A Life Changing Event - By Al Mendez

    A Life Changing Event 

      By Al Mendez  

     May 1, 2018

                                                                                             

The year was 1975.  It was the beginning of my second semester as a junior at Laguna Beach High School.  The world and my world were quite different back then. The Vietnam War came to an end with Saigon falling to Communism.  There was an assassination attempt on President Ford; Jimmy Hoffa disappeared; the Altair hit the market - the first home computer, and Microsoft was founded.

I drove a 1969 VW bug and had just turned 16.  Like many other teenagers at that time, my world was fairly insulated from the goings on in the world.  My world consisted of high school, buddies, water polo, surfing, body surfing, girls, and more girls.  With no real direction in my life, one major event changed my life.

It was March of 1975 and I remember many of my friends were going to try-out to become a Laguna Beach Lifeguard.  Not being the best swimmer or student, for that matter, I really didn’t see myself as a lifeguard or being able to make the tryouts let alone the physical & medical training that was required.  But… as many things in my life, I was influenced by my closest friends.  They were all trying-out so I thought; what the hell— I’d give it a go.

The day was cloudy and cold.  I didn’t sleep well the night before because of my anxiety.  I got up at 6:00 AM to make sure I got to Main Beach Laguna well before the 8:00 start time.  Leaving my house at 7:00, I got into my VW bug and stuck my favorite 8 Track tape in my stereo… the song; Take Me To The Pilot, by Elton John:

“Through a glass eye your throne is one danger zone Take me to the pilot for control
Take me to the pilot of your soul”

 Actually, now that I think about it, that song was very apropos.  I was going way into the unknown… the danger zone, and I ended up meeting one of my best buds for life from that day who happened to become a pilot at age 18.  Anyway, I got down to the beach with plenty of time to prepare myself.  As I knew several buddies trying-out also, it was comforting for each of us to prepare together before we dove into what was the ultimate shocking experience – 49 degree water.

The scene was surreal. Seventy applicants ranging from 16 to 25 were all gathered in their Speedos. Many Laguna guards, from regular guards to the Captain & Chief, were there to orchestrate this event.  The classic Laguna yellow lifeguards jeeps were on the beach and the on-looking crowd seemed to get larger by the minute.  All of a sudden, the Captain, Jim Stauffer, yelled at the top of his voice, “Line-up, we’re 1 minute to the start.”

Nervous as can be, I lined-up with my pals to get ready to take the plunge.  The swim was about a 15 to 20 minute swim.  I didn’t want to be near the 20 minute mark as that was the cutoff time. Over 20 minutes and I was done.  No chance of making it into training… game over! “20 seconds to start”, Captain Stauffer yelled. Lined-up waiting seemed to be in slow motion.  The next thing I heard… bang! The start gun went off. Madness! I ran fast as I could into the surf with 70 other Speedoed applicants.

Thrashing in the surf, focusing at the task at hand but in somewhat of shock because of the cold water, I told myself to just swim and take no prisoners. Imagine many people scrambling through the surf to a point 100 yards off the beach.  A white buoy was the turn mark and it was hard to see from all the other swimmers around me.  Elbows, kicking feet, unable to get a rhythm, I just kept my head up (water polo style) and hoped for the best.

After rounding the buoy, the numbness started to set-in which was good because it disguised the unbearable needle piercing freezing water.  The swim was to a rock called Bird Rock which we had to touch, swim back again to the white buoy, and then back through the surf to the finish on the beach.  Knowing that the lifeguards were only taking approximately 40 applicants into training and then hiring maybe only 25 guards from training… I was really unsure of my chances. As I rounded the buoy I got into somewhat of a rhythm and charged ahead toward Bird Rock.

Touching the rock was challenging.  With many other swimmers ahead of me now surging the opposite way, the swells bounding on the rock, it was quite an effort and I just had to fend for myself.  Finally, I touched Bird Rock and was halfway home (now that I’ve probably swam the Bird Rock swim more than 300 times, it seems so natural.  That tryout day was my first “Rock Swim” as it later became commonly called and often swam as a regular workout).

After dodging the other swimmers still approaching the rock, I again settled down and only thought of getting into the beach and wrapping myself in my towel to warm up.

Heading back seemed to be quicker.  I hit the return buoy and thought to myself… well, I must be in at least the top 40 so I just may have a chance to make it.  Back through the surf I tried to body surf a wave to beat a few people directly ahead of me.  Finally, I caught a wave and passed a couple other swimmers.  I now touched the sand, struggled, and fought my way through the surf and up the beach as fast as I could to grab a wooden stick with a number on it.  Number 38!  I did it… I finished better than I thought I would and just possibly made it into the training program.

Now we had 2 more events to do; a run-swim-run and a buoy swim… which I ended up doing fairly well.  All my buddies did well that day also and we all had a great chance of making it into the 3 weekend long infamous “In-service Training”.

Unbeknownst to me that day, there was a 16 year old kid from Huntington Beach who came down to tryout by himself. This was the person I spoke of relating to the Elton John song… Take Me To The Pilot.  His name was John Brick and as did my Laguna pals, he also made it into In-Service Training where we really met.  That was the start of a lifelong friendship that has flourished for over 40 years.

