The bathing suits fascinate me. Like, what's with the long legs? I suppose it's something aerodynamic, but don't you kind of miss the old Speedos - the kind with no Lycra, the ones we had back in the day, the kind you had to tie the straps together in the back with a shoelace because otherwise they were forever falling off your shoulders? Maybe that's part of my affection for the suits on the male divers - it's like what a bathing suit looks like in my mind's eye.
In 1972, when Mark Spitz won his seven gold medals at Munich (with no goggles and a mustache, by the way), he wore a red, white and blue Speedo - a patriotic pattern that became de rigueur at the pool we frequented. My father even had one. And all summer long, a pale freckled 10 year old boy we knew wore one of those iconic suits day in and day out - I think it was the only bathing suit he owned. By Labor Day, the sun had oozed through the white parts of the bathing suit, and his butt was tanned with stars and stripes.I always wondered how long it took for that tan to fade.
Thank you for the magnificent public laugh as I read this.
ReplyDeleteAh, the memories. I had star-shaped tan marks from a swimsuit one year. But wait, how do you know about the ones on that other kid? !?!
ReplyDeleteDad had seven speedoes. One might have been RW&B. And how long is Phelps' torso? What if we pulled that suit down one inch?
ReplyDeleteI don't remember a single San Diego boy wearing a speedo--board shorts have been it forever here. Unless, of course, you play water polo and then speedos are a point of pride.
ReplyDeleteI haven't caught much of the diving, but I'll echo what the queen wrote above about Phelps' long torso. That caught my attention.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the New Yorker link -- that was a hilarious read!
OMG! I forgot about that suit! Love the memories. And the tan lines. Have fun at Blogher!
ReplyDeleteI have been surprisingly distracted by the male Olympic swimmers this year.
ReplyDeleteHa, me too!
ReplyDeleteAlso hate NBC. Is there really nothing going on but swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball? I doubt it.
OK that's hilarious about the stars and stripes tan. And it brought up this memory: we were at the lake a few years ago, and there was a semi-rambunctious boat near ours filled with college aged people just having a good time.
ReplyDeleteOne guy, a redhead with that gorgeous creamy skin that redheads have, came up to the rail of the boat and stood there for a moment. He was wearing a black Speedo which contrasted quite nicely with his pale, pale skin. Then he did a perfect jackknife off the railing only to reveal the suit wasn't a Speedo but a thong. I swear his butt cheeks were like the moon.
My group speculated that he must have lost a bet to have to wear that suit when all his guy friends were in the more typical board suits, and then had to come up and get in the water while wearing it. Whatever the reason, he did it with flair.
I remember the lusciousness that was Mark Spitz. And since I'm more than a little fond of redheads, kitties story ^ makes my day.
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