Polo Mullet

It's starting to get hot again, and for those of us who can get a sunburn when we just go out to check the weather, special considerations must be made. For the planned outdoor activities a little sunscreen goes a long way. Respecting the sun has been covered in a previous blog, but what happens when you are caught unexpected?

In March, during an unseasonable hot spell, I found myself in this very situation at the Redlands Classic. I was wearing shorts and a polo, walking around the venue, people watching, hanging out, more interested in the scene than the race. I begin to notice that the skin on my neck, which is not quite albino, but the punch-line to many of my darker friends' jokes, is starting to feel like sizzling bacon. If you've ever seen me, you know that I'm not really a collar up kind of guy, but I've got to do something. Going down to the drugstore would be crazy, and let's be honest, show weakness. I realize that I am surrounded by cyclists, who if you didn't know, have chosen to throw conventional style sense to the dogs. This gives me the motivation to break out the polo mullet. Collar down in the front, up in the back. The softness of the polo knit makes this possible without looking like a disheveled mistake.

So there I was--business in the front, party in the back. I gave brief consideration to my scalp, less protected by my thinning hair than it was a couple of years ago, but just rolled the dice on that one and came out a winner. I am pleased to report that my polo mullet saved the day, resulting in no discomfort after the event. A t-shirt might have screwed me, but so far this warm season, it's Zak one, sun zero.