This new thread occurred to me while reading posts comparing Spitz to Phelps, as well as reflecting upon mortality considering heart attacks etc. In swimming we immortalize individuals or teams for various feats or contributions, but do little to preserve a feeling for subsequent generations of enthusiasts about what it was like to train and compete 'back in the day'. Just what day am I talking about? Exactly: there have been many 'days' or more properly 'eras' that can be narrowly characterized by differences in equipment, distances swum and trained, coaching methods or more widely by larger factors: world war, global depression, racial segregation, inequality of the sexes. All of these can contribute to very different experiences than what are common today to the younger swimmer; hence, 'what was it like'. I visualize a thread that continues to be added to as new people read it and remember their own experiences. As well, experience can vary with national origin, not just era. There have already been posts on this topic scattered in various threads, please feel free to copy or quote material from them to here.
Please remember that this is not about how fast a particular swimmer was, but about the conditions that defined competitive swimming of that day.
We also have a priceless resource out there: aging swimmers in their 80's or 90's who may be less likely to read or hear of this thread; why not ask them for some of their memories or impressions and pass them on to us, while we still can?
Former Member
I remember from swimming in the floating pool at the Kelowna Regatta being able to see crystal-clear under the water (lake water) during the races and once spotting a rather large catfish swimming underneath me, great stuff to a nine year old!
I will pompously remind everyone that they have implicitly promised (well I promised for you) that they would quiz older swimmers that they know or meet and pass on any nuggets that they glean about earlier eras to this thread. And where's Skip? I was counting on him...
I remember the Jello boxes!!!!!! That was a staple for food at just about every meet growing up!!!! That and Pixie Stix.....pure suger!!!!! YAY!!!! Just about as good as Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs!!!! This was at AAU meets in So Cal back in the day. Anybody else from So Cal? Inland Empire Swimming mean anything to anyone? I swam for the Glendora Ducks under Coach Peterson!!!!!
No goggles for meets!!!!! That was a standard, always wore them for practice but couldn't wear them at meets. Warmed up without goggles to get used to that particular pools lane markings and walls!!!
The Big Halo around the moon or any other light after you got done swimming!
Diets!!! As a freshman at Glendora Hish School, we went to Redlands Invitational Relays (a big deal at that time) with prelims in the afternoon and finals that same night. Meals in the Redlands University cafeteria.
Our team was hot, so coach had us sit togehter (didn't we always?) and ordered for us. I will never forget: rare hamburger patty, white bread, and honey (to pour on top of the meat.) Things change =)
Well, anyway, turns out this is a Friday, and I am Catholic. I get it, and no big deal, but one of my friends (this is in the early 60s, remember) shouts out: "Mike!!! You can't eat that meat! It's Friday!!!" Of course he/s not even Catholic, but now that the cat is out of the bag, my whole table runs off to Coach with things lie, "Coach!!! Waht to do!!!"
Well, Coach Waggoner puts his arm around me and smiles (I'm lie, whatever, Caoch, lets just eat and get on with it) and says, "Michael, I know what your faith tells you, but I also know that it tells you to deal with whatever situation you find yourself in." (Where did he come up with that?!) So, "Gee, okay coach, I guess it will be okay this time."
So, we won, and the next day he drives me and another fellow down to USC and introduces us to Peter Dalen. He tells Peter, "This is my breastroker." Peter tells me, "Tell your father USC is interested in you."
This is strange, but I feel good about it. My father, later that evening, wants to know where USC is.
All the coments about not going under water during *** stroke brought back some memories. Rope lane lines w/ hot dog flotes when I was a litttle kid 7 - 8 yrs. The thing that has changed the most for me is that when I was a kid, swimming was what everyone did. There was some serious comraderie(sp?) with all of us swimmers. Now boys high school swimming has been consolidated into one of five city high schools?
Off my soap box now, the days of brittle chlorine ravaged hair, wearing 3 suits, officiallly for the additional drag, actually because individually they were transparent.
Starter pistols that fired blanks, whirlies, and team parties at the drive-in, or at the city pool I worked at and had the keys to let me and my friends in.