In-Service Training... we’re not kidding around now! The tryouts were child’s play compared to what was ahead of us.  In short; this was one of the toughest and challenging tasks of my life.  Physically and mentally I was tested to the brink of collapse.

The water temperature that year fell to an all-time low of 47 degrees for training.  We were in the ocean often up to or over 30 minutes at a time.  Then once done with one of those swims, they had us take a written test for the medical training we constantly studied for over a 3 week period.  Shivering and unable to keep a pen steady, I struggled.  Once done with a test it was back in the water to swim another crazy masochistic physical test.

I remember hearing a story of the Chief and Captain (Baird & Stauffer) looking at a navy hypothermic chart to see how long they could keep us in the water without dying.  Stauffer being Stauffer, was heard giggling when we were in over 30 minutes and said; they should be dead by now.  True story!! 

Big wave rock training, medical practical’s, and more 47 degree water swims’.  Three weekends of physical and mental intensity!  It was Hell Week at least 3-fold...  In the end, I had done it!  I was number 18 in the hiring order that year and they were hiring approximately 28 new guards.  This was an achievement that I am very proud of to this day.  I believe my life would be very different had I not gone through this stage of my life.

I’m a lifeguard - “Every          girl’s summer dream”

Funny enough, the movie ‘Lifeguard’ came out in 1975 which was perfect timing for our 1975 classes... Rookies and regular guards.  Every girl’s summer dream was the tagline for the movie... perfect!

Now the fun begins.  The camaraderie, the dramatic lifeguarding moments (rescues, diver down, etc.), all wrapped upped in six summers (for me) of memories, stories, life altering events, and the formation of the Fearsome 5 (Brick, Patterson, Houts, Brunswick, and myself).  We are, to this day, the best of buds – often recreating Lincke/Ware Rookie workouts and of course always telling stories from back in the day. 

Life guarding to me was the ultimate life changing experience.  The responsibility and self-confidence at a young age, the bond of friendships, lifeguard competitions, pier jumps, the bum run (Dodgers/coach bus), and of course... the girls and the parties… La Bamba, Luau, Beer Drinking Contest, etc.

Mentors/legends… Bruce Baird, Jim Stauffer, Mike Dwinell, Art Smart, Charlie Ware, Billy Brown (BB King), Jack Lincke (Danger Jack), to name a few.  Concerts… Kiss, Doobie Brothers, Honk, etc... Those were the hot years!

I’ll end with this famous quote from an old Laguna Beach local Peanuts Larson:

“I’m not talkin’ about the way it was, just the way it’s never gonna be again.”

Fwd: a picture for you

Hello everyone,

Wendy's poem was a good clue into the life of the Brown Family.  This touching poem about her mother will offer more.  For those of you who knew the Browns you will be amazed to see what the house looked like when they first bought it.  Yes, this is the beginning of the Thalia St. house.  Fortunately Don was a good carpenter.

 So many have said they can't think of my Dad without remembering Mom as well.  Here is the poem I wrote for her the morning she passed.

FOR WILMA

BY

HER DAUGHTER

WENDY BROWN

June 18, 2003

I heard the doves Coo-Cooing

As my Mother passed away.

Out on the next adventure

At the breaking of the day.

It was such a peaceful sound

And it set my heart at rest.

I knew that she was really gone,

And that she was truly blessed.

Her life was pure and simple.

I never saw her mad.

She took good care of me and Bill,

And she really loved my Dad.

They tied the knot in '39,

And were married sixty-five years!

She stuck with Dad through thick and thin,

Through laughter and through tears.

She was the second of five siblings,

And they were all real close.

She was a real good sister,

And about her they all boast.

My Gosh! She sure could grow things,

And her yard was recognized

By our local Garden Club

Who gave to her a prize.

From succulents and cactus

To gladiola bulbs,

She grew a huge selection,

And nurtured it with Love.

2

She was quite a rock hound,

And liked to poke around

For special rocks and Indian stuff

Out lying on the ground.

Aunt Joyce got her started

Creating her mosaics.

She sold them at the Festival,

And had just what it takes;

To create things with her hands.

She made figurines in clay

Of all different kinds of animals

That she liked to give away.

She was a kind of second Mom

To a lot of kids in town.

They'd come frequently to visit,

And just liked to hang around.

I feel blessed to have my Mother

For all the years I did.

We made good times and memories

When I was just a kid.

From dancing class to stables,

To special shopping sprees,

Down to the beach at Thalia Street

To feel the ocean breeze.

She was there for all the special things

That happened in my life;

Recitals, proms, and graduation,

And when I became a wife.

She was a kind and gentle lady.

She was filled with lots of love.

She never spoke bad of anyone.

That's just the way she was.

And so the mourning doves came flying,

And took away my Mom

Upon their peaceful wings of Love

At the breaking of the dawn.

This is the note I sent back to Wendy.  I sent this to her, but I am now sending it to you.  

What is happening with and through you is why I am keeping people in touch with each other.  Because of you the history of Laguna that you know will be remembered and recorded.  Without the recording it will be as though it never happened once you die.  I did not do what you did so how can I remember.  Without you remembering and going to all of the work of recording your thoughts then all of it will be lost some day.  I  encourage you to stay on task and keep writing.

