The Serpentine Swimmers Club is a group of about 40 hearty
people of all ages and all walks of life who meet each weekend at an urban
lake in London's Hyde Park to swim and race in near-freezing waters.
British photographer Andrew Buurman swam with the group (once), and then
returned often to photograph these people doing what they feel driven
to do. The result, I think, is a remarkable testimony to the accomplishments
of people who willfully defy the deathly cold by celebrating their own
vigorous bodies, the joy of burning muscles, and the satisfaction of not
surrendering to aging bodies nor to the creature comforts of modern day
life.
Their "club" dates back to the late 1800s, and with the exception
of a few modern-day clues (such as the young mother posing with her infant
in a modern jogger's stroller), the photographs capture a timeless quality
of exuberance and pride and daring. One can easily imagine that the pioneering
members of the Serpentine Swimmers Club looked very much like their tribal
progeny of the 21st century.
— Jim Casper
FeatureSerpentine Swimmers ClubBritish photographer Andrew Buurman documents the hearty souls who swim weekly in icy London waters.View Images
Feature
Serpentine Swimmers Club
British photographer Andrew Buurman documents the hearty souls who swim weekly in icy London waters.
Serpentine Swimmers Club
British photographer Andrew Buurman documents the hearty souls who swim weekly in icy London waters.
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