Outstanding People Who Helped Shape My Life.

Mike Contino

Guarded 1969-84

Written in 2004

There are many things which appear small at the time that can have a large impact on you and your future. Only looking back can one appreciate the events that led to turning points in our life. Most people are lucky enough to have one or two persons who dramatically affect their lives; I consider myself one of the few who had the benefit of many outstanding people who helped shape my life.

Growing up we would spend our summers at Crescent Bay. My five brothers and sisters would spend almost every daylight moment and most nights at the beach. This was our place and an extension of our house. We lived in a simpler time when parents never thought twice about kids on the beach 12-14 hours a day.

I never had fear of the water and this would eventually lead me to getting pounded into the bottom of the bay until I was rescued by one of the lifeguards. Pee Wee Jensen would get mad at me and make me sit under his lifeguard stand. The guards told my parents to get me into Sea Cubs so I could take care of myself. I really think that I was beach brat and they just wanted to get rid of me for part of the day. Sea Cubs lead to Junior Guards and by the time I was fifteen, Skip Conner and Steve Knauer would let me sit in their towers and guard with them. They even gave me a tube and let me patrol the rocks for them (as well as get their lunch and cold drinks).

The one thing that influenced me the most was the Rookie program and Dale Ghere. I was lucky enough to be in the second Rookie class. Dale had the formidable task of training us not only to become lifeguards but also to become adults. Dale could do anything, he taught us discipline, he taught us patience, and he taught us how to become watermen. He also had a way to teach us pain during his workouts. Years later when I was a teacher and coach I tried to emulate many of the skills and techniques I learned on Main beach under his mentorship. I was very proud of my water polo players and swimmers who eventually became guards for Laguna.

It was great to be a guard, but we were the few, the proud: WE WERE THE ROOKIES. We were the lean mean Dale Ghere’s machine. We had the best of all possible worlds, great friends like Charlie Ware, Bill Brown, Jeff Slowsky, John Enfield, Dirk Van Dusen, Earle Wellsfry, Brad McCallahan, and Jeff Quam. We had daily workouts with Dale; we ran relief and worked the unit at night. On top of that they paid us $2.73 an hour, and let us go to parties where there were lots of beautiful girls and beer.

Dale taught me how to row, something I still do today. I loved rowing in competition as a guard and competing on Taplin relays, the Catalina Crossing and at Nationals. My whole family still rows but now it is crew, and I watch my daughters compete in regattas. When I sit in my shell in the mornings I still can hear Dale’s frustration in trying to get me to pull on both my oars at the same time.

I was lucky enough to start guarding in 1969 and continued until 1984. Times were simpler. We guarded, went surfing or diving; pier jumped, had great beach parties, and guarded some more. I was able to guard in the winters, I lived with Les Wall and Mike Dwinell at the infamous Wave St. house. Dick Johnson threw pots in the garage and his kiln was in the backyard. I was able to go bodysurfing with Dean Westgaard at Bird Rock during red flag days. I would repel off Crescent bay cliffs with Bruce Baird, who later would show me how to make clam chowder and cook prime rib. I was lucky enough to guard with my pier group Digger Ware, Craig Parsons, and Dave Kerr but to also guard with the likes of Art Smart, Jim Herdman, John Cunningham and Rod Riehl.

I was fortunate to be working a cardiac arrest as a guard and went to South Coast Hospital with the patient. I was doing CPR and mouth to mouth in the ambulance and into the ER. I was wet and sandy in only my trucks, and I was amazed when the ER doc jammed an eight inch cardiac needle into this guy’s heart and gave him a bolus of adrenaline. The shot did nothing for the guy and he died, but it affected me more than I realized. It took me many years and several different paths but eventually I became that ER doc.

I met my wife Donna at 3.5 when I was supervisor up in the State Park. I was looking for a date for a Toga party at Ingrid Loos’ house. Our first date was at the O’Hara’s house at La Bamba, where Bruce and Ingrid came through the door only wearing tortillas. We were married 22 years ago at Crescent Bay, and the beach has been a special place for us. We have watched our daughters grow up on the beach and go through the junior guard program (OK it was Newport’s).

Congratulation to all the fantastic people who have made the Laguna Beach Lifeguards such an energetic organization. I for one would not be the person I am today if it was not for my association with this group of men and women. To my friends and associates thank you for all the wonderful years at the beach.