Dale

Here is another poem

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Wendy Brown
Date: Sat, Jul 29, 2017 at 4:38 PM
Subject: a picture for you
To: Dale & Marilyn Ghere <dmghere@gmail.com>


 Hi Dale,

This is the lot and garage at 449 Thalia Street that my folks bought from
Grandpa Hatch for $5,000.       These pictures are pretty funky.    My Mom
had them in a frame that was all taped together. I took it apart and
scanned these pictures of my humble beginnings.  My Aunt Betty may have some
as well.  She said the potty out back wasn't an outhouse, but wasn't part of
the garage either.  It was attached to the back of the garage on the
outside.

Yours,

Wendy
You have been sent 1 picture.

Laguna House.jpg

These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google.
Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/​

Fwd: Tryout photos

Hello everyone,

After I sent out the pictures that were taken by Mitch during the lifeguard tryouts I got a letter from Lynn Whitlock.  She is the wife of Scott and their son made it into the training group.  I asked her for a story from a mother's perspective about preparing to be a lifeguard.  She agreed to write something.  You can see her letter in the PDF file below.

I have included two other stories I have received about mother's who influenced their boys to become lifeguards; Davie Campbell and Charlie Ware.

As you enjoy these stories will you consider sending me one of your stories?

I hope to see everyone at Bill Sorrells' talk at the high school on the 25th.

Dale Ghere

guarded 1960-74

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lynn Whitlock <
Date: Thu, Mar 3, 2016 at 9:04 PM
Subject: RE: Tryout photos
To: Dale and Marilyn Ghere <dmghere@gmail.com>

Ok, Scott gave his stamp of approval and the attached is for you, ok to distribute if you want.  I passed on your message to Scott for him to write his own story, I hope he will do so.  He has told me wonderful stories.

 

To get the history/story correct review rights are perfectly acceptable.  You would not believe how many stories come with a variations.  Different people just remember different parts of the story.

 

On Feb 29, 2016, at 7:58 PM, Dale and Marilyn Ghere <dmghere@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Lynn,

 

Now that you have two generations with the lifeguards how about writing a story for me.   I keep trying to collect the history of our department that can only be provided by the people who are part of the community of guards.  No one can record the story for us.  We must write and record our own history.  How about writing something?

 

What is your son's name.  How old is he?

 

Here is a story written by another mother.  I hope this might inspire you to write a story.  Enjoy.

 

Dale Ghere

guarded 1960 to 1974

 

   A Mother's Perspective

  By Susan Campbell

2005

 

Lifeguards

When I was pregnant with my son, one of my favorite things to do was walk barefoot on the beach. The little life growing inside of me was as real and alive as the Sea. The movements I felt inside of me seemed to be in sink with the movements of the tide and the currents beside me. In me and beside me were life and beauty. One could not in a lifetime, experience the elation of those feelings, an expecting mother has.

Just after Davie was born, I'd try to work off those extra pounds by swimming in the ocean. My husband would sit on the beach with Davie, while I'd go for a swim. I'll never forget one afternoon when I came back to out little spot on the beach. I asked Don, "Where's Davie?" (He was only 6 days old) Don replied, "He's right here…can't you see him?"  "No!" I said, "I can't see him!"  Then Don pointed to the lifeguard tower and sure enough, there was my 6 day old son, wrapped up like a cocoon and resting at the bottom of a little Mexican bag and hanging from the lifeguard tower. The wind was rocking him to sleep and he was perfectly content. That's where Davie took his afternoon naps, until he out grew the little Mexican bag.

Only living two blocks from Rock Pile in North Laguna, made it easy for us to develop a pattern of walking along the beach. Part of our daily routine was to walk along the boardwalk, to the playground on the south side of Main Beach.   As Davie grew older, we'd go for treasure hunts; looking for sea glass and then cashing the glass in for ice - cream cones.

Davie grew up saying hello to lifeguards.  They became his friends at a very early age. One of the things I love most about Laguna is that you develop these casual "Friendships" over time. It's those little daily encounters with people that enrich our lives. How little those lifeguards knew, how impressionable they were to my little boy.

Davie eventually grew more interested in the ocean. The ocean was his backyard. On our way to El Morrow Elementary School, we'd have to stop first at Divers Cove to skim board.  I'd sit on the beach with my coffee, while Davie and his buddy Tanner would burn off some energy. I figured I was doing his teachers a service, by giving him this opportunity.

I gave him his first swimming lessons at the pool down the street from our home. He eventually took lessons locally and then joined the swim team and water polo team at the High School level.

I'll never forget the day he tried out for his first job as a lifeguard. The tryouts were on his 16^th birthday; you had to be 16 to try out. The day before tryouts, he and his Dad decided to do a practice swim. Don went out in the kayak with a stop watch and paddled alongside Davie. He completed the practice swim in the required time.   This gave him the confidence he needed, for the tryouts the next day.  On the day of tryouts, the swells were huge! As all the boys started coming in from their swim, my anticipation grew. Where is he? Then I spotted him…he was on the backside of a huge set a waves! Would he be able to ride in on those waves? Did he know what he was doing? He could swim but could he get in safely in surf like that?  He timed his run in perfectly and somehow seemed to dodge the dangerous swells. I realized then how perfectly in sink he was with the sounds and rhythms of the sea. He had an understanding of the ocean, which I had not realized until that day.

