Aspiring mermaids in Edmonton had the opportunity to flap their fins on Saturday.
The Aqua Mermaid School in Edmonton held a special re-opening party at the Christenson Centre at MacEwan University after the Edmonton chapter was purchased by new owners in 2017.
“It’s all ages seven and up, and the only prerequisite is you need to be able to swim, you need to have knowledge of how to swim,” Aqua Mermaid Edmonton owner Ameena Kadri said.
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Aqua Mermaid is a Canadian company that started in Montreal several years ago after “mermaiding” gained popularity.
Swimming in a skin-tight suit and mono-fin requires abdominal and leg muscle strength.
“It works out your entire body, all while living out your mermaid dreams,” Kadri said.
“We teach the dolphin kick, that’s our main technique and then we do variations from there.”
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Kadri said she started the Edmonton school because she’s always had a passion for swimming and the Little Mermaid.
In 2015, Edmonton banned fins at its city-run public swimming pools, fearing the swimwear might endanger swimmers.