"WHO AM I? The First Installment in the Lifeguard Guessing Game", by Cal Porter

When it rains it pours!  Another Cal Porter gem for you all to enjoy on a Sunday in December.

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                                              WHO AM I ?

                     The First Installment in the Lifeguard Guessing Game

                            

The Clues

   

The first time I saw this young teenager he was swimming and bodysurfing with a group of his school buddies to the south of my station on the beach.  It was a moderately rough day and I was watching but I wasn’t particularly worried about them; every one of them seemed quite at home in the water.  But I wondered about them since this was a school day; the Spring of 1950 I believe, and I didn’t see a school bus.  Some of the kids showed some pretty good wave riding ability, especially one of them who was picking up some nice angles.  After a good session most of them left the water, and after some roughhouse   horseplay in the sand, one of them, the angler, came hobbling over to my station with a bloody foot.  It was a nasty looking slice, probably from a sharp object or piece of glass in the sand, and I told him I would clean it up and first-aid it but maybe a doctor would think a stitch or two would be in order.  In chatting with him and then making out the report I learned that the group was the swimming team from Black-Foxe Military Academy located in Hollywood on Wilcox Ave, adjacent to the Wilshire Country Club.

Any Guesses Yet?

Black-Foxe was a well known academy and a lot of movie star offsprings went there, including the sons of Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby, Betty Davis and baseball’s, Joe DiMaggio.  Dynasty’s Larry Hagman went there, as did stars Michael Douglas and Gene Wilder and many others.  I’m pretty sure I one time swam for my high school team in the Black-Foxe pool, but that was probably way back in the late 1930’s.  Anyway, when I asked my bloody new friend his name for the report I recognized it immediately.  He was a hot, record breaking young high school swimmer and I had seen his name in results frequently since I followed swimming diligently in those days.  I immediately went into recruiting mode and asked if he had ever thought of lifeguarding.  His answer was no so I launched into the glories of the profession, the good pay, life on the beach and in the water, and the splendid opportunity to meet girls.  Sold!  When he was old enough he took the test, passed high, and that summer he came to work right there where I had met him and patched him up, good old Zuma Beach.  And the rest of his career with the Los Angeles County Lifeguards is history.  If you didn’t recognize him from the photo above these clues should have wrapped it up long ago.

Cal

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*** Story by & Copyright Cal Porter 2012.  All Rights Reserved. Photo courtesy of Cal.  Used here with permission.

Thanks Cal !

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Until next time.....


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

"Zuma Downhill". Photo by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012. 

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"A ZUMA STORY, 1949", by Cal Porter

Prelude:   It feels like Christmas all right when we can publish a couple of Cal Porter stories for our readership as we have been able to do recently.  This is as good as it gets!  So sit back and relax and enjoy yet another gem from Cal.

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                                        A ZUMA STORY, 1949

This early Zuma Beach photo (below) appeared on Facebook one day not long ago, provided by one Ulf Johnsson, a citizen of Sweden living in Stockholm.  Thinking I was the only possessor of this old photo and knew it was safely tucked away in a dusty album on a shelf in my bedroom closet, I managed to contact Ulf (he speaks English) to solve the mystery of where he got it.  Ulf couldn’t remember how he came across the picture but he likes photos of the beach, surfing, and such, saw it somewhere, and added it to his picture file.  From Zuma Beach to Sweden the mystery remains unsolved.

The Winter Crew, Zuma Beach, 1949

                Cal Porter, Lt. Don St. Hill, Ray Porter, Mel Iseman, George McManus

When this photo was taken Zuma was the only beach in the County Lifeguards’ Northern Division.  There was no Topanga, Las Tunas, Malibu Surfrider, Coral, Westward, or Nicholas Beaches that we have now.  Those beaches were still privately owned, no trespassing.  The nearest beach operated by the county was El Porto at El Segundo, some twenty-five miles to the south.  Duke Fishman was assigned as the first lifeguard at Zuma in October of 1945 after the County of Los Angeles purchased the beach through foreclosure.  He worked alone out of an old duck hunting club that was located near the lagoon close to the present entrance to the beach; it was torn down about fifty-five years ago.  The six private homes located on Zuma Beach were eventually bought up by the county, and before they were later torn down I was lucky enough to rent a nice four bedroom beach house for twenty-five dollars a month.   Future Chief Bob Burnside later lived in the house.  Lieutenants Kirby Temple and Don St.Hill lived in another one down the beach on their tours of duty at Zuma.

