Becoming an Enthusiast - All Chapters

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Hello, everybody!

Becoming an Enthusiast became a much longer story than I had originally intended. So, for the sake of easier reading, I am collecting all the chapters and posting them again in this thread. I can guarantee that they are exactly as they appeared originally. There is no difference between the installments here and the previous threads, so don't feel like you might miss a detail or two reading these rather than the other posts. Of course, if I come across a typo or something, I will correct it.

I will also remind you once again that this story is true in its entirety and is not embellished or exaggerated in any way!

--------------

Chapter 01 Part 1
First Exposure

I first saw a speedo when I was about 9 or 10. I was at my grandparents’ community’s swimming pool and it was a 70-ish-year-old man wearing some loose-fitting black Speedo briefs. Being a pre-prepubescent kid, it was obviously the most revolting thing I’d ever seen in my entire life, and I shared that fact with my dad. Dad was actually perfectly fine with it, come to think of it. (I suppose my dad is pro-speedo, even though he’s never worn one in front of me?) Since then, I’ve grown to realize that it actually wasn’t that bad or disgusting at all (shoutout to the mature users on the board!); it was just my immature 9-year-old self.

And then, my two closest childhood friends (a brother and sister, the sister being my age) joined the swim team at a posh country club, so at age 10 I was going to meets and practices with them. I gradually got used to tight-fitting swimwear, but I still didn’t really think much of it then.

But the interest didn’t really start until about 2 years later in middle school when I first started feeling sexual arousal, and then the wonderful world of Google opened up the possibility to see what men’s fashion was out there. While underwear was my first obsession and interest (especially briefs), I soon became fixated with men’s swimwear as it could be very revealing and puts your *ahem* gentleman’s area on display.

Fortunately (I guess?), this was about the time of the 2008 olympics, so the internet was flooded with photos of Tony Azevedo, Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, etc. Their sculpted bodies perfectly accentuated by their swim briefs were so attractive to me due to the combination of just oozing attractiveness and desperately wanting to be as sexy as they are. (I had been overweight since first grade and teased for it regularly.) My goodness, they were so hot. Many, many nuts were busted after school looking at photos of fit men in speedos…

High school, though, was where my very minor obsession solidified.

--------------

Chapter 01 Part 2
High School

In high school, I was suddenly exposed to this weird new sport called “water polo” (horses in water, what?). My high school had a great team that regularly competed in state competitions and stuff. I don’t know the specifics of it or how exactly to say what level they were at (I’m sure there are many former/current polo players on here that would know), but basically they were really flippin’ good. So, the water polo team was very visible on campus, especially since they blew the other teams out of the water as far as victories go. They were very open to teasing each other about how good they look in speedos or how pronounced this one guy’s pecs were.

The swim team was also decent. One school day a year every spring, my school would host one of the important swim meets, and a lot of kids on campus nicknamed it the Sausage Fest because of all the young guys running around in speedos. The pool deck wasn’t nearly large enough to contain them all, but it was surrounded by a large tarmac between the pool and the classrooms. At one point, my path from class to class went straight through the hubbub, and all I remember is trying not to be too obvious about looking (thank goodness for darkened sunglasses that hide your eyes!) and my breathing becoming very heavy lol.

But, best of all was the last day of PE sophomore year when one of the water polo players decided to wear a speedo to class since we were all just hanging out in the sun by the pool anyway. He was the definitive water polo hunk, a true Adonis who anyone would be happy to look like: a tanned, muscular body with a pronounced bulge and sun-bleached blond hair. Plus, he didn’t have the largest bulge showing, but it was aesthetically quite pleasing, especially when he sat cross-legged on the pool deck! ;) At the time, I thought he was wearing a team suit, but I just recently figured out that he was actually wearing the Turbo Jamaica** brief whose black, green and gold colors resemble our high school’s colors.

