Does Ironing Leave You Flat?

Fri Oct 06 20:30:42 EDT 2006
I have a few confessions to make. People who know me might say they're
shocking, given my can-do attitude and love of all things organized.
But I digress.

1. I can't drive stick. Never could, never will. My dad had a near
heart attack trying to teach me on his beloved 'vette (you probably
don't blame him until you learn his 'vette is a Chevette, not
Corvette), and my high-school friend Glenn and I were chased out of
the supermarket parking lot by the cops before I even learned what the
clutch does.

2. I don't know how to use Excel very well. But I like all the neat
rows and columns it makes.

3. I can't iron. Unlike driving a manual car and creating a
spreadsheet, which I think I could master with practice, I can't, for
the life of me, get the wrinkles out of a shirt. In fact, the more I
iron the more creases I manage to put in. And how the heck do you get
the sleeves over that wide ironing board?

Given three hours and a glass of wine, I could likely manage a pretty
decent looking handkerchief or pillowcase. My friend Karen said I was
using the wrong tools and suggested I buy a Rowenta, which I dutifully
did. I'm still pathetic, but I add crisper wrinkles faster.

So upon doing a Google search for ironing, I was surprised to find out
there are not only people who like it, there are people who like it so
much they combined it with daredevil moves and made it into a sport.
It's called extreme ironing. I kid you not: 80 people competed in the
world championships in Munich in 2002.

Started in 1997 by some bored knitwear factory worker who calls
himself "Steam," extreme ironing combines the exciting world of
extreme sports with the boring world of domestic ironing. Enthusiasts
lug their gas-powered irons and their ironing boards on hikes, climbs,
and even under water with special equipment to get their laundry done
while thrill-seeking. I guess you don't have to steam your sheets when
they're soaking wet? Next time you set up your ironing board, grab
your surf board too. We may see you at Munich, 2006.