England - London - Diving into the Serpentine.

A pair of awkwardly splayed legs disappear into the cold, murky waters of the Serpentine Lake in London's Hyde Park. Having just dived head-first off a platform that juts out into the lake, the person is half in and half out and the splash is frozen in time. He or she is in incopetent diver with such ungainly plunge into the waters. It is otherwise a quiet moment. The water is largely undisturbed apart from the dive and buoy markers float to for a boundary line to keep rowing boats and bathers apart. This bathing area is where the normally busy Serpentine Swimming Club have the use of this Royal lake known as Lansbury's Lido. It is now normally open only in the summer, but one traditional event occurs each year on New Year's Day, when the ice is broken and brave bathers dive into the cold waters of the lake. The Serpentine will be used for the swimming leg of the triathlon at the London 2012 Olympics. The Serpentine gets its name from its supposedly snakelike, curving shape. It was formed in 1730 when Queen Caroline, wife of George II, ordered the damming of the River Westbourne and other natural ponds in Hyde Park.

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download

Filename: RB-0191.jpg
Copyright: Richard Baker
Image Size: 4096x2631 / 927.7KB; Richard Baker photographer England English Britain British London Serpentine swimming club Hyde Park Kensington Royal snakelike dive splash wake water ripples boating row boats boundary buoys platform jetty half-way 50/50 50% half-in half-out stunt playing disappearing murky head-first bathing swimming lake 2012 Olympics 2012 brave bravado pond tradition traditional timely historic history technique style splayed method skill aptitude expertise incompetence unattractive awkward headlong leap submergence plunge inept careless ungainly human figure humor humour light-hearted funny
Contained in galleries: Richard Baker - All pics

A pair of awkwardly splayed legs disappear into the cold, murky waters of the Serpentine Lake in London's Hyde Park. Having just dived head-first off a platform that juts out into the lake, the person is half in and half out and the splash is frozen in time. He or she is in incopetent diver with such ungainly plunge into the waters. It is otherwise a quiet moment. The water is largely undisturbed apart from the dive and buoy markers float to for a boundary line to keep rowing boats and bathers apart. This bathing area is where the normally busy Serpentine Swimming Club have the use of this Royal lake known as Lansbury's Lido. It is now normally open only in the summer, but one traditional event occurs each year on New Year's Day, when the ice is broken and brave bathers dive into the cold waters of the lake. The Serpentine will be used for the swimming leg of the triathlon at the London 2012 Olympics. The Serpentine gets its name from its supposedly snakelike, curving shape. It was formed in 1730 when Queen Caroline, wife of George II, ordered the damming of the River Westbourne and other natural ponds in Hyde Park.