There may be a couple encounters I missed, but I’ll share them in another thread/storyline as they come to me. The point is, the journey had begun. The speedo love…had awoken. *dramatic music*

--------------

**Previously identified as the Turbo South Africa brief. I have since determined that it was in fact the Turbo Jamaica brief as seen here: (I should add that this is NOT the guy from my school, just a photo I found online.)

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzpa51gg8Q1qf3azxo1_1280.jpg

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 02 Part 01
First Try

I will never forget the first time I actually tried one on. Sometime in late middle school or early high school, I was swimsuit shopping at a Sport Chalet (or one of those types of sporting goods stores; they’re all the same to me) with my mom because I needed a new suit, having destroyed the previous one by using it to do manual labor and landscaping for friends. Since we were going to a pool party with church friends, the suit obviously needed to be conservative to say the least, and I hadn’t even THOUGHT about wearing a speedo on its own at this point. Also keep in mind that I was so self-conscious that I regularly wore a rash guard to cover up and contain. (It also had some SPF value, so Mom liked that part!)

But, we found that a lot of suits for sale were board shorts, not lined swimsuits, so they lacked the netting inside which I found very helpful/supportive. So, I had the idea of wearing a speedo underneath as a sort of aquatic underwear and therefore picked out a few Speedo and TYR suits, both briefs and jammers, to try on. After we pulled a large number of suits and board shorts, we found a changing room in the middle of the large, warehouse-like building which resembled a wooden beach shack.

The next few minutes in that changing room were a rush for me. For the first time in my life, I could hold this elusive suit in my hands. Choosing a Speed-brand brief first, I felt the smooth coolness of the fabric, following the seams and gently caressing the nylon fabric. Then, I held it up in front of me and spread out my fingers inside so it would hang like there was an invisible body inside of it. It really wouldn't leave much to the imagination.

I pulled the speedo on first because I’d always been partial to wearing briefs over boxers, and I don’t think “instantly” accurately describes how quickly I became hard! It was like an old episode of Bewitched where they needed to make it look like something magically appeared out of nowhere and there was a noticeable cut in the film: I was normal, and then suddenly rock hard.

They felt amazing, looked amazing, WERE amazing! I couldn’t help but start rubbing a bit, not to reach a climax but to not leave the sexual rush unrecognized and therefore prone to growing beyond control. I suppose it was more of a vigorous readjustment inside the suit more than anything. I looked in the mirror, saw the tent, and then looked down. Because of the direct overhead light in the stall (not a fluorescent bulb but like a halogen one), there was a noticeable shadow on the floor.

With the suit on, I let my hands start traveling along the fabric on my body, following every contour, all the while imagining that I was one of those beautiful specimens of mankind, the swimmers plastered all over the internet as all-American heroes. I felt the slightest wave of emotion start to rush over me: it was the first time I saw myself as even minutely sexy. I saw myself as Michael Phelps (albeit with a little more "insulation" for winter) which was a wonderful feeling for someone who'd been teased about being fat since the first grade.

“How does it fit?” Mom asked from outside, bringing me back to the reality I suddenly found myself in: an aroused, self-conscious teenager in a speedo who was only separated from his mother by an un-lockable changing room door.

“Uuuuhhhhh….” I fumbled for words, “it fits...well?” Oh no, what if she wants to see it?!

“Do you want my opinion?” AUGH!

“UM, NO THANKS, I’M GOOD,” came one of the quickest replies ever made in human history. There was NO WAY I was about to let my mom see my raging boner; considering how shy I was, that was just NOT going to happen, in my book.