                                        

Twenty-five dollars per month (about where tower 10 is now).

Today million dollar mansions line the bluffs behind.

                        

The original lifeguard headquarters in the first photo above, where the new one is today, was a private home, and the one next to the station was still being lived in by a famous orchestra leader of the day.  The first small group of summer lifeguards sent to Zuma in 1946 carpooled back and forth from the south bay and laughed that they were being exiled to Siberia.  There was no Malibu Canyon Road or Kanan-Dume Hwy. through the hills in those days bringing hordes of beach goers from the Valleys to the beach, so crowds were sparse until Zuma became known as a popular destination.  There also were no surfers in the hundreds as there are today, since why go to Zuma when you could surf down the road a few miles on the great uncrowded waves at Malibu where there were never more that four or five guys in the water.  That’s the whole winter crew in the photo above, consisting of three guards a day, one to man the old plug-in switchboard and two to watch the beach and go on emergency calls.  And we did have emergency calls in that green International Truck since we were the only rescue, emergency unit available up and down Malibu in those days handling all kinds of calls, beach, highway or inland.  There were no sand vehicles for the beach then either, everything was done on foot. 

Well those were fun days on early Zuma Beach.  And now all the guards in the photo above are gone except one, and he is going on 89.  Mac, on the right, was first to go, having lifeguarded from 1909 until he retired at Zuma in 1951 at the age of sixty-six.

Cal

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***  "A ZUMA STORY, 1949, by Cal Porter.  Copyright Cal Porter 2012. All Rights Reserved. Photos courtesy of Cal.

Thanks Cal !  10-4

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Editor's note:  Arthur Verge travels to Sweden alot with his Swedish wife so maybe there isn't a mystery after all about how Ulf acquired the first photo above, but we are glad it surfaced on the internet because we all got to hear all about it.

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Until next time.....

"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

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Hail the Chief!

News Flash!

Our new (interim) Lifeguard Chief, Barry Nugent, is an active veteran LACo Recurrent Beach Lifeguard!  Woo Hoo!  How AWESOME is that?!...   Forty plus combined years of experience as both an L.A. City and LACo recurrent and permanent beach lifeguard and an LACo firefighter and most recently Assistant Chief, Fire Operations - Division 1, for the LACo Fire Department.

x-ref:   Assistant Chief Barry Nugent Celebrates Forty Years Of Service

             http://fire.lacounty.gov/FD_rtls/home_story50-4.asp

And for all you Dorymen out there... and we love you boaties for your courage, enthusiasm and fearlessness, be advised that Chief Barry Nugent is a Doryman from way back!  Check this photo out below which is framed and proudly installed on Chief Nugent's office wall at Division, showing him with his dory partner, Tom Allen Sena, from "back in the day" at Dockweiler.  Talk about "credibility" and "lifeguard chops".

L2R: Tom Allen Sena and Barry Nugent at Dockweiler, circa early 1970's. Photo courtesy of Chief Nugent.

We forwarded this photo to Tom on the Big Island of Hawaii and he confirmed the photo's vintage, e.g., "Yes Dockweiler, Del Rey, and it was '72 or '73."  Tom was really stoked to see this great photo of him and Barry from "back in the day" and he obligingly agreed to allow us to include his remarks below, as follows, in referring to this photo:

"Wow!  Bringing back such great memories. I had a few wonderful years posted at Del Rey Beach as a permanent guard.  I got to know Barry there, also a permanent guard (along with Rex Goble), our Lieutenant was Eddie Hoffman, a really good man to have worked under. The picture with Barry was us during the winter season, we would get wet every day no matter what the conditions. I think the coldest winter water we were in was down to 55, burr...  Some days swim, body surf, and we rowed regularly during the winter. After workouts we would turn the big headquarters shower into a steam room to warm up. I had done a lot of rowing the previous few years out of Venice,  and Barry wanted to row, so he was in the bow, and I steered and rowed stern, and we were a good team... he was big and strong in the bow, and could follow my pace perfect.

Barry, too bad we didn't get a picture of the giant (15-20ft) winter surf we went out and body surfed down south of Del Rey, I think it was El Porto? Boy, was that fun!

