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
Remember those nasty double back of the hand smacks you got on occasion.
Also, remember the guy that drafts off you so close he is constantly tapping your toes and feet like some annoying fly, but won't take the lead when confronted about it?
ABC Wide World of Sports.
I recall them broadcasting lots of swimming and downhill skiing in the mid 70's.
(Almost every weekend during the winter months.)
The agony of defeat ski jumper is forever burned into the memory banks.
Also, remember the guy that drafts off you so close he is constantly tapping your toes and feet like some annoying fly, but won't take the lead when confronted about it?
Our age group coach insisted that if the slacker in front didn't yield after a few taps...he should be yanked by the ankle...and pulled backwards and downwards...so you could swim right over them.
Can you say 1-800-LAWYERS? :D
Talking of ropes………
In the 1950’s we swam 220 and 440 yards in 33 1/3 yard pools. The final ‘touch’ was a spindly rope strung mid-air across the pool somewhere along its length. The timers and judges peered across this rope to determine when a body part crossed this virtual wall to determine the winner and time.
In the same era, in my backward part of the world, “swimming in circles” did not exist in training. If there were too many kids not to have your own (very narrow, unroped) lane, we did repeats in waves. I remember doing umpteen x 100 yards in 60 seconds with 60 seconds rest. While you had your rest, the other ‘wave’ was doing their 100.
Our first nylon suits were from Australia in about 1960. The make was “Sterling”, if I remember correctly. They were almost exactly the same as current nylon suits and would pass unnoticed today.
I remember shaving down for a meet in 1962.
Ian.
Remember those nasty double back of the hand smacks you got on occasion.
Also, remember the guy that drafts off you so close he is constantly tapping your toes and feet like some annoying fly, but won't take the lead when confronted about it?
I'll bet a lot of posters remember that annoying drafting guy (or gal) from this morning's workout in fact LOL! Somethings never change I suppose!
Newmastersswimmer
Talking of ropes………
In the 1950’s we swam 220 and 440 yards in 33 1/3 yard pools. The final ‘touch’ was a spindly rope strung mid-air across the pool somewhere along its length. The timers and judges peered across this rope to determine when a body part crossed this virtual wall to determine the winner and time.
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:
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!
In regards to lane ropes, I remember the hot dog floats morphing into the Kiefer cheese grater/skin removal system. When they broke or cracked great bodily harm soon followed.
The evolution of gutters has been interesting also.
Miles
Oh, the pink cards! I used to love to sit behind the blocks and fold it just right so you could make it move like a mouth. When I "outgrew" that (ha ha) I used to slip it in my swimsuit, usually on my hip, so it hung out "cool". Others were way more cool than me when they'd slip it into the strap on their shoulder. :cool:
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:
That's right. Most meets had a "marshalling area" with folding chairs set up by heat and lane and the heats were actually organized there. FINA Worlds used the same concept except it was all pre-seeded.
These are some of the things I remember from my high school years in the late 60s:
Some pools had no blocks so backstrokers would start with the aid of two buddies. They would grab the ankles of one of them who was standing close to the edge but facing away from the pool. The swimmer would use the ankles to pull himself up for the start. The second one would lock arms with the ankle guy to stabilize themselves.
Ceilings so low, that if the diver hit it, he had the option of a re-dive after seeing his scores.
Having lap counters for the 200 free.
Four of us racing in a 3-lane 20-yard pool. Very tough for breaststrokers and flyers.
Kids from the 20-yards pools coming to our 25 yarder and complaining because the pool was so long
160-yard relays
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