Then, to my horror, I realized that the stall door didn’t go all the way to the floor!!! If anyone even glanced towards my stall which was freestanding in the middle of the store, they could easily see the shadow of what was going on inside! I doubt anyone looked in, but the thought that Mom might’ve seen the bulge or the quick chicken-choking still haunts me to this day…

After a couple very stressful minutes, the arousal started to fade to a more manageable level. I then struggled to pull on the jammer which was much more difficult because of how much stretchy fabric there is to get into place. (Side note: Honestly, if you wear jammers for the modesty, I don’t really think it’s worth the effort of putting it on lol. I can’t imagine what it’s like to put on one of those full-body racing suits!) After managing to get myself under control, I looked in the mirror again and discovered no sign of a bulge whatsoever, soft or hard. Again, Mom asked to see it. I decided that it was better to show a mom no bulge at all rather than a boner, so I conceded and opened the door. I don’t really remember what conversation went down at this point; I was so focused on not letting my still-semi-hard member “refill.” Without further incident, I rushed back inside as I felt the sensation starting to return and got back into normal clothes as quickly as possible.

We ended up not buying anything at Dick's...uh, Sport Chalet...Authority...Goods store (again, can't remember which one it was) because none of the shorts fit my *generously* proportioned hips. I had to settle for some crap net-lined suit at Walmart because they made them big enough for me. But, I remembered where the brief suits and changing room were in that store for future reference.

--------------

Chapter 02 Part 02
Return

It wasn’t until a couple years later in junior year of high school when I had my chance to go back alone. I was fully licensed to drive by then and Mom was out of town, so I had use of the car for a weekend without having to answer that unavoidable “Where are you going?” question. After church that Sunday, I returned to Dick’s Sports Chalet Sporting Authority (whatever) to the sporting goods store, immediately found the Speedo and TYR suits, and went back to the changing room. I couldn’t afford to buy one myself (and besides, I wouldn’t dare lest my mom found them in my things; she wasn’t nosy, but it was only a matter of time before she’d come across it - more on that later ;) ). However, I could at least try them on again. This time, though, I found a random long shirt to hang on the inside of the door that would drape down to the floor and cover the huge gap for more privacy.

Yet again, it was a rush with instant arousal. This time, though, I was curious as to how to hide the arousal should I buy them and wear them in public. After all, all of those horny teenagers, college students, and men had to be able to hide a boner SOMEhow. So, I tried putting the old fella in different positions to see what was most subtle. With the extremely tight-fitting suit, though, it was almost impossible to hide! “How on earth do they do it???” I wondered to myself. It felt like trying to stuff a highly-sprung Jack in the Box back into the box! I soon determined, though, that my most discreet positioning (without a full-on Ken doll effect) was slightly up but to the right.

After 20 minutes or so, I finally decided that I had to each lunch because it felt like my stomach was starting to digest itself. So, I put the suits back and went home. It goes without saying that the self enjoyment that evening was incredible just thinking about how the speedo had felt!

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 03 Part 01
Freshman Year Begins

It was freshman year of college, a time of self-expansion and soul-searching. I was in a very small dorm room with 2 other guys, so personal space was extremely limited. But, I tend to be introverted and they were both pretty extroverted (or at least were more social than I), so I often had the room to myself unless (1) one of them was playing World of Legends or whatever it is (I’m not a gamer) or (2) the other was watching Netflix. Every once in a long while, they’d do homework.

We were all pretty modest. No one ever hung around naked or anything, and no one ever rubbed one out in front of each other (though my inner horny self kinda wanted to; I had fantasized about that a bit before coming to college, but that’s a story for another time, if at all :) ). The extent of their immodesty was sleeping in their underwear which was almost always boxers. Even then, they’d dress the second they got out of bed. The most I ever saw, therefore, was some morning wood from the Netflix watcher which he didn’t do much to hide.

Personally, I always slept in shorts and a shirt in addition to a pair of trunks or boxer briefs. They each had a top bunk, but I had the single bottom bunk across from the desks underneath the opposite bed, so I felt more exposed and I’m not much of what you’d call an “exhibitionist.” To further reaffirm my shyness, sometimes they’d come in with a random friend after I was already in bed, and whether I’m conscious or not, I’d rather not be exposed. I also found myself refraining from buying briefs, my favorite style of underwear, because I didn’t want them to see me in it while I was dressing or undressing.