I still take my walks along the boardwalk, but not with my son. He's the guy I say hello to up in the Lifeguard tower.  He's the guy that now encourages and inspires other little boys to one day pursue the job as a Laguna Beach Lifeguard. He's the guy that can now give back, what was once given to him as a child.

The training he received helped develop him into a responsible young man. I will forever be grateful for the Laguna Beach Lifeguard Department and the Jr. Lifeguard programs.

 

Sincerely,

Susan Campbell

 

Davie Campbell lifeguarded from 2003 to 2007

​

My Mom Made Me Do It

By Charlie Ware

Guarded 1968-78

​     ​

When my folks decided to move to Laguna Beach in early June of 1965 with 5 children( 4 boys and an older sister), my mother knew we would sprint to the water as soon as we pulled into our new rental on lower Bluebird. No sooner than she dug out our swim suits we were running down the hill to  hit the sand and surf. No towel, no sunscreen (Sunscreen? Wasn't even invented yet) no hat, sunglasses, fins, snack money. Not a thing.  Just bare white skins and a bucket of energy and no clue. For the first few days of that first Summer it was all beach and water from early morning until hunger drove us home before sunset. If we didn't get home before the sun went down then dinner was given to the dogs my Mom would warn. " I'm no short order cook" she would demand. We would eagerly tell her what we did that day at the beach while we woofed down pil​es of family size meals. And with each tail, she got more and more alarmed. Needless to say, four young adventurous boys and a few friends could come up with stunts both in and out of the water that would make any mother shriek with horror. My mom was a American Red Cross swim instructor when we lived in Tustin and gave free swim and lifesaving lessons to the neighborhood kids. All she asked was a towel as a registration fee. Seemed we lost a lot of towels as we hopped from one neighborhood pool to the next. So, she quickly recognized the need for some real ocean training if we were going to survive our new playground. Back yard pool savvy wasn't going to cut it.

​     ​Then one morning she loaded us in the car and gave us each a towel and one check made out to LBLG Jr. Guard Program and dropped us off at Main Tower and said, "This is what you four boys will be doing until you come back with better respect for the ocean." "I'm not going to worry any more".  We had no idea what this twice a week summer camp meant, but took to it instantly. Dale Ghere, Jim Heardman, John Cunningham and others drilled into us all the subjects necessary to enjoy the ocean environment and learn basic lifeguarding skills as well. Fantastic fun and adventure too!!

​      ​The long and the short of it is, My Mom Made Me Do It. She introduced us to the world of lifeguarding without really knowing it and set in motion an envious lifestyle and indelible memories, that both enriched our lives as well as keep us safe and happy.

Thanks Mom,​

Charlie

Fwd: My Grandaughter and son-in-law at Chun's Monday

Hello everyone,

This is the first reply from today's letter.  This is the earliest start into the world of surfing I have ever seen.

Dale Ghere

guarded from 1960 to 1974

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mike Hartley <
Date: Fri, Jan 22, 2016 at 4:16 PM
Subject: My Grandaughter and son-in-law at Chun's Monday
To: Dale and Marilyn Ghere <dmghere@gmail.com>

Fwd: La Ticla

Hello everyone,

I just received this picture from Charlie.  Jeff T. has been on a surfing trip, in Mexico, with his 14 year old son for the past few weeks.  If any of the other waves are like this one then they must be having a great time.  There is something special for the father who can enjoy spending time with his children and/or grand children.

Here are couple of stories I wrote about my family.  Do you have a story to share?

Yes, I Know

By Dale Ghere

2000

Since 1960, surfing Lowers has always been one of my favorite spots here in southern California.   At Trestles I have had many days of outstanding surf to enjoy and remember.  It was one of the first places Kiwi and I would go surfing before we had to report to our beaches to lifeguard in Laguna Beach.  In those days it was not unusual to be there alone in the early morning dawn hours.  We would surf nearly every morning the surf was up because the Chief, Art Fisette, would allow us to be late if we went surfing before work.  The options were: show up on time and do a "rock swim" for time or go on a "dawn patrol" and come to work late and miss the thousand yard swim.  Art considered surfing good for developing strong waterman skills.  He always said that it would make us better lifeguards.

It was not unusual for me to surf before work, lifeguard all day at Saint Ann's Beach and then surf Brooks Street until dark.  Surfing evenings in those days was usually done someplace close to home.  This allowed us to eat quickly, take a long shower and get to bed early so we could get up before dawn the next day and repeat the cycle again.  

As the years have gone by I've always enjoyed surfing the early morning hours, but for some reason the late evenings have become a very special time for me.  There is something unique that happens for me as it begins to get too dark to surf, a feeling of peace and contentment.  It occurs between the time I get out of the water because I can no longer see the set waves coming and the point of total darkness.  During that time I am usually walking north along the beach at Trestles while watching the color of the sky change from a deep red, to purple, to black.  I enjoy this time of being alone and quiet, thinking about how fortunate I am to be able to spend another evening in the water.

