International Mankini Challenge

The relationship is not immediately obvious I hear you say. Ireland is known as the home of Guinness, liberal drinkers and happy friendly and outgoing people. The United Arab Emirates, better known by some of its member states (e.g. Dubai), is known for being a religious country where the drinking of alcohol is frowned upon (and therefore restricted to hotels in Dubai). So what’s the answer? They are, of course, the latest locations that have been mankinied as part of the International Mankini Challenge!

As a dare Mark Dunne was bet by his friends to run down busy Grafton Street in the heart of Ireland’s capital, Dublin. As the four minute video below shows, Mark won the bet! It seems he made some friends on the way too!

A great effort by Mark who is keen to mankini some other locations in Ireland and beyond. I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of Mark in the luminous lycra dental floss!

Our first Middle Eastern mankiniing of a country has been achieved by an old school mate of mine, Stu Field. As Stu told me “the photos are taken on the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah in the Emirate state of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, with the famous Burj Al Arab 7 star hotel in the background, the world’s third tallest building. The others were taken at the top of the ‘Leap Of Faith’ water slide in the Atlantis Hotel Water Park also on the Palm Jumeirah. This is an almost vertical open waterslide that changes once you have descended 90ft, feet first, into a completely clear tube which runs through a tank of sharks and rays and out into a plunge pool.”

I haven’t see Stu in over 14 years and when I asked him why he did it he said “it was the first holiday that I’d had after you put the damn fool idea in my head! Seeing your pictures amused me! Though I have to admit it scared me somewhat to do this as this sort of behaviour is something that police arrest for in this Islamic state although they are slightly more relaxed her than in some other UAE states!”

Great work Stu. As you say, it takes a lot of guts to do something like this. Some people may think we’re exhibitionists, but the truth is that for the most part we’re scared to death. The attraction of what we all agree are unsightly photos at the best of times, that don’t really show any of your best side, is the amazing adrenalin rush from the danger and risk of it. I’d like to say it gets easier the more times you do it, but it doesn’t!

Click here to see Stu Field’s mankini pictures in Dubai.

Keep the pictures and videos coming everyone. That’s an amazing 23 countries in total mankinied to date. Great effort by all involved but I can’t help but suspect that there are more pictures and videos out there that haven’t yet been shared with us…