For a few proud months Tutukaka divers were world champions _-underwater ironing world champions.
Last September 15 divers descended to 29 metres and set about ironing ordinary clothes - such as tee shirts, uniforms and ... a G-string. Their feat earned them the world record for underwater ironing.
Extreme ironing started in
the UK in 1997 when founder Phil Shaw did a spot of ironing while rock-climbing, thus combining the "thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt".
Extreme ironing has been performed at Mount Everest base camp and people have run with ironing boards and irons in marathons. The depth record for underwater ironing is 101m.
But a little over a month after the Tutukaka extreme ironers claimed the record, wouldn't you know it, 43 Aussie divers came along, and in the extreme ironing equivalent to underarm bowling, took the world record by ironing - in only three metres of water.
Dive Tutukaka sales and marketing manager Kate Malcolm said a fresh attempt on the record was planned for early May.
She said she was "pressing" the extreme ironing governing body to set rules and guidelines for the attempt.
"We are suggesting that the rule for measurement of extremity be the depth multiplied by the number of divers.
"For example, 14 divers at 29m is 406. Forty three divers at 3m is 129. Hence our record beat the Australian one."
She was not sure how many ironers would take part in the next attempt. "The more the merrier," she said.