As my son Ryan got old enough to surf, the evening surf sessions developed into a special event for both of us; something to anticipate whenever the surf was up.  To this day it is a time that we share and enjoy together.

There was such a night last summer that I always want to remember.  Ryan and I had a good evening of surf together.  It was glassy and warm.  The waves were not large, but they were clean and had good shape. I got out of the water one set before Ryan.  When he did finally make it to the beach we dressed and started walking up the beach in silence, enjoying the quietness.  We had not walked very far when Ryan said, "I can hardly wait until Matthew is old enough to surf.  It will be great to come surfing with my son."  I replied with, "Yes, I know."  We walked on in silence.

                                              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

seven years later

                                               ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the most awesome night of my life

By Dale Ghere

July 3, 2007

This is the summer of learning new water skills for all three of the boys. I wrote the

following e-mail to friends a couple of weeks ago.

The grandsons are ready to make this a beach summer. The two older boys just got

new skimboards. I gave Matthew (7) a pair of fins for Christmas and now he wants

to dive with goggles. He can already dive down and pick up shells from the bottom.

I will take him paddling on a surfboard this summer so he should be surfing small

waves by September. Ethan (almost 5) is willing to get his feet off the bottom now so

he will have to be watched more carefully this summer. He can spend hours diving

under waves. Carter (2) is still a sand lizard, but loves to explore the entire beach. He

is aware enough of what waves can do to stay out of trouble. He gets knocked down

once in a while, but he is not discouraged.

I believe that this statement is most true for Matthew. He is beginning to feel really

comfortable in the water, even when the surf is up.

The surf started building last Sunday afternoon so there has been some concern about any

of the boys getting in the water. Matthew is at the point where he could get in trouble real quick

if the wrong set of waves caught him in a bad position. Carter did get swept up by a wave on

Sunday and started getting pulled into the break. Fortunately the lifeguard just happened to be

walking by and quickly grabbed him by the arm and sat him down in the dry sand. That did not

make Tiffani or Ryan any too happy so there has been a restriction on the boys at the beach for

the past couple of days. With that comes an automatic restriction on Ryan because he can't go in

the water with the boys at the beach unless someone else who is trustworthy is there to watch the

kids. This has been hard on Ryan because the conditions have been almost perfect and getting

better by the hour. It is hard to be so close and not be able to go get a wave.

By Tuesday evening Ryan really wanted to get in the water. He asked me if I would go

and watch Matthew while he caught some waves. Tiffani was going to take the other two boys

with her to the market. Of course I said yes and we planned to run down after dinner, about 5:30.

The evening started out great and just got better as the tide continued to rise. The south

break at Oak Street was as good as it gets. Everyone had a good time. The surf was too big to

allow Matthew to go outside, but he found some friends his age to play within the shore break.

I am gladdened to see how confident he is in the water. Slowly he is building all the

skills that will allow him to enjoy the beach as much as his father has. Matthew's main limiting

factor now is his swimming skill. He still does not do freestyle. He does sort of a cross

between dog paddle and breaststroke. It allows him to explore the water and he is confident

going out quite far with me to go diving. As soon as he becomes a good swimmer his water

world is going to expand beyond anything he can imagine now.

After Ryan went surfing he took Matthew out on a boogie board. It was good to see how

well Matthew took diving under the large waves with Ryan. They managed to catch a few

waves. When they went in the water I decided to go body surfing myself. I had a grand time.

Warm water, good waves and a small crowd all made it just that much better. While I was in the

water Ryan went to the beach and put Matthew under the care of some other locals and told

Matthew to stay out of the water. Ryan and I had a great time catching waves together for much

too long. I should have quit earlier because I am sore all through my shoulders today. When we

went back in it was getting late and time to leave the beach. Matthew asked if he could jump

back in the water for a little bit. Ryan said okay and he was off in a heartbeat. After a while

Ryan called him to go so he came out of the water and got dried off. Then he dropped his towel

and said that he had to go back in the water one more time before we left. Ryan said to go ahead

and he ran away again. They played that game several more times before it really was time to

leave. By the time they quit the towel was so wet it did not do much to help dry him off.

Finally we headed for home as the sun was setting behind the horizon. As we crossed

Glenneyre Street Matthew reached over and took my hand and said, "This is the most awesome

night of my life grandpa. I had a great time in the surf with you and dad."

It doesn't get much better than that!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Charlie Gilbert <
Date: Fri, Jan 22, 2016 at 12:37 PM
Subject: Fwd: La Ticla
To: Ryan Ghere <

Check out Jeff T in Mainland MX (Just south of Manzanillo), got this yesterday, I think it was the morning sesh or just the day before! I saw him in Sayulita last week - what an area!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jeff Tresselt
Date: Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 3:43 PM
Subject: La Ticla
To: 

Hi , wish you guys were here. Can you please send this one to Jack. I cant get his email up on the screen for some reason

today is the day

Unable to show full message.
You can view it by clicking here

Blogger error code: 5438 (Mon Jan 18 16:16:49 ART 2016)

a wave that is going to change the world of surfing

Hello everyone,

Take a look at this new wave machine.  I think this is going to take the world of surfing in a whole new direction.  Now every surfer can be presented with exactly the same wave during competition.  Skill on the wave will be what counts, not luck to be out when the waves are good.  Now each wave will be perfect.  This is an incredible.

