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.”
