Cold shock in the swimming pool

Our columnist, Eurosport commentator, Sigi Heinrich remembers an icy adventure in a mountain lake. It was a long time ago and still sounds so familiar: “Pack up your swimming trunks, take your little sister and then let’s go to Wannsee.” Conny Froboess made her first stage appearance with this song in May 1951. Her father originally wrote the song for the Schöneberg Boys' Choir. It has become a classic, a catchy tune that has of course now lost a bit of its relevance. Now a wetsuit will soon have to be packed on the bike's luggage rack instead of swimming trunks. Even if instead of going to Wannsee or Chiemsee, Kalterer See or Starnberger See you go to an outdoor swimming pool in town. If it is still open at all, because even before Russia's war against Ukraine, the artificial bathing facilities were among the first facilities to fall victim to the municipalities' red pen. Swimming like in a mountain lake Now there is a new surge in energy costs. Oil and gas are becoming scarce and the water is getting colder. In winter, the wafts of mist over the heated water signal that the previously cool water, as the saying goes, is comfortably warm. Over. The first clubs and operators of swimming pools are not closing down, if they still exist, but are preparing us for a cold shock. A pleasant 28 degrees will soon be a thing of the past. Well, you can also swim in a mountain lake. I had this experience when there were mountain sports festivals that used to be so popular in Bavaria and also in South Tyrol. Athletic versatility was required, coupled with a sociable attitude and a certain toughness. The latter is especially true if part of a relay had to be swum. Suddenly everyone who was supposed to start moved to the back. Everyone hid behind their colleague. Running, yes, but no one wanted to complete the swimming route. The non-swimmers became a mass movement. It hit me as a sports student back then. “Sigi, you can...” Oh man, I mean, 11 degrees, positive estimate. Diving in after the starting signal, which ultimately gave you no chance of retreating, was hell in the water. You almost couldn't breathe. You had to force yourself to do the crawl strokes easily and to breathe normally. Afterwards I swore to myself that I would never do anything like that again, even though the ladies at the club lovingly rubbed me afterwards. Wetsuits at the hotel reception? Now that won't be everyday life if you want to do a few laps, but the temperatures are probably more towards the mountain lake than towards the bathtub. The many accommodation establishments that are using more and more water resources for their heated wellness oases probably also have to take this into account. Wetsuits are available at the reception in the five-star resort and the sauna only works with steam up to 60 degrees, which is also quite skin-friendly. Anyone who wants to help deprive Russia of oil exports must be able to do without. This is hard enough for all of us who have always assumed that a warm house and a warm outdoor pool are part of the basics of our lives. Of course, this affects our children even more than the vacationers who want to relax, as they have already suffered from the fact that there were no swimming lessons during the pandemic restrictions. Now, if they even have the chance to do a few swimming strokes, they probably also have to learn that it takes effort to jump into the water. To a certain extent, in the truest sense of the word, one can be responsible for this, but it should be kept within limits. The older ones will of course now say that they used to just jump into the Eisack or some pools or, like me, into the Loisach, which later flows into the Isar. But back then, indoor or heated outdoor pools were still an unimaginable luxury. Luxury has now become everyday life and of course we now want to defend this achievement. We fear for our prosperity. This is new and unpleasant. In Ukraine they fear for their lives every day. Three or four degrees less in the swimming pool is a cheap compromise, actually a tiny contribution that can be expected of everyone. With or without swimming trunks.

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Cold shock in the swimming pool

The increased energy costs could soon mean that heated outdoor pools have to make do with lower temperatures than before.

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