Have you ever heard of mermaiding?
It combines a fond of the mythical underwater creature with the core strength of swimming with a tail made of industrial grade plastic that brings your feet together to create one fin.
While largely popular in the United States and along coastal communities, Koarin Burke decided in 2017 it was time for Prince George to take up the art and co-founded a club based on his upbringing in swimming with mono-fins.
Today, the group is known as the Northern Pod Merfolk, who, before COVID-19 closed the Prince George Aquatic Centre, met together once a week to transform into mermaids and mermen, take part in physical exercises with mono-fins and engage in what Burke now calls ‘a second family.’
“It’s humbling more than anything,” said Burke in an interview with PrinceGeorgeMatters about the local mermaiding community, which he says has grown to nearly 25 members.
“I was always really shy; I wouldn’t really do anything I would consider necessarily crazy or spontaneous growing up, especially in high school. When I swam with my fins down [in Vancouver], none of my close friends knew about it. I kind of made it a passion project and it’s incredibly humbling. Thinking of what I’ve started so far, I’ve been grateful for the opportunities.”
Burke learned how to freedive with a mono-fin when his family lived near Vancouver’s coast.
When the decision was made to move back to the northern capital, he lost that connection of swimming in an ocean, but still wanted to share his passion.
Following several trips to the Aquatic Centre and patrons taking notice of his skills, the mono-fin gained attraction and the idea of creating a mermaid’s tail came to light in providing an avenue to teach other local swimmers.
“The fins are heavy,” he explained, noting it took four years to master the mono-fin but building up to that level of strength has its physical health advantages.
“Not many people actually realize how much more strength it takes because we’re naturally designed to swim with two feet. When you put your feet together, that weight and all that extra energy that comes through your body up and down when you undulate like a dolphin, it’s all in your core.
“When you’re in a mono-fin, that same amount of force is completely spread across your body. If you’re swimming with your arms out to the side, your entire body is one working muscle, so not that many people can simply jump in and do it right away. Some people have been in our group for months and they’re still trying to figure it out, so we give that warning in advance because it does take time.”
Burke says, stereotypically in comparison to bigger clubs in B.C. and across North America, mermaid clubs are mainly female-dominant, but describes the Northern Pod Merfolk club as very diverse with lots of people starting to take interest.
“Our Pod doesn’t care what you’re body type, if you’re female or male, tall or short, if you have a love for the oceans and you have a love for swimming, adapting yourself and learning a little bit more, come join us. We’d be more than delighted to swim with you.”
As a result of COVID-19, the Northern Pod hasn’t been able to meet up regularly.
Until they’re able to hop in the pool again, Burke says he’s been trying to come up with plans for the group’s future, which, in connection to the mermaid’s story, has a big emphasis on environmental conservation and community work.
“We are on the mighty Fraser River, so whatever gets dumped into here will most likely get emptied out into the ocean anyway,” he said.
“We do care for the ocean because if we were 100 per cent mermaids, that would be our home, but I’m more concerned about what we can do locally because we can definitely find a limit to the number of trash flowing going down our rivers. At least we can chop down a lot of the stuff that we’re potentially dumping out and flowing towards the ocean.”
Regardless of what happens moving forward, Burke is confident local mermaids can build on its family and showcase the artform to the region at future events.
“I want people to express who they really are, I want people to experience being a different creature for a while.”
For more information on the Northern Pod, you can visit its Facebook page.
