They don't wear skimpy swimsuits, but they get the job done
From 1902, various county councils around sydney they started to lift the ban promoting -gradually- the bathe in the sea . However, over the years, history seems to have vindicated the role of William Gocher -owner of Newspaper from the seaside town of Manly - as the hero who got abolish laws that today seem absurd.
In 1902, Gocher challenged the police bathing in broad daylight. The businessman, quite bravado, urged the authorities to stop it , something they finally did third dip . However, charges were never filed and, in reality, his was more an exercise to promote your newspaper than an anti-system feat, since other neighboring beaches such as Bondi Beach They began to allow day bath. Of course, the bathing suits should cover from neck to ankle You couldn't even show a knee. Imagine what a scandal it would be in Victorian Australia!
How much indecency...!
But as Uncle Ben used to say to Spiderman With great power comes great responsibility. With a relaxation of the laws, more people dared to bathe in the sea, ergo, increased problems ! Without thinking too much, several volunteer surfers began to save those who found themselves in trouble in this new environment. In 1903, the Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club , “the first in the world”, followed by that of Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club , in 1907. Keep in mind that the Australian coast extends along 36,000 kilometers, which include some 11,500 beaches, more than any other nation in the world. And in that extension is concentrated the 85% of its population.
Despite some strange beginnings, Australians have a very intimate and special relationship with the sea. Therefore, today they have 300 lifesaving clubs and more than 160,000 members who patrol the coast every day, protecting bathers from the waves, treacherous currents, sharks and other threats such as box jellyfish; the deadly box jellyfish.
In fact, many still remember the Black Sunday of 1938 , during which three giant waves They shook the beach of Bondi Beach (Sydney). That day, volunteers and swimmers tied ropes around their waists and saved more than 200 lives. And another curiosity: lifeguards on the north coast of Australia for a long time They wore stockings to protect themselves from the deadly graze of the box jellyfish, which measures one cm. It was the 70s, and that ingenious fix was key when developing swimming suits of lycra that nowadays we all use.
Here they can save your life
And if there's one thing Australians are proud of, it's your lifeguards . Anyone over the age of 15 can apply. tests to be. In addition, there are nippers o “little lifeguards”: children between 7 and 14 years who participate alongside expert lifeguards to prepare for the future. See them to surf on beaches across the country with their colored hats and those huge lifesaving boards, it makes you think the next generation of lifeguards is more than guaranteed.
But if we think of lifeguards, the image that comes to mind is that of Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff running in slow motion Malibu , with those red swimsuits to match the float. Oh, the nineties! And although the plots focused more on what happened outside the sea, they left us rescues that were recorded in the common imagination.
But if you're one of those who misses Baywatch or you want to see real action, you can get hooked on reality/documentary Bondi Rescue . Just like what happened with Vet to the Rescue , Australia's coolest lifeguards have his own show. They have been broadcasting what happens for 12 seasons and n the most popular beach in the country, and I assure you that what you see on the small screen is totally true . In fact, I should go over the chapters, because more than once I've been on the beach with the entire film crew. Once I even had to be staffed by Corey Oliver -one of the program's veterans-, when vilely attacked by various jellyfish “Portuguese caravels” .
Although undoubtedly the tourist rescues who are dragged by “backpacker stream” (backpacker's rip) are usually the central theme. If you want to see what life is like in one of the most famous beaches in the world , spot the occasional shark, surfers and beach fauna in general, Bondi Rescue is your show.