-------

Side rant: Looking back, I shouldn’t really have felt embarrassed about whether I was seen in a certain type of underwear, and if you share these feelings too, I encourage you to get over it and just buy your favorite type of underwear. Your underwear is there to offer YOU support and comfort, so wear whatever makes you feel supported and comfortable; don’t conform to what your roommates prefer. They probably won’t care as much as you think they will, if they even notice at all. Additionally, I think it’s high time we get over the fact that we do all have family jewels as guys and they may end up showing in briefs more than they would in boxers. (Of course, if you go for the much more exhibitionistic options such as string bikinis or shear underwear, then you may need to consider your roommate’s feelings before hanging out in those around your room. It’s the polite thing to do.)

Plus, nothing matches the self-confidence you feel when walking around throughout the day while wearing your favorite skivvies underneath! My current favorites are the Calvin Klein black briefs with that wide metallic red waistband.

Anyway…

-------

The Netflix watcher swam in high school so he still had his suit, albeit a jammer, and I did see him once or twice in it. He had pretty nicely sculpted legs and butt because our uni’s campus is very hilly and required a lot of walking. I seem to remember once asking why he didn’t wear briefs and I believe he said something about being shy. Boy, we sure were a reserved bunch, huh?

However, I was friends with another guy who lived in the dorm room next door. He was on the football team and was therefore very fit but not overly muscular. This guy was just ripped enough for him to show evidence of definition no matter what he wears. He was much less reserved than my roommates and I were and didn’t mind walking down the hallway to the showers in just his underwear.

Oh, what a beautiful sight to behold he was! His body was attractive in a Chris Pratt sort of way; you know, some body hair and a lot of muscle, but it wasn’t so defined that it was intimidating or unrealistic. It was the kind of body that elicits a reaction like Agent Carter’s in Captain America after Steve Rogers comes out of Howard Stark’s machine: you just want to reach out and touch it, but of course, in the real world, you refrain and merely admire. He had broad shoulders, a flat stomach, round pecs, developed thighs and calves, and a pert bottom that displayed magnificently as he walked down the hall in nothing but his white Polo Ralph Lauren boxer briefs! Even his voice is attractive, just deep enough to catch your attention but not an indiscernible baritone. To this day, he is still my workout inspiration (well, one of them :p ) because he is exactly what I could look like since we have almost identical builds/body types, both having heritage from Poland and all. I see exactly who I could be in him.

I ran into him in the corridor one time when he was coming back from his post-practice shower (in just a towel, no less, with the subtlest hint of a bulge in front!). After somewhat awkwardly managing to compliment his body, I finally gathered enough courage at this point to talk to him about his fitness and physique and how I aspire to have the same. He stood there, basically naked, talking to me about his workout routines and meal plans for the football team. All the while, I had an excuse to ogle his body because he was telling me about how he trains what muscle, so naturally I would glance to that part of the body to see what he was talking about. ;)

We became good friends because he was a very humble guy, not a stereotypically conceited jock, and was happy to guide me and even give me a reusable water bottle to use at the gym. To help me get on my way, he even typed out his workout routine for me and went to work out with me a couple times to train me. I still follow his general plan to this day!

After spending a few months with my roommates and training with this friend, I resolved to improve my body once and for all and to start swimming for the cardio portion of my friend’s workout routine. But, the last straw wouldn’t be plucked away until I first decided to swim instead of play racquetball against myself for cardio.

--------------

Chapter 03 Part 02
The Last Straw

Our campus recently opened a brand new, absolutely stunning recreation center which has been ranked amongst the most beautiful in the nation. It has multiple racquetball courts, an indoor track, countless basketball courts, more weightlifting and machinery space than you could possibly hope to use, and a huge pool deck with beach volleyball courts, a leisure pool, and an olympic pool.