Google ---------    KSWAVECO.COM

You are in for a treat.

Dale

Re: Lifeguard story - Dean Westgaard

Good morning everyone,

Here are two replies to my Westgaard story.

Dale Ghere

guarded 1960 to 1974

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Wed, Sep 2, 2015 at 12:23 AM
Subject: Re: Lifeguard story - Dean Westgaard
To: Dale and Marilyn Ghere <dmghere@gmail.com>

In 1968 I went to the North Shore to surf for the second time.

It was an interesting time to be there. I considered myself a waterman, having swam and played polo for four years in high school, and surfed at the Huntington Beach Pier since I was 9.

My friends I was staying with on Ke Iki Rd woke me one morning telling me that Sunset was perfect. We gotta go now. I'd surfed Rocky Point, Chun's, Laniakea, etc. never Sunset.

We got there about 9am. It was perfect. About 10 feet and clean. We paddled out,  and I had an 8ft gun that my boss at the time, Joey Cabell had given me. (Joey is still my good friend, and lives several blocks from me in Honolulu). 10 feet Hawaii is a little different than 10 ft Trestles, which was the biggest wave I'd previously surfed.

Anyway, I stroked out into the lineup and as soon as I got out there, the waves began to pop. Within 20 minutes, the waves went to 20 feet. I'd try and take off, but  I'd look down that face and the guys that were scrambling up that face looked like ants. Plus, it was popping and I didn't want to get caught inside. I was scared shitless.

All my friends had already gone in. A couple of them were standing on the top of the car waving at me to come in. I thought to myself that this is really embarrassing. I've been a waterman my whole life. I'm at least as good as the rest of these guys out here. No matter how big the next wave is, I'm gonna take it. 

It was about 20ft. Got to the bottom, started my turn, my fin popped out. I got totally tossed.

We didn't have leashes. When I finally got to the surface (seemed like a minute, probably 10 seconds), I was alive. It wasn't so bad, and my board was 5 yards away. Surfed for another half hour.

Next day, a little smaller, but still really good. Plus now I'm the Master of the universe.

Surfed for about 2 hours, and caught an inside shore break wave on the way in. Not paying attention, trying to show off, and went over the falls on about a 10 ft wave. 

I landed feet first in about 3ft of water. My left leg bent the right way. My right leg bent the wrong way. Destroyed my knee and tore all of my cartilage. Flew back to the mainland, checked into Hoag Hospital and was told "they would try to save my leg", because of hitting the reef, I had also gotten phlebitis. 

I woke up from surgery with a cast from my ankle to my hip. The doctor came in and told me I should be grateful that they were able to save my leg. But my surfing days were over, and I would probably need a cane for the rest of my life.

I, needless to say, was bummed out.

After a period of time feeling sorry for myself, I decided to to Orange Coast College and take some classes. I stopped by to see Jack Fullerton, the head coach of the water polo team.

For some reason, Dean Westgaard was in Jack's office. I think he was working part time as a physical therapist for the football team.  He saw that I was in a pretty big cast and asked me what happened. I gave him my sob story, and he suggested I come over to his office the next afternoon, and bring my X-rays and hospital records.

The next afternoon we met. He looked over everything, and when he was finished, he looked up 

at me with that Westgaard look and said "listen kid. Do everything thing I say for the next 6 months and I'll have you running and surfing. It's going to be hard and painful, but I promise.".

He was right. It was extremely hard and painful. He would meet with me 3-4 afternoons a week for a couple of hours. He would torture me with stretching and lifting. Truthfully, at first, I thought he was a sadistic a**hole. But after the first three months, I had dumped the cane. He told me after 5 months that I should tryout for the Laguna Beach Lifeguards.

I made it.

I know most of you don't remember me. But Dean was a very special man. You all know that.

But now you know a little more.

Mike Hartley

Second reply

Great story, Dale. Thanks. Dean did teach us all a great deal about life, in addition to what he taught us about saving lives. I miss him too and think about him often.

Your story reminded me of the time that you were guarding at St. Ann's and there was a kid body surfing who got into a little trouble. You went out and hooked him up in your rescue tube and started to swim him in. There was good body surf running so you told him, "You know how to surf, so let's just ride this wave in." That was going fine until you were nearly on the beach and he pulled out and practically took your head off with the strap. Do you remember that?

            Thanks again, Dale. All the best.

                                                                                    Jim

footnote from Dale.  No, I do not remember this event.  Memory can be elusive and is definitely selective.  That is why I started collecting stories from all of you before we are all gone and then so will our history.  If we do not write our history all will be forgotten.  There are many stories/memories worthy of being recorded.

Lifeguard story - Dean Westgaard

Dean Westgaard

By Dale Ghere

2005

The day I was hired to be a lifeguard for Laguna was the first step into a lifestyle I had never imagined.  In the beginning I thought I would go to work on the beach somewhere, get off work at six and do a little surfing in the evening.  Beyond that I really didn't have any other plans.  I only knew one other person in the whole city and he planned to do the same thing I was going to do.  As far I was concerned life was looking pretty good.