Aloha, Tom"

(*** Thanks Tom !  We really appreciate your participation in this blog post and your remarks about the good old days in Del Rey.)

We are thrilled to have Chief Nugent looking after things for our department and his commitment to lifesaving as both a Permanent Lifeguard and Recurrent Beach Lifeguard of many years.  And we understand that his son is a Southern Section Recurrent and still gets his days in when he is not working as a firefighter for the San Diego Fire Dept.  So needless to say, the "Recurrent Lifeguard" is an honored role in the Nugent family and a family tradition. 

I know I am not alone in thanking the LACo Fire Dept. for its (interim) selection of Chief Nugent who brings an inclusive, recurrent friendly composure to our Department.  We have a fantastic OLS Staff and our new Chief brings a great deal of credibility to his position because of his many years of service in Fire Operations and his role as Assistant Chief, not to mention the fact that Chief Nugent was previously a Permanent Lifeguard with both L.A. City and LACo before transferring to Fire Operations.  He, thus, also speaks the language and understands the "permanent perspective" and professionalism of our OLS Staff.  Plus, he lives and breathes the 'recurrent role" in lifeguarding!  Talk about the best of both worlds!

We are excited for the future of our department.  We anticipate that this particularly inclusive perspective will trickle down throughout our department.  At the same time, we would be remiss if we did not challenge our fellow recurrents to continue to step up to the plate each day and commit themselves to being the best "first responders" that they can be, to watch the water, and to stay in shape. 

10-4

Until next time.....


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

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*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

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Happy Trails, Chief Frazer!

Dateline:  Thursday, December 6, 2012

Re:  Farewell note from LACo Lifeguard Chief Mike Frazer

Comment:  Chief Frazer asked us to publish his farewell remarks as he embarks on the next adventures of his life in retirement.  Enclosed below is Mike's Letter:

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December 6, 2012

TO: ALL LIFEGUARD DIVISION PERSONNEL

FROM: CHIEF LIFEGUARD MIKE FRAZER

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT CAREER!

I would like to thank everyone in this organization, past and present, for an amazing career. I have been blessed to have had a rewarding profession that I truly enjoy and appreciate. I am incredibly grateful to all the LA County Lifeguards that worked so hard to make us the best lifeguard agency in the world.

I have also been fortunate enough to work beside remarkable individuals that consistently demonstrated so much enthusiasm for the profession of lifeguarding. Throughout my career, I have witnessed individual commitment became collective achievement. Together as a team, the LA County Lifeguards have made great strides in public safety and professionalizing marine safety.

I was also blessed with great mentors that coached and encouraged me to be my best. I hope that I was able to pay it forward by mentoring others. My mentors taught me to be principled, maintain core values and traditions, be compassionate towards others, and most importantly, stay focused on beach and ocean safety. I stayed true to those values, and I would encourage others to also “stand up for what you believe in”. I am leaving the organization encouraged by the possibilities of the future. I’m confident the upcoming generation of lifeguards will maintain our traditions and exemplary public service record.

My heart will always be with this organization. I am so proud to have been a part of your team. I lived my dream! I will truly miss my second family, and I wish you all the best.

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Happy Trails, Chief!  You've accomplished much on behalf of our Lifeguard Service and we are very grateful for your commitment, enthusiasm and leadership.

Summer 1988; L2R: Mike Frazer, Fernando Boiteux, Dan Atkins, Dick Orr, Ralph Lee and Sam Bertolet

Mike Frazer and some No. Section Recurrent...  ok, its Veteran OL-Lawyer, Kevin McVerry; on the occasion of Nikki Hudson's Retirement Party in Malibu, a couple of years ago

"Chief-Captain-Chief".  Circa 2010, L2R: Chief Don Rohrer (Ret.), Capt. Nick Steers (Ret.) and Chief Mike Frazer

Chief Mike Frazer, at left, on scene at the recent Oct. 13, 2012 LACo Lifeguard Rookie Swim Test; we're not sure who that is that he is talking to in the middle with his back to the camera..... ok, its a No. Section Recurrent who produced some show about beach lifeguards a few years ago, what was it called.....

(All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire.  All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.)

10-4, Chief Frazer is 10-7.

***

Until next time.....


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com



Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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"First Responders!"

El Porto, Dec. 1, 2012

"First Responders!"   Yep, that is what we are!

"Watch The Water"!   Yep, that is what we do!