At the time, I still just had a pair of unlined Quicksilver board shorts which I’d used to replace the ones I’d gotten at Walmart (see previous “Becoming an Enthusiast” story), so I decided to wear those to swim laps. When I first went, I expected most people to just be in board shorts, even for swimming, because I know how shy college guys are when it comes to putting that part of their body on display (kind of ironic, considering how quick they are to show off the rest of their bodies).

Now, in one sense I was correct: every bro hanging out and tanning on the pool deck was in board shorts. But, I soon realized that I was the only one who’d come to exercise who was not in a speedo or jammer! I thought I would feel out of place in a speedo, but it was shockingly just the opposite! It was the oddest awkward situation I’d been in, where I was the one who was out of place BECAUSE of my modesty. I found myself rushing to get in the water BECAUSE of the shorts. I felt like everyone was staring at how stupid I looked.

In hind sight, of course, it’s a good sign that it was the opposite of what I’d expected. And, I should have known better since it seems like almost every single friend of mine at school (and the student body as a whole) used to be a swimmer or water polo player! It makes me wish I’d pursued doing it myself in high school. I love being in the pool, and I love the camaraderie between swim mates.

Anyway, wearing board shorts combined with the fact that I hadn’t swum laps for exercise in years resulted in me swimming only 2 laps. There was so much drag on the suit, and they were clumsy to swim in! Regardless of opinions about whether you can acceptably leisure swim and hang out in speedos, board shorts are just stupid for swimming laps. Why on earth would anyone do that unless they were a pro swimmer that needed the extra drag for a better workout?!

I decided that stopping my workout then was a better alternative to drowning. There was no questioning the fact that I’d reached the last straw using board shorts to swim. The first thing I did after FURIOUSLY storming back to my dorm that afternoon was start googling speedo brands and styles. But that’s for the next installment. :)

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 04 Part 01
The Speedo Speedo

I began my research right away after nearly drowning to death swimming laps in my board shorts. I didn’t know where to start, really. So, I decided to start with Speedo, the most tried and true speedo brand out there. I didn’t like TYR’s styles as much. And at this point, I’d never even heard of the other brands out there like Arena or Turbo. The only reason I knew TYR and Speedo were because of those weekly ads that come in the mail from sports stores like Big 5. Heaven forbid my roommates walk in now when I have photos of speedo-clad men and close-ups of their crotches spread all over my computer screen!

I elected to skip the jammer stage and get a pair of briefs. I went on Speedo’s website and found a size 38 suit (the closest to my size that I could find) on sale and bought it. It was probably one of the strangest choices of model for a super-shy swimmer: the Home of the Fast Kelly Green model in Kelly Green because it matches my school colors a bit.

Gratuitous photo of Ryan Lochte modeling the same suit in grey with his dog for the Sexiest Man Alive shoot:

http://images.thehollywoodgossip.com/iu/s--3Yh5vyMR--/t_full/f_auto,fl_lossy,q_75/v1364527582/ryan-lochte-speedo-1.jpg

The next couple days were fraught with anxious waiting and vigorous pleasuring thinking of what it would be like once I have my own speedo. Would the fabric feel the same as the one in high school? Would I be disappointed? Would it be too revealing for Modest Me to wear in public? Would it hide a boner by distracting the other swimmers with its ridiculously bombastic pattern? Would it make me look like the least endowed man on Earth if it's too tight? Well, it decently displays Phelps and Lochte, so hopefully it'll work for me. What would my roommates think if they saw me with a flamboyant speedo? At least it was in my school colors so I could say it was to show school spirit or pride… :/

A few days later, I’d almost completely forgotten about it thanks to the stress of my classes. Like usual, the first thing I did when I get back to my dorm is check my mailbox. There was a small slip of paper inside: the package notice! It had arrived! I practically skidded around the corner running to the front desk to pick it up.

