(Matt Cohen)

Would Mayor Vince Gray follow in Tony Williams’ footsteps and kick off Memorial Day weekend and the opening of D.C.’s public pools with cannonball?

That was the burning question as Gray, joined by Department of Parks and Recreation acting director Sharia Shanklin, Department of General Services director Brian Hanlon, and others officially kicked off pool season at the Fort Stanton Aquatic Facility in Ward 8 this morning. Having lost the Democratic primary election to Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser in April, this was likely Gray’s last chance to do a cannonball into a pool as mayor (at least, in a public forum). Unfortunately, Gray—clad in a suit that did not look water proof in the slightest—did not do that.

But Shanklin, along with DPR’s newly hired Director of Aquatics Tyrell Lashley, and several other lifeguards did partake in the ceremonial cannonball as Gray watched from atop a lifeguard tower. Tomorrow, D.C.’s 18 outdoor public pools, 19 spray parks, and four children’s pools will open for the public. Shanklin says that DPR has already hired just about 100 people to help operate the pools and says they’re looking to add at least 200 more for the summer.

Last year’s pool kick-off ceremony took place at the pool at the Harry Thomas Recreation Center in Eckington and, as Gray reminded everyone, it was a cold, rainy affair. The Fort Stanton Aquatic Facility was upgraded and reopened last July as part of the mayor’s and DPR’s initiative to upgrade many DPR properties in Ward 8. The Fort Greble Playground became Ward 8’s first spray park last summer and Barry Farm will get a new recreation center in 2015, as well as a new indoor pool, which will open this fall.

Stephanie Shook, product manager of the Red Cross, briefly spoke about the organization celebrating 100 years of teaching water safety and competency this year, to which Gray replied “my definition of water competency is successfully unscrewing the cap of this water bottle and taking a few gulps.” And he did.