By Andrea Josic
The biggest snowstorm of the season hit Toronto Monday afternoon and seven Ryerson students were admitted to the hospital for hypothermia. The seven students are all members of a group called Not Cold™, whose only goal is to wear shorts all year round.
“I honestly wasn’t even, at all, cold,” said Chad Bradley, who was sent to the hospital after somebody on the streetcar pointed out the signs of extreme frostbite on his legs.
Environment Canada issued a snow storm warning for Toronto with “hazardous winter conditions” hitting the city Monday evening. The storm brought approximately 25 centimetres of snow to the Greater Toronto Area by Tuesday morning.
Despite this, Not Cold™ was still going strong well into the storm.
While universities, schools and business shut down and most people were indoors seeking shelter from the storm, the boys had just left home for their weekly Monday bar hop. Dressed in matching shorts and long sleeve v-neck shirts, they took Bradley to the hospital after he collapsed while they were walking to the bar. As soon as they got to the hospital, the doctors noticed signs of hypothermia in each member.
“It’s only because we took the streetcar. When I walk from my car to class I don’t feel the cold” said Aaron Connor, a biology major who insists he knows how snow and cold weather affecting bare skin works.
As soon as they got to the hospital, the doctors noticed signs of hypothermia in each member
The snowstorm was followed by a three-day stretch of extreme cold weather, with temperatures dropping to – 35 C with the wind chill Thursday evening. There’s something to be admired about the determination of the men who wear shorts in the winter.
Another member of the group, Jake Campbell, who fears his masculinity is at risk if anybody sees him wearing warm pants, thinks shorts are just comfortable. “If it gets too cold, we might put on a jacket,” said Campbell. “Otherwise we like to wear shorts and sweaters.
While the group says they aren’t affiliated with other men who wear shorts in the winter, sources suggest there’s a larger underground society of people who think they’re stronger than Mother Nature.
Not Cold™ has no official founder, and the members say they all met by chance.
“I was cracking open a cold one when I saw six other dudes doing the same,” says Christopher Logan. “Now we’re all buddies and hang out in our shorts together.”
With winter in full swing and the promise of spring is far, Not Cold™ has no plans to wear warm clothing in the near future.
“January’s almost over, February is a short month and then March is spring. It’s basically almost summer,” said Logan over a phone-call from the hospital.
Damon Stewart
I wear shorts bare legged in the winter because I feel comfortable and I take cold showers in the winter and wear 3layer on top and I’ve worn shorts this past winter and I’m going to do it again when theres snow on the ground.