Brush with fame because of swimming stories

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:28:40 GMT

gigi My connect with Buster Crabbe was not so many years ago. I got a call asking if I could organize some guys to take an outrigger canoe off the Kihei, Maui coastline early the next morning to scatter some ashes, a service we provided free to any who asked. This was a no frills affair, no minister, no music, no flowers, with just a couple of people in attendance. Only after returning to the beach was I told that the "guest of honor" was Buster Crabbe. Now THAT is an honor and "cool" (I'm at a loss for a better word)! I'm 39 and certainly know that name.:applaud:

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

srcoyote — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:21:43 GMT

Make that colleges. She spent two years at Stanford and two at Texas, if I recall correctly. Wow, the second was USC actually. I missed that transfer, I was gone by then, and my friend was no longer trying to pick up models.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:46:08 GMT

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

knelson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:51:49 GMT

I seem to remember she chose a good college in a good location. Make that colleges. She spent two years at Stanford and two at Texas, if I recall correctly.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Chris Stevenson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:45:52 GMT

It wasn't the college swimmers, it was the college and location. :) Having lived in both Gainesville and Knoxville, I'll take the former any time. But it IS true that Knoxville is much closer to Dollywood.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:27:56 GMT

That reminds me: when she was on a recruiting trip to U of Florida, Janet Evans joined us at our masters practice at in Gainesville. That was pretty cool. I guess she was less impressed with the college swimmers than with us, since she didn't become a Gator. It wasn't the college swimmers, it was the college and location. :)

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

__steve__ — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:52:09 GMT

This was several years before I started swimming (2005) but I met the Orange County Chopper gang at the hotel pool in Aruba. Afternoons, the wife, kids, and I would hit the resort pool and hang out, and so would Paul Sr and Jr, and some others with him. We didn't plaster them with the behavior I figured fans might have with a celebrity present, just several polite conventional words each day and then my wife and I made an extra effort to ignore their presence. I figured since there weren't too many Americans there they were probably enjoying the peace. This was pretty much it for my brush with fame, but I learned Paul Sr. was a very nice and respectful person.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

srcoyote — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:24:34 GMT

It wasn't the college swimmers, it was the college and location. :) I seem to remember she chose a good college in a good location. I met her briefly when one of my friends was trying to pick up her Mexican model room-mate.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

gigi — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:11:06 GMT

In the early 70's I was at an AAU meet in Watertown, NY that had some masters events which my little buddies and I thought was just hilarious! Look at the old people swimming...hoooo hoooo hahaha! I get a taste of my own medicine when I go to my annual Bay State Games swims now, so the engine of karma is in full swing. Anyway one of the masters swimmers was Buster Crabbe - a gigantic film star in his day - millions of westerns and tarzan and sci-fi movies. He was just another old guy to me, but the adults were agog. And quite a dish in his younger day...see attached photo. That's all I've got..that I can think of now, anyway

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

swimmj — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:42:03 GMT

Make that colleges. She spent two years at Stanford and two at Texas, if I recall correctly. Sounds right to me. She was on my swim team growing up, so I remember her as a 6 year old, often winning 8 and under races and in tears if she didn't PR. I'm quite a bit older, but my younger sister babysat for her and her 2 brothers. My dad still sees her dad regularly so I get to hear updates about her and her brothers. Nice family and all three of them were good kids and teammates.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:15:53 GMT

I was attending the Southeastern Zone Meet back in the mid 80's. I was 18 and seeded first in the mile. I had a lifetime best but placed second to some 13 year old in the lane next to me named Jon Olsen. He smoked me bad. As I remember, he turned out to be a pretty good swimmer. LOL...I had the opportunity to swim next to him several times....never got a chance to see much more than feet, and even that was only a few seconds!

