Memories of Guarding, Surfing and the Culture of the Times –

For the San Clemente Lifeguard 80th Reunion.

Preface:

Dear Reader,

In 2006 we called the San Clemente Lifeguard Service to ask about their 75^th reunion. During the conversation with Sarah she asked if we would write a “blurb” for their reunion. We said we would be happy to but would need to call some old timers for ideas - if any of them were still around. Sarah (whose parents, we are sure, were not even a twinkle in anyone’s eye when we were guarding and surfing) said, “Oh no, just write what you remember, it will be fine.” We did call Hal Sachs and what you are about to read is the result of two very old memories. There will be a lot of names that will be meaningless to you, but hopefully the stories and comments associated with them will give a “picture” of the culture and times of those years on the beach. By the way, many of those old names can still be found on those same beaches but there are fewer each year. Since first writing this, we have had so many positive responses and some offering corrections and suggestions that we have had to revise it slightly several times - we guess our memories were as faulty as we believed, so don’t hesitate to offer your thoughts if you feel the urge. Most of this is about surfing and guarding and the beach. However, there are a few personal stories you may enjoy; they do provide some in-site into our generation and life during those times. With respect for your time, we understand if you skip through and focus primarily on those paragraphs about life guarding or surfing or the beach...

We recently (2010) had the good fortune to meet Dick Metz, the founder of the Heritage Surfing Museum in San Clemente. He had just closed for the day as we drove up but he graciously opened and gave us a private tour of his wonderful collection. There's no doubt that he knows a bunch of stuff about surfing and surfboards and life guarding. Dick was life guarding in the Laguna Beach area about the same time we were running up and down the coast from Doheny Park to Cotton’s Point.

As we talked about some of the old times, it was clear that our memories had slipped a cog for in our discussion I realized that a few of our memories were not accurate. The following has been updated and hopefully corrected. There will no doubt be more as you old-timers offer your memories.                                             

Keep Doing Great Things!

                                                       Dave and Rosie Tansey

Memories

Hi my name is Dave Tansey. I came to San Clemente in 1940/41 and entered the little elementary school near the north end of town.  I remember it was across the street from the beautiful small park. I doubt that it's still there. One of my favorite friends was a Japanese girl - I believe she was our class president. Her family had a small farm in a valley that was to the east of the long hill that one went up when entering San Clemente from the north. We kids would sneak into their melon patch and “steal” a delicious melon (sometimes she would be with us.) Her dad would run a few step towards us and warn us to take only one. I believe he enjoyed the game as much as we did. And then there was December 7th and my friend and her father that played the melon game with us and her whole family were gone. I remember being very sad and talking to my mother at length about the unfairness that I felt. She assured me that my sadness was justified. She said that when people are afraid they often make irrational and bad decisions and this was one of those times. She was a very wise mother; she did not try to talk me out of my sadness but rather supported my beliefs. I believe that incident even at my young age helped to shape my sense of fairness and justice and to a degree gave direction to my life for all these years. Every now and then, I have thought of asking the school district to search the archives and see if they could find a name. It would be fun – no, it would be more than fun - it would be truly gratifying to tell her how important she was to so many of us...

I went to San Juan Capistrano High School (we didn't have a San Clemente High or Dana High then). Everyday we all rode the school bus the 8 miles to Capistrano. I graduated from Capo in 1946 and I believe started guarding around the summer of 1945 or 46.

As I ramble through my memories, let me begin by saying that if other old-timers read this and have a different recollection of names and dates they may well be right. I didn't keep records. I'm just an old fellow remembering some of the highlights of those years. And I offer this with full respect not only to the old timers but to the younger and newer generations of guards. I know I speak for many of the old-timers when I say to modern guards---you are better trained than we were, have much better equipment, are probably stronger swimmers than most of us and are, I'm sure, a lot better looking.

If you reproduce this, you may find it necessary to edit my comments because they will, no doubt, be a trifle long but I ask if you do edit that you not cut out the names, even though you don’t know them, for they are the ones who deserve to be remembered. I understand these names are of little importance to most folks but for those who still wistfully look at the surf, and for their children; it is important to recognize that they made a difference.