Got Boost
We even had rope finishes in summer league in the late 80s. In fact, I think they just stopped within the past year or so when they remodeled the pool. It was a 33 1/3 meter pool. If you were swimming a 25, you swam to the red flags. If you were swimming a 50, you swam down and back to the yellow flags. In both cases, the timers would lean over and try to judge it. Relays were generally 4 lengths (133 1/3 meters).
In AAU/USS before computers were used much, we had little pink (blue for the boys) index cards with our times on them that they used for seeding us. They would line you up in this huge line by heat and we always tried to hide our pink cards from the people near us so they wouldn't see our time. :laugh2:
I also have some interesting memories of swimming in the old Starlit Aquatic Club in Fairfax, VA. It was one of the only long-course pools in the area at the time. The roof dripped horribly and there were rats in the locker room. :eek:
Wow. That just brought back memories. I just recently returned to the pool (after a 20-some odd year absence). I was looking up masters programs in Norfolk when I came across this post about Starlit. I swam there under Holger Dietz and others from about 80 until they closed it down. Yep, a ton of fond (sic) memories of that nasty old pool. They heated the water from the shower water heaters...yep, took cold showers alot. I was glad the lawsuit shut that place down. After Startlit I went over to Solotar for a couple of years.
One of those 33 1/3 pools was the Greater Annandale Recreation Center (GARC) I swam, coached, and lifeguarded there for about 8 years. For relays, we'd switch the lane lines to the other direction (25yds) but there were only 4 lanes. Wow knockin the cobwebs off those memories.
I was on the Curl team from 85-86. Just after starlit was shut down I guess, but all the other swimmers were constantly talking about the place, and what poor condition it was in. What was the lawsuit about? And where was it located by the way, near Woodson H.S.?
Whoa! This thread just got bumped and I didn't have to do it...seriously, there are always new contributors to these forums, please throw in your memories; I am convinced that we are creating something worthwhile here. I still would like to hear more from the 50's and earlier, so corner those swimmers currently getting a round of applause at meets and pass on what you can glean from their memories. Social history is usually what does not last, drowned out by the martial prowess of the victors of various wars, this is precious stuff, so let's dig it out.
I was looking up masters programs in Norfolk when I came across this post about Starlit. I swam there under Holger Dietz and others from about 80 until they closed it down. Yep, a ton of fond (sic) memories of that nasty old pool. They heated the water from the shower water heaters...yep, took cold showers alot. I was glad the lawsuit shut that place down. After Startlit I went over to Solotar for a couple of years.
I swam for Starlit for one spring/summer, towards the end of Holger's tenure. My parents were living in the area briefly and Andy Wren convinced me to give it a try. Liked the swimming (despite three-a-days for a little while) but have the same memories about the pool. I remember swimming with tadpoles in the water.
It was also my first exposure to masters swimming (this was 1983, I think). I was hired to "coach" which was really lifeguard duty because all those "old" swimmers knew what they wanted to do and didn't want any coaching from me. Definitely on the other side of the fence now!
The DC area also treated me to the most miserably hot and humid summer I have ever experienced (and I lived in Florida for about 6 years).
I swam for Starlit for one spring/summer, towards the end of Holger's tenure. My parents were living in the area briefly and Andy Wren convinced me to give it a try. Liked the swimming (despite three-a-days for a little while) but have the same memories about the pool. I remember swimming with tadpoles in the water.
It was also my first exposure to masters swimming (this was 1983, I think). I was hired to "coach" which was really lifeguard duty because all those "old" swimmers knew what they wanted to do and didn't want any coaching from me. Definitely on the other side of the fence now!
The DC area also treated me to the most miserably hot and humid summer I have ever experienced (and I lived in Florida for about 6 years).
Andy Wren....that name rings a bell.
I remember those summers up there as well. I managed/lifeguarded/coached/taught lessons at a local pool in Annandale for 7 summers. Some of those days really stuck on ya! I agree it seemed hotter than when I lived in Melborne, FL.