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

knelson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:30:43 GMT

The grade school and high school I attended was full of guys and girls who ended up as Heroin Addicts, drug dealers, and a few murderers. Sounds like my wife. She says all her grade school classmates are either dead or in prison.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Chris Stevenson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:37:58 GMT

The swim this year is July 31, and the special guest is Janet Evans. That reminds me: when she was on a recruiting trip to U of Florida, Janet Evans joined us at our masters practice at in Gainesville. That was pretty cool. I guess she was less impressed with the college swimmers than with us, since she didn't become a Gator.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Patrick W. Brundage — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:10:51 GMT

Two of my distance swimming heroes.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Glenn — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:21:40 GMT

I was lucky enough to attend the Golden Goggles Award dinner in Los Angeles last year, but the seat they assigned me to was in Siberia. However, shortly after I sat down, Janet Evans sat on one side of me and Brian Goodell on the other. Lucky me.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:03:57 GMT

Thanks for the mini-review, and reminder! The swim this year is July 31, and the special guest is Janet Evans. I might try to hold out for more than a handshake when I get out of that lake. Even if it isn't cold. Even if I'm not DFL.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

ViveBene — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:01:48 GMT

I did a 2 1/4 mile "Race for Diabetes" across teal lake from Negaunee, MI to Ishpeming, MI two differnt years The first time I was in shape and the water was warm. When I got out of the water, though, there was no line for me to cross and no one official to let me know I finished or anything. I basically ahd to interupt people in converstaion to ask where to find towels and Gatorade. The next year that I swam that race, I was not in shape and the water was cold. It's in Michigan's upper peninsula and they know cold there. I think there might have been a little sleet during the race. I finished the 2+ hour "race" barely 48 seconds ahead of the sweeper kayak. There was guy on the beach who shook my hand. I really liked that. Partly because I knew I was done, but mostly because his hands were warm (probably at least 98 degrees!) I found out later that man was Mark Spitz. He didn't have black hair, nor a mustache, nor 4 gold medals hanging from his neck, so how was I to know? Thanks for the mini-review, and reminder! The swim this year is July 31, and the special guest is Janet Evans.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:00:58 GMT

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:41:42 GMT

This guy had been a swiimer as a kid. We all have things that happen in our lives, Chance meetings with even notorious people. When I was a cop on the beat, I was standing at the corner of King and James Streets in Hamilton Ontario. I was in front of the United Cigar Store. A fellow that I had gone to school with came up to me and said "Hi George." I asked how he had been. I had not seen him for a couple of years. I had arrested him in the past for running a house of ill repute. He told me he had just arrived back in town. He told me he had left Calgary 6 months ago and had moved to Charlettown PEI. He told me that after a month in PEI things were getting to hot for him so came back to Hamilton. We said our goodbyes. The next morning when I went on duty I found out that he had been shoot in the back while running down an alley. The guy who shot him had killed him because he did something to his wife. It was later found out that he was wanted in Calgary and Charlettown for Rape and a murder. The grade school and high school I attended was full of guys and girls who ended up as Heroin Addicts, drug dealers, and a few murderers.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:59:02 GMT

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Former Member — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:10:12 GMT

Prince Albert of Monaco is engaged to a South African Olympic swimmer, who will become the Princess. Cool. I met Prince Albert after a curse-laced tirade when I swam poorly in a 400 free. This was at a meet in Monte Carlo that we were invited to expense free on his dime for being runner up National Champs (Dynamo) in 1989. After people giving me the finger to the lips sign I turned around to see him standing right behind me.....all I could do was say "hello" and ask for a picture with him....which is now framed with my invite to his party after the meet.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

philoswimmer — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:57:04 GMT

I think this counts... when I was lifting weights in high school as part of my swim training, I used to work out at a gym where Bruce Springsteen also worked out. It was nice because no one bothered him or asked for autographs or anything like that. But one day both of us were waiting for the same machine, so we got to chat. :-) Probably my only brush with fame all together.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

swimshark — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:02:02 GMT

One of my former swim teachers from college (I received a large technical instruction in college, swim now in Masters 3-4 years later) actually ran into Michael Phelps during one of her daily jogs. She ended up going on a couple runs with him I guess. (That's as close as I get!) My trainer just got back from the USOC Training Center. She said shortly after she got there she was messing with her phone and almost walked right in to Michael Phelps. Guess we know were he is right now.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

Bobinator — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 01:47:39 GMT

I was Ron Artest's 1st grade daughter and 1st grade sister's (2 different girls) PE teacher! He used to come down to the gym every now and then when he was picking his daughter up from school. He was actually a pretty mellow and soft spoken guy during my encounters with him. This was before the Detroit altercation which lead to his demise in Indy.

RE: Brush with fame because of swimming stories

bzaks1424 — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:39:30 GMT