Ocean Godfathers, By Jeff Quam

A letter from Jeff Quam
1969-1979

I was lucky to grow up in such a great town as Laguna Beach. Everywhere around town you got the feeling of extended family. A couple of blocks over from where we lived Mr. Trotter the baker lived, who, if I showed up mid-morning on Saturday and produced a nickel at the back door of his Forest Street bakery, would give me a great bag of day old donuts to sugar my Saturday mornings. Then off down Forest Ave. to our friend Earl, the butcher, to get a big hello and handshake and look over the biggest pickles I could ever have dreamed of. Laguna was full of stand-in parents, not in the bad sense of that meaning as in always telling a kid what to do, but in a good natured way of helping a youngster feel good about things.
For me, being so much in love with the ocean, the most powerful Godfathers in my world were my ocean Godfathers. They helped form and mold me into the ocean athlete I became. There were many influences, which had a great impact on my experience in regards to lifeguard, and surfing was key to that experience. Surfing puts a lot of environmental pressure on one to perform which is perfect for a budding ocean athlete. My foremost Godfather in this regard was Jack Lincke. Always taking me out before and after work, surfing and encouraging me to spend every spare minute in the water at St. Ann’s beach, surf-mat riding. He was also there at my older sister Cindy's wedding to lifeguard captain Eugene DePaulis when several lifeguards, Jack Lincke, John Parlette, Lew Parlette, and a couple of others cornered my Dad to convince him surfing was in my best interest and that none of those bad guys at Thalia St. would ruin my life.
I had swimming Godfathers too. The first I can remember was John Parlette who paddled next to me on one of those huge red rescue boards, during one of my early Jr. Lifeguard rock swims, and dunked my head underwater every time I'd raise it up to look around. A little later, it was Dale Ghere who was Jr. Lifeguard Godfather but also helped me out personally by letting me swim with his swim team during the winter months while I had to go to private school far from the ocean.
Someone who helped me out tremendously with my lifeguard experience both in the water and out was Dean Westgaard. Dean was from the school of " whatever doesn't kill you will only make you stronger or stranger. " He taught me many lessons about how to overcome my fears, mostly about having to do with high places.
All of these great people contributed so much to our department and to my life, I'm sure my experience growing up in Laguna would not have been so wonderful without all of these ocean Godfathers.

Jeff Quam