First year guards made about $12.00 a day in the summer of 1960. I thought I was about to become wealthy.   Before the first day of work Kiwi, Bill Haines, and I found housing in an old restaurant that was located at the entrance to Three Arch Bay.  Today the north half of the building is a dental office. The other half became a parking lot.  Four of us went together to rent the restaurant.  We each paid $30.00 a month.  How much better could life get than to live on the beach with three other guards, get paid for going to the beach all day and surfing as much as I wanted?

On the first day of work I was assigned Woods Cove, but when I told them I didn't know where it was they decided to place me at a beach they could just point to.  So off I went to St. Ann's.  I didn't know it, but my life was about to take a whole knew direction.  I would meet people over the next few months and years that would help me to mature, to gain confidence, to set life long goals and develop a career.  Dean Westgaard would become the catalyst for many of the changes that finally stuck.  When I became a guard I thought of the beach as a place to work.  Dean taught me it was a place to develop a life style.  There was never a doubt in my mind that he took lifeguarding seriously.  He was the one who taught everyone how to improve their guarding skills.  Everyday started with him telling stories or getting someone else to tell a story about how a rescue or first aid was handled the day before.  He would walk us through every event and reinforce what had been done right and what might have been done to improve the situation.  Dean's primary objective during the day was guarding lives, everything else was secondary.  

What began to excite me most about guarding was what people did before and after guarding all day.  As days turned into weeks and weeks into months my life ambitions were taking some dramatic alterations.  I had come to Laguna for summer employment.  At the end of summer I would then return to college.  As the summer progressed my goals started to change.  All of the other guys were doing such exciting things.  I was ready to make some changes.

The door to diving was opened for me.  I could not believe what could be acquired with just a short dive.  At St. Ann's beach abs, lobsters, and halibut were abundant. Dean and his family lived just above my beach.  He would come down almost nightly and go for a short dive if there were calm surf conditions.  I couldn't believe what he was taking home for dinner.  I started diving right away.  I found he made it look a lot easier than it really was. When he watched me collect my first ab he knew I didn't know what I was doing because it was a black.  He patiently explained the difference between good and bad abalone.  I next learned to dive for halibut and then I moved to lobsters.  After a while I even found a few scallops.

Dean saw I wanted to learn all of the beach skills.  He next moved me into the old dory that was left near the Main Beach tower.  I couldn't believe the bounty that could be produced with a short row down the coast.  This beach life just kept getting better.  I got paid for going to the beach; I could surf before and after work and I could collect a free dinner on the way home--lovely.

Before the end of summer I had my new life mapped out.  I would guard until October.  Then with my pockets full of money I would buy a new rhino board and go to the north shore and ride big surf until January.  I would then go to the mountains and learn to ski well enough to get on the ski patrol.  I planned to work in the mountains until the snow went away and then I would buy a woody and surf up and down the coast until summer returned.  I was on a roll.

When I shared this dream with Dean he started spending more time on my beach.  He also invited me home for dinner a few times.  Each time we would wind up talking about where I was headed.  He asked if I liked what I was doing.  I said that this was the perfect life.  He then said I needed to go back to college and get a teaching degree so I could guard during the summers.  We had a lot of very long discussions about my goals.

Dean lost the first round of discussions.  I didn't go back to school and I did go to the islands with some other guards.  It was an incredible winter.  It was my first experience with waves well over twenty feet.  I did come home and buy a 1948 woody for $200.  I did take off and surf from Rincon south to Mexico, but in the end Dean's influence was just too great.  I went back to school and got a teaching credential.  I guarded summers until 1974 and after 34 years of teaching I retired in 2000.  

During the first few years in Laguna I thought I was the 'chosen one' that Dean had selected to mentor, but as the years passed by I realized I was really just one of many who was given that privilege.  We all gained from his influence.  Each one of us that guarded with Dean felt fortunate to have known a man of his character.  That is why the Laguna Beach Lifeguard Headquarters carries his name.

Hopefully every young person has a hero, someone to emulate and follow.  The night I discovered he had died I went to the beach and cried uncontrollably.  A friend and a mentor had been lost.  I have been comforted to know that his influence on my life would touch both my children and grand children.  I miss him a lot.

Lifeguard Story -- By Jon Brick

Hello everyone,

Here is a great story that relates what makes Laguna special.  The history of our family has a tradition of training young people to become self reliant and creative.  Here is just one of many examples of how this has been done.  It started as a simple act, a need, but became a life lesson towards developing a leader.

Thank you to Jon Brick.

Enjoy,

Dale Ghere

1960-1974

LIFEGUARD MECHANICS           

By Jon Brick LBLG 1975-1984

August 28, 2015

This story is not about lifeguard heroics.  Like anyone who has guarded a number of years I have plenty of those stories, but I wanted to share a recollection that was about mentoring, trust and developing self reliance.

