Florida Keys divers will sink to new depths to show the world that no one can iron clothes underwater like we can. Or, to be specific, to iron tea towels at a depth of about 25 feet.
A sub-aquatic squad of at least 87 divers is being recruited to take part in a May 1 bid to break the standing Guinness world record for underwater ironing.
This is an actual record, recognized by the Guinness World Records people, who have sanctioned an application from the Upper Keys Business Group to try for a new mark.
As it sounds, underwater ironing means having divers stand behind an ironing board, going through the act of ironing clothes or linens. Needless to say, burning the clothes is not a concern.
The tongue-in-cheek “sport” of extreme ironing “combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt,” the Extreme Ironing Bureau says on its Web site. Yes, there is an Extreme Ironing Bureau, established in 1997 in Leicester, England.
And now, apparently, there’s a Keys chapter.
“We’re the dive capital of the world, and this is our chance to prove it,” declared Sue Finney, an event coordinator for the Upper Keys Business Group. “When we learned the Brits have the record, we decided to challenge them.”
Planned as part of the Key Largo Conch Republic Days celebration beginning later this month, the attempt at a new underwater-ironing record “should get a lot of attention and media coverage,” Finney said.
To beat the record of 86 divers set by British divers in early 2009, the Keys crew must put more people in the water during a 10-minute window to, well, iron. The staging area will be the Christ of the Abyss statue at the Key Largo Dry Rocks.
“With the economy and tourism being down, this is one of the ways we can show we’re different from other areas and bring people in,” said Avery Chipka, a manager at the Silent World Dive Center, one of four local dive operations that have committed to the effort.
Divers who want to join the attempt, to be photographed and videoed, can sign up at a participating shop. The cost is $80 per diver, which includes tanks and weights—but divers should bring their own ironing board and iron.
No, the irons will not be plugged in.
http://www.keysnet.com/2010/04/06/206716/keys-divers-take-to-extreme-ironing.html