My friend working there gets the package out for me. Oh, no, what if it has Speedo plastered all over the box?! They’ll see how small the package is and realize it can’t possibly be board shorts! I suppose it could be goggles or something too. Oh, ok, thank goodness it’s just plain white. No embarrassment there. I retreated quickly to my room, locked the door, and savagely tore the package open.

Oh, god, it’s small.

Actually, it’s smaller than most of my underwear! Did I order a swimsuit or a bandana???

I take it out of the box and feel the suit in my hands. It’s different than before, a different fabric blend, perhaps. It may be small compared to my board shorts, but at least it has wide 3” sides. The wild colors are printed in the fabric itself, but the black and grey stars are actually a little textured, so they have the slightest dimensionality to them. The Speedo logo is heat-transferred on the side.

Wai-WAIT A SECOND. There’s a gigantic star front and center, right where my manhood will be housed which practically shouts, “HEY! CHECK OUT THIS GUY IN HIS BANANA HAMMOCK. HIS DICK IS RIGHT THERE.” It’s an advertisement for goods I don’t want to sell! Why the heck did I order this suit?!

I look inside. The suit seems to have no structure to it. It’s just two patches of fabric stitched together. It’s fully lined with a black nylon-Lycra blend. Good, that’ll help conceal better. I can’t stop feeling it in my hands. I even lift it up to smell the fabric. Huh. Smells just like…fabric. Ok, not sure what I expected there.

Time to try it on.

I double check that the door is locked. That way, I’d have a few seconds’ warning if one of the roomies comes back. Golly, what a rush! My own speedo, finally! (I really needed like a size 40 to be more comfortable, but being a fashion-conscious designs student, I couldn’t bear the appearance of the other suits that came in my size. No imagination!) Alright, this takes a bit more effort than I expected. Oh my, this is small. The resulting arousal isn’t quite as immediate or untamable as when I’d first worn them before, but this time, it’s special. I could do whatever I want with or in this suit, because it was mine. I could even rub one out if I want!

But, reality check: I didn’t have my own room. I couldn’t wear or relax in it for very long because there’s no telling when one of my roommates might walk in. And I certainly couldn’t have a wank. Nonetheless, my enthusiasm was realized! The only thing that remained…was swimming in it……

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 04 Part 02
The Pool

It took a day or two to find the time to go to the pool. I was and am a college student, after all! The first day going out in my suit found me enduring a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I wanted so desperately to be one of the swimmers who slice through the water like a hot knife through butter, but at the same time, I was incredibly embarrassed about my body. So, I donned my Speedo speedo in the privacy of my room and put on my board shorts for the walk down to the rec center. I didn’t bother with the rash guard; that stage had passed. All I slipped on was a tank top just to get me to the pool.

It felt almost like a slow motion scene going from my dorm to the pool. A suspenseful personal soundtrack played in my head. This isn’t a movie, so I can’t compose and insert my own music here. BUT, this is the internet, YouTube exists, and you can open another tab while reading this! So, I suggest you open and play this 1m29s clip in another tab while reading the next few paragraphs: https://youtu.be/aRDsnJSn9j8 (Mentally, there was more cello, but this is the closest I can come without spending an hour hunting down what I was inwardly hearing.)

In my mind, everyone was staring at me as I walked like they could see the speedo underneath. It was a valid fear, in my defense; the speedo’s tight, unforgiving grip caused a slight but noticeable line in the loose board shorts where the thigh exits the suit. Reaching the rec center, I tensely entered my access code, hesitantly crossed the lobby, and timidly wrapped through the locker room. As the lockers and half-naked guys seemed to close in around me, I unwittingly paused just short of the door to the pool deck, frozen in apprehension with a towel, tank top (How did that remove itself? I didn’t remember taking it off.) and goggles in hand.

