Bald Quebec swimmer fights mandatory swim cap rule
Yann Marcotte is a bald man. And an amateur competitive swimmer. He also hates wearing a swim cap. For many years, these things worked out well for the Montreal-area man. He lived his aquatic life in peace, the wind and waves flowing past his hairless head without controversy.
But recently, things changed. In what seemed like an overnight about face, Marcotte's local pool in Sainte-Julie, Quebec began demanding that he wear a swim cap. Marcotte has refused to adopt the new requirements and his decision prompted local police to personally escort him from the aquatic centre.
Marcotte spoke to As It Happens host Carol Off about his upstream battle protesting the new swim cap regulation.
Carol Off: Yann, what's your problem with wearing a swimming cap?
Yann Marcotte: Because I go to the Sainte-Julie pool since 12 years ago now and on the same time, I'm a bald man…
(At this point Carol mishears Marcotte)
CO: (Laughs) Why are you a bad man?
YM: No, not bad, bald...I have no hair…(Laughs)
CO: You're a bald man. Bad man is a totally different thing. You're bald.
YM: But some people will tell to you I'm a bad man but it is not true.
CO: I understand that you've actually been escorted out of the pool by police. So you might be a bad man?
YM: Exactly. I swim without swim cap. The managing director of the pool changed the regulation. He asked everybody with hair or no hair to put a swim cap. Because I refuse on the first time to put on the swim cap they call the police to the pool. It's the first time in 15 years they receive police at this place.
CO: Did the police take you out of the pool?
YM: The police was very apologetic about this because he don't want to make intervention. Because when he see the situation he said, 'That's a crazy situation.' When he came to see me in the pool he only asked me to go out of the pool and I don't make objection. I was not arrested and the police go back right after this.
CO: When the police got you out of the pool what did you think you had done wrong? What crime had you committed?
YM: When the police advised to me, stop to swim, I asked to the police if I had made over speed swimming in the pool. He said 'No, it's because we received accounts because you don't have a swim cap.'
CO: When the police told you that what did you think?
YM: I think it's really ridiculous because the police have better things to do than make intervention for a bald man like me without a swim cap.
CO: You're completely bald. No hair at all on your head. And yet they would say you have to put a swimming cap on top of that head?
YM: Yes. The regulation is ridiculous in my case because they give a reason for hygiene, the quality of the water. I have no hair that I can lose in the water.
CO: I know you love swimming, this is something you do. You are an amateur competitive swimmer. Will you agree to wear the swim cap if you have to?
YM: I would like to get other solution about it because I'm a swimmer. It's my favourite sport but now I can't continue to practice this sport since several months because of this new regulation. I would like everybody to make a reflection about it. Instead, I think we can do something.
CO: What we'll do is we'll put up a picture of you and the people can see for themselves. Then they will know you're a bald man -- not a bad man.
YM: (Laughs) Exactly! I'm a bald man -- not a bad man!
This interview was edited for length and clarity. To hear the full interview please see the audio link above.