The year was probably 1982 or 1983.  I was working the unit with Steve McCormick back when we had those beautiful yellow Jeeps.  We were assigned the area from Emerald Bay all the way up to the edge of Cameo Shores.  The State had acquired the section of beaches from El Moro up to Cameo shores, but was unable to manage guarding it yet, so they contracted with the City of Laguna Beach to handle it.  

It was a great place to work. Back then there was no such thing as Newport Coast nor was there a single traffic signal between Corona Del Mar and Laguna. There were no State parking lots on the bluffs, just wide open hills.  At the north end near Corona Del Mar, there were some horse stables between PCH and the bluffs above the beach. As part of our daily rounds we would drive along the dirt road to the stables and say hello to the girls tending to their horses.  Riders would often times ride their horses along the beach splashing through the shallow water.

Working the unit back in the city area, we rarely drove the Jeeps in the sand.  However in this north area we were always either in the sand, or on the dirt paths on the bluffs.  This change brings us to the heart of this story.  Since we were driving in the sand so much, and going down the steep unpaved paths to the beach all the time, the brakes wore out much faster than normal.

One day when Steve was driving he turned to me and said that the brakes felt a little squishy and that we should probably get them checked. We radioed to HQ that we were heading to Main Beach.  We got to the Main and saw Bruce Baird our Chief coming out of the Main Tower just as we pulled up.  We walked over to him and explained our dilemma with the brakes.  He looked at us for a moment, scratched his chin and said, " Well you better go and change the brake pads then".  With that he turned and walked toward PCH.  Before he got too far away I asked,

" Where do we get brake pads?"  He turned his head and replied over his shoulder, " LM&P".  That was it. No further details.

We shrugged our shoulders and climbed back in the Jeep.  I knew LM&P was the little auto parts store at the corner of Pearl St., so I directed Steve in that direction. Beyond that I had no idea what we were going to do.  Neither of us had any money to buy brake pads, and neither of us had any experience working on automobiles.  I was training to be a pilot at the time so I knew a bit about airplane engines, but I was clueless when it came to cars. Steve was sort of a brainiac egghead from UCI and knew next to nothing about automobiles.

We headed south on PCH and radioed dispatch that we would be out of service for awhile so the other units would know to cover our area. As we drove I contemplated our next step.

One of the things you learn early on as a Laguna Beach Lifeguard, is the requirement to be self reliant, creative and adaptable.  I remember even during initial training that being a guard here was not like anywhere else. We were told that unlike Newport or Huntington, a guard here does not have the luxury of having supervising guards patrolling in Jeeps up and down the beach as back-up.  You could always call for back-up. But often the most critical part of the incident you had to handle on your own until help arrived. The concept of contingency planning for emergencies was emphasized by our trainers and mentors. Bruce Baird, Jack Linke, Chuck Ware, Dick Johnson, Mike Dwinell and Jim Stauffer guided us early on, followed by many others as the years passed.

Lifeguards in Laguna designed and built their own towers. We repaired our own paddle boards and dories. We fashioned our own oar locks for competition. Somebody either showed us how or we figured it out ourselves. And now I was coming to understand, guards also fixed their own Jeeps.

So we walked up to the counter at LM&P and told the guy we needed brake pads for our Jeep, oh and by the way we have no money.  He looked us up and down standing there bare chested in our lifeguard trunks, then looked outside at our Jeep. Without saying anything he turned and disappeared into the parts room, then returned with some brake pads.  He wrote up a bill of sale and said, " Just sign here on the bottom".  I remember thinking that step one of this project was too easy. Free parts just because I had red trunks on.  We took the pads and left.

Back then the Jeeps were always parked at the end of the day in some garages behind city hall.  We went there figuring we could get in the shade, plus we might be able to bum some tools from one of the real mechanics that worked on the fire trucks, police cars and buses. The lifeguards only had three jeeps at the time, so we came to find out that we were way down the priority list compared to the rest of the city vehicles.

We parked the Jeep and then went searching for some tools. We found a mechanic who gave us a couple simple tools and we got to work. We jacked up the Jeep and took off a wheel.  Then we just started taking pieces off from where we thought the brakes might be, and carefully lined them up on the ground in the same order we took them off.  We continued this process until we got to the brake pad and replaced it with a new one.  Then we replaced all the parts in the order they came off and replaced the wheel.  I was hot, sweaty, greasy and had little pebbles imbedded in my knees and back from the asphalt.  I remember thinking I was glad I was a lifeguard and not a mechanic.

We did the same with the other pads which took us a few hours. We did not do anything like bleed brake lines, and to this day I don't know if we should have.

When we were done we were a mess. Our bodies and trunks were covered in dirt and grease.  However we both had big smiles on our faces and proudly drove back to the Main with a sense of accomplishment. And that was what it was really all about.  When Chief Baird stood there looking at us earlier that day scratching his chin, he had a choice.  He could have told Mike Dwinell, who was sort of a genius at fixing things, to change the brake pads for us.  Or he could have put the Jeep on the waiting list with the city mechanics and be short a unit for a few days. But instead he assigned the task with minimal instruction to two members of his "extended family". Bruce truly cared about each and every one of the young men and women on the department.  It was with little events like this that he helped us develop into problem solvers in life, not just observers. We learned that obstacles were not roadblocks.  We just needed to figure a solution around them.  JB