Going out in speedos for the first time can be difficult for many people, as I’ve read. The general consensus seems to be that the problem has to do with modesty, how your package gets advertised to everyone. Contrarily, my biggest fear was putting this much of my out-of-shape body on display. The guys weren’t as much of a concern for a few reasons. I could handle whatever the guys thought of my package. I’m not showing any goods that they haven’t seen or don’t have themselves; only, I’m better, uh, *insulated* for the cold winter months. Additionally, they shouldn’t judge me for being out of shape while in a specialized swim suit at the pool if I’m there to exercise and improve myself. It would be like teasing a guy who doesn’t bench as much as you if they’re just starting out compared to your years of experience; they’re a work in progress. Lastly, if I boned up, I thought (hoped) they’d understand. But, it was the girls I was most nervous about. Not being happy with the shape I was in, I didn’t want to show off too much of myself to them. (And, in my defense, having thick thighs makes your bulge look relatively smaller.) As a straight guy, the last thing I wanted to do was detract girls with my body, bulge, or choice of clothing.

“Alright, this is it. There’s no need to panic about it,” I reassured myself. “You’re there to swim, just like every other guy and girl out there in the pool. You’re dressed appropriately, so just go for it.”

My heart raced, probably from the effort of supplying blood to my stomach which was, at the time, attempting to digest the butterflies which had suddenly appeared.

After what felt like half an hour of deliberation, I couldn’t quite bring myself to go straight out on the pool deck in just the speedo. No, no, I would need to warm up to it. Instead of just strutting my stuff from the outright, I wore my board shorts over the speedo itself. I only semi-confidently slithered out of the locker room to the pool, as quickly and unnoticeably as possible, where I was faced with a hoard of sun-soakers and a pool nearly brimming with swimmers. I was suddenly very glad I hadn’t quite had the confidence yet; I’d much rather ease into it with this many witnesses.

I chose a lane as far away from the lifeguard as possible; that way, my brain speculated, they couldn’t easily see how utterly rubbish I was at swimming, nor would they easily notice my speedo. I took a few last deep breaths, put my goggles on, and jumped in. I stripped off the board shorts underwater and so no one could see my suit underneath unless they watch me underwater or follow my laps from a high vantage point.

Time for a new soundtrack piece: https://youtu.be/Ry4BzonlVlw?t=43s. (Shoutout to the Piano Guys for being 100% amazing!)

It was such a different experience from swimming with board shorts. The suit ended up providing the perfect balance of package display, design interest, ease of motion, and boner management. If anything, the craziness and brightness of the pattern would hide any signs of arousal by distracting the observer from growing contours or shadows. Fortunately, I didn’t develop a major physical reaction to the situation and consequently test my theory. In fact, I remained relatively unaroused for the duration of the swim. The experience of the swim itself was rewarding in and of itself. I could feel the water moving along the contours of my legs. The lack of drag was a relief to my muscles and respiratory system. I felt a million miles per hour quicker, like a pro swimmer. And best of all, I could twist and turn and kick my legs more freely with the lack of fabric restriction.

Later on, though, when I was approaching the end of my workout when I’d have to get out of the pool, I began feeling a stir again. I wasn’t very well positioned in the suit, so as it grew it became sort of like a rudder guiding me through the water. It certainly helped my stability. :p

When it came time to get out, I put my board shorts back on underwater and found the nearest ladder to climb out. (I wasn’t about to try to roll out of the pool like a beached seal trying to maneuver on land.) I collected my things and left, feeling somewhat accomplished. I’d finally done it! I’d worn and swum in my speedo in public!

This routine of taking my shorts off after getting in the pool went on for a couple months, generally without incident. There were one or two times, though, that I would reach the end of the lane and then would be horrified to see a friend standing there that had somehow recognized me! They had to have noticed my speedo! I would attempt to hold a conversation with them, after restarting my heart, of course. Eventually, they’d go away so I could leave my position as close to the wall as possible so they couldn’t see what I’m wearing, or at least couldn’t get a closer look at how I fit in it!

