The best part of this meet was the Long Beach Grunions - one of the great examples of what master’s swimming can be all about. This meet, thanks to the Grunions, was beautifully planned and very well executed at every step of the way. When the meet was ahead of schedule on Sunday, and when a Grunion official was confronted with a swimmer who didn’t sign in on time the way he was supposed to (hey: I’m not naming names), the Grunions found a way to get the swimmer in the water in an open lane. How good is that?
The pool, I’m tempted to say, rivals the Grunions. But this isn't exactly true, though I do love to swim this pool. On paper, this is a great facility. You’re prepared to get over your first impression – it’s cold, there’s always a draft in the winter, and the racing pool is poorly lit. After all, this pool has so many stories. One of my 80-something friends – a fly swimmer of few words because he can’t wear his hearing aid in the pool – talked about the neighborhood years ago, and a younger competitor said, while we waited for our heat, that his father swam there in the 1960s (if I understood correctly – and who understands anything before a swim? - his Dad was planning to swim again in the SPMA meet). Although this remains a favorite for college and high school meets, and more, you should look beyond the first impressions.
209.85.173.132/search
Maybe you’ll have to cut and paste that link, it’s so long… but here’s the key passage:
"The existing pool building was constructed before current seismic codes were adopted and is in need of a major seismic retrofit. In addition, the pool infrastructure, including plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are old, worn, and inefficient. Financially, the facility has operated at a substantial loss for several years."
In plain English, the building needs to be replaced, and the pool is leaking buckets of water every hour – and would leak even more if the water table weren’t so high (which, in an earthquake liquefaction zone, offers no comfort).
The City of Long Beach, facing an era of limits, is wrestling with the economics of the pool and may not be in a postion to appreciate the value of a storied indoor pool on the beach. Regardless of what happens, I hope the Grunions keep on hosting this meet.
The best part of this meet was the Long Beach Grunions - one of the great examples of what master’s swimming can be all about. This meet, thanks to the Grunions, was beautifully planned and very well executed at every step of the way. When the meet was ahead of schedule on Sunday, and when a Grunion official was confronted with a swimmer who didn’t sign in on time the way he was supposed to (hey: I’m not naming names), the Grunions found a way to get the swimmer in the water in an open lane. How good is that?
The pool, I’m tempted to say, rivals the Grunions. But this isn't exactly true, though I do love to swim this pool. On paper, this is a great facility. You’re prepared to get over your first impression – it’s cold, there’s always a draft in the winter, and the racing pool is poorly lit. After all, this pool has so many stories. One of my 80-something friends – a fly swimmer of few words because he can’t wear his hearing aid in the pool – talked about the neighborhood years ago, and a younger competitor said, while we waited for our heat, that his father swam there in the 1960s (if I understood correctly – and who understands anything before a swim? - his Dad was planning to swim again in the SPMA meet). Although this remains a favorite for college and high school meets, and more, you should look beyond the first impressions.
209.85.173.132/search
Maybe you’ll have to cut and paste that link, it’s so long… but here’s the key passage:
"The existing pool building was constructed before current seismic codes were adopted and is in need of a major seismic retrofit. In addition, the pool infrastructure, including plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are old, worn, and inefficient. Financially, the facility has operated at a substantial loss for several years."
In plain English, the building needs to be replaced, and the pool is leaking buckets of water every hour – and would leak even more if the water table weren’t so high (which, in an earthquake liquefaction zone, offers no comfort).
The City of Long Beach, facing an era of limits, is wrestling with the economics of the pool and may not be in a postion to appreciate the value of a storied indoor pool on the beach. Regardless of what happens, I hope the Grunions keep on hosting this meet.
