CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — Ahhh, summertime. Long days, high temps, and Americans seeking respite from the sweltering heat. And is there anything more iconic than that signifier of moderate Midwestern success, the backyard swimming pool?
They’re fun, relaxing, and I don’t have one. Fortunately, I'm meeting up with a stranger who does. And with a few more weeks to get out there and enjoy these sunny days.... he’s letting me use his. At least for an hour.
Ben Colas has a lovely pool in Cleveland's eastern suburbs, and he's been using Swimply to rent it out to people like me since he bought his home a few years ago.
"[The platform] allows us [to use it] almost like an Airbnb for pools. So families, people, anybody who's interested in swimming has an opportunity they can come on over, run out the pool, have a good time."
Ben is just one of the many Swimply users listing his pool in Cuyahoga County. You can book anything from backyard getaway for a couple, to mini White Lotus experience for fifty of your closest friends.
Ben believes his pool has a few things going for it that contribute to its popularity on the platform
"People like the privacy that you have here. It seems to be very much appreciated by a lot of the families. And then they liked the floaties… basketball hoops, so families can have a great time here."
Ben graciously let me enjoy his pool, and it got me thinking about when I was a child, and how I was forced to play alone. It's a skill that never stops reaping rewards. I had a blast, and was well worth the rental time. But then it occurred to me, why am I spending money on this when I could be making it?
And so, I’d like to proudly announce the Mike Polk Jr. Aqua-Marine Funtime Experience. For a fee, you can feel like a kid again in my inflatable swimming pool, filled with sun-warmed water from my personal garden hose.
If it’s thrills you’re after, why not tempt personal injury on the Crocodile Mile water slide that I owned as a child? I think it still has all the pieces in the box, and I’ll try to remember to check for rocks and sticks underneath when setting it up.
And finally, for a small additional fee, why not wet your whistle with a bucket of ice-cold RC Colas.
So get booking, slap on the SPF, get out there and enjoy the last days of summer.