"Stay In Shape!"   Yep, that is our obligation to the public, to ourselves and to each other.

Examples:

1.  "First Responders!"

In this first photo below, OLS Jeff Monroe is shown looking after a body boarder who got held down a little too long in the white wash and was a bit shook up at El Porto, Sat., Dec. 1, 2012, during the swell delivered by a couple of storms this past week.  Jeff said he watched this body boarder walk down the beach after getting out of the water and noticed that his balance was off and then he sat down on the sand.  This photo was taken a few minutes thereafter.  The photo above, taken from the parking lot, shows Jeff's vehicle on scene with the (then) seated body boarder.

OL Justin Kirby accelerating...

OL Mark Chambers - First On Scene at bicycle accident behind WR Tower #15, returning to his tower. Summer 2012.

2.  "Watch The Water!"

 3.  "Stay In Shape!"

 

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(All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012. All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.)

Until next time.....


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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THE BEACH LIFEGUARDS, and that other sport", by Cal Porter

(Editorial Heads Up!  Per Cal, if you use Internet Explorer as your browser... like Cal and maybe two other lifeguards...    :-)  , then you may only be able to see a partial transcript of our blog, so we recommend that you use either Firefox or Safari and then you will be able to see the whole enchilada).

THE BEACH LIFEGUARDS, and that other sport  

"The Los Angeles County Lifeguards are known the world over for their mastery and dominance in ocean aquatic competition.  When they enter that salt water arena it’s a rare day that a loss ensues.  They are expected to win and they do. 

Many years ago, almost sixty-five to be exact, a group of county guards competed in a different competition, one that was never held before and has never been held since.  It was the summer of 1948 and lifeguard forces from Santa Monica Bay to San Diego were challenged to send their best six-man, sand volleyball teams to a competition at the courts at Will Rogers, Santa Monica Canyon State Beach, to determine a grand champion.  It was all for fun, although we were pretty serious about it, and was to be held one afternoon and into the evening, followed by beach party food prepared by the ladies (and well, maybe just a little beer involved).  Representing LA County, our six man lifeguard team was amazingly composed of three sets of brothers, all working the Will Rogers area.  Our leaders were the Shargo Brothers, Nate and Sam, who had been given the title “Kings of the Beach” for their prowess in the sand doubles game from the middle 1930’s to the early 40’s.  I was lucky to have been assigned there as a permanent lifeguard in 1946 and played for years with the Shargos and the other top players that congregated there at this Mecca of beach volleyball. 

Sam second from left, Nate second from right, 1946

(Others: George McManus, Christy Miller, Ted Warren, Cal Porter, Bob Lee, John Dudrow)

                

In those days there weren’t the hundreds of volleyball courts along the beaches that are there today, and no tournaments that are played for thousands of dollars in prize money and televised around the world.  When I first played in the late 1930’s early 40’s there were just four public courts in all the north bay: the one alongside the old Ocean Park Pier where I mostly played, one at the Santa Monica Pier, another at Sorrento Beach, and the fourth at State Beach.  The others were scattered among the private beach clubs where sand volleyball first started in California.  It is said that famous swimmer and surfer Duke Kohanamoku introduced volleyball to the beach when he worked at the Santa Monica Beach Club in 1926.  He had played in the first sand game ever recorded at the Outrigger Canoe Club in Hawaii in 1915.  Where now there are dozens of courts at State Beach, for our tournament we put up a second court so two games could be played simultaneously.  I don’t remember how many teams entered.  There was the one from the Santa Monica Lifeguards, a couple from the LA City Guards, Long Beach Guards sent a team I believe, as did Huntington Beach and guard services further south.  Lots of spectators gathered for the occasion.  Our area Lifeguard Lieutenant, Mike Safonov, who had replaced the retiring Lt. Ted Warren, acted as host, and our one and only captain for the whole county in those days, Rusty Williams, was there to lend his support.  George McManus who had worked as a lifeguard since 1909 and was still guarding at this beach was there.  Many well known Hollywood actors and writers who called this their home beach and played volleyball with us were all there. 

Victory Was Ours

We practiced hard and long and we knew that we were ready now and the day had come and now it was our time.  Well, to make a long story short the group above survived the many elimination rounds and as the evening darkness approached they soundly beat the runner-up in the finals, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Top row above:  Jack Underwood, Ray Porter, Cal Porter, Don Underwood.

