharks.
The shark odds for open water races in fresh water are slightly higher (approaching 1:infinity), since there has never been a reported shark attack in places that haven't seen salt/brackish water since, say, the Cambrian era.
Therefore:
Since you are 30 times more likely to be killed by falling airplane parts than a shark, it is more reasonable to move into the basement of your house and not go outside without a hard hat than to avoid open water races because of sharks.
No more whining. Get out there!
-LBJ