Bottom row:  Lt. Mike Safonov, Sam Shargo, Nate Shargo, Tarzan.

This photo made its way into history when it and the great victory were included in the classic, definitive volleyball book, “Sands of Time”, by Art Couvillon.   We were famous (for two or three minutes).

The tournament was never held again; the main reason being that the following year the Los Angeles City Lifeguards commenced operating this beach, and all of us volleyball playing L.A. County Lifeguards scattered north and south, most of us eventually to Zuma Beach.  

And what happened to our winning trophy?  Well it probably went down with the old lighthouse building up the beach a ways that was eventually torn down and had been our lifeguard headquarters where the trophy was on display and where it, the trophy, and the tournament are all now but a memory. 

Cal

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*** Many Thanks to Cal for another great story.  All photos courtesy of Cal Porter. Used here with permission.

10-4

Until next time.....


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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Gone Surfing... off duty!...

El Porto, Dec. 1, 2012

El Porto, Dec. 1, 2012

 November 27, 2012

"Re: New  LACoFD "No Surfing" On Duty/On Workout Regulation.  

"County Recurrent" has been asked to cover this issue on the blog by one of our Permanents and so I would like to hear from both recurrents and permanents as to their opinion about this new regulation that recently went into effect and as announced via both LACOLA Email and via the LACOLA Facebook Page last week. No on duty surfing during workouts. You can still go paddling, of course, as far as we know. You can practice "in's & out's" till your arms fall off, for that matter. In the short term, that is what we are encouraging guards to do, e.g., get out there and compete and challenge each other on in's & out's and other paddling drills. We will be preparing a blog post on this issue and hope that guards will contribute, anonymously or not, its up to each individual. I am also contacting alumni on this issue for their perspective since over the past 30 plus years we've dealt with this issue on an on and off basis. Thank you for your consideration.

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Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012

 As far as a consensus, thus far there is none.   There are opinions on both sides of this issue.  We've contacted Alumni, recurrents and permanents.  Retired Chief Randy DeGregori has a great deal of information and experience on this issue and being a lifelong surfer has indicated that he will be contacting the LACoFD Chief on this issue.  Additionally, we are informed that our incoming interim Lifeguard Chief is also a lifelong surfer and no doubt brings a great deal of experience on this issue from his 40 plus years as a recurrent beach lifeguard.  

This issue has been dealt with before with lifeguards maintaining fitness whatever the rule/reg. might happen to be.  I can still remember shortly after surfing on duty was reinstated during the tenure of then Lifeguard Chief Randy DeGregori and while working a shift in Venice at Ave-23, watching "The Chief", while on a workout, going right on his longboard at the jetty out front with his feet dancing back and forth and playing with the wave like a fiddle.   

On the other hand, in these uncertain economic times with unions and lifeguard/firefighter pay and pensions under scrutiny and under attack, we understand the logic of the issue of perception in the mind of the public.  Undercover cameras are capturing lifeguards and firefighters on workouts and presenting the workouts as "playing" and unconnected with the job of protecting the public.    

Surfing, of course, is very relevant to our job.  The spate of skills that are honed during this workout are obvious to those of us who understand what our job entails.  

In the end, this will get sorted out as it has before.  In the meantime, we continue to encourage our lifeguards to band together and step up their paddling workouts.  We would love to hear from recurrents and permanents and have them tell us about their paddling workouts on duty.  Each section, not to mention area, should be stepping up and challenging their guards to participate in both on duty and off duty paddling workouts.  

Ed Perry Regata 2012

Paddler Extraordinaire, LACo Veteran OL, Eldin Onsgard. Ed Perry Regatta 2012.

Just as happened last summer when lifeguard swimming fitness was challenged by the the ambiguous recheck distance, we challenged lifeguards to focus on swimming fitness in the off season and asked leadership to encourage lifeguards to get their swims in on duty and off duty.

Off Duty Buoy Swim, Zuma Beach, Summer 2012

 Whatever the "regulation du jure" happens to be, everyone of us knows our principal duty.

Kirby & Solomon: Watching The Water, Labor Day Weekend 2012

"Watching The Water With Binos", Venice Beach, Oct 2012

"Watching The Water", SMS Tower  #16, Fall 2012

  *All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.  All Rights Reserved. 

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10-4

Respectfully submitted,
 

Will Maguire, Editor
"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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