Eventually, I reached the point where swimming in briefs was somewhat normal to me such that there were no more unwarranted displays of arousal. It just takes time to grow accustomed to the suit. I therefore answered the question I’d asked myself the second time I’d tried on a speedo. “How on Earth do the swimmers hide their constant boners?!” Answer: the hard-ons get less constant as you spend more time in them.

Regardless, after building confidence doing the actual laps in a speedo, I decided that this regular undressing and redressing was getting tiresome, and I still didn’t feel comfortable being seen in the speedos. I needed to be able to wear something that I could be seen in both in and out of the water. Thus my hunt for a jammer began.

Aaaaaaaannnnnnnd…kill the music.

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 05 Part 01
The Jammer

Well, I’d done it. I’d worn a speedo in public…sort of…and I could keep my urges under control. But, I of course want to be able to get in and out of the pool without undressing and re-dressing, so after a summer- and autumn-long hiatus from swimming (thanks to travel and then an incredibly stressful fall at school, but that’s another story which I don’t need to share), I started to look for an affordable jammer to wear instead. It was just about halfway through sophomore year at uni and I was living in an apartment on campus with 3 other guys, so I had a room to myself to wear swimwear if I want and relax completely alone.

I decided to stick with Speedo because, again, Speedo and TYR were the only brands I know and I’m not a huge fan of TYR’s designs. After all, Speedo was tried and true so I knew I could trust it without having to consult other guys or friends for advice. I decided to go with the X Plaid Spliced Jammer in blue because (1) I LOVE blue and (2) the design down the side of the jammer looked super cool. It arrived and I began going to the pool again after a long break. I also invested in some mirrored Speedo goggles (I can sometimes suffer from crippling brand loyalty, if you haven't noticed) to wear because the clear (Speedo again) goggles I’d bought before were too bright to look through on a sunny day.

Here’s the suit from the front:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21QuF9J0HoL.jpg

This time, I wore my suit straight from the locker room to the water. It was just tight enough to give me a similar sensation as the briefs, that precious combination of display, athleticism, and support. Though, with jammers you feel the comforting extra coverage. Consequently, a couple of weeks saw any reservations I had melt away. Pretty soon, I was confident enough to not just go straight to a lane but to go find a chaise lounge as well! I was still very conscious of how overweight I was, but I figured the dark-colored jammer offered enough cover and containment to walk on the pool deck even without a rash guard. I also found myself spending more time tanning by the pool after I swim because I am desperately white, like printer-paper white, underneath my clothes. (Don’t worry, I use sunscreen and I don’t spend too much time out there!)

That first jammer lasted from January until August. Yes, that’s a shockingly long time for a suit to last with regular use, but that’s because I wasn’t regularly using it until May or June. It was at the point where I could start seeing through the suit if I looked inside of it before putting it on. So, I decided to buy a new one before any accidental reveals à la Nathan Adrian happened. I'm sure you've seen the photos before, but here they are in case you haven't and are too lazy to go hunting them down:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3R1joGD27k/UBq6cLjlNUI/AAAAAAAAIJw/vCg0kqYObnw/s1600/6a00e54fb7301c8834011571481bd6970c-800wi.jpeg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/cc/c2/91/ccc291fceb00c5740834cd157bf3651d.jpg

Apparently, it happens to him on a regular basis. Anyway...

For my second jammer I had to settle for a Speedo Solid Jammer in navy because it was the only one in my size and my price range at the time. Unsurprisingly, I ended up returning it to Speedo almost instantly and buying the Rapid Splice Xtra Life Lycra Jammer in black/blue on Amazon instead; I couldn’t bear the oppressive simplicity of the styling of the solid jammer.

This is the suit:

https://www.kiefer.com/filebin/product_images/Zoom_600x600/8051202-blue-speedo-male-rapid-spliced-jammer.jpg

This time, I asked my roommate for his opinion on how they fit, him being a former polo player as well. And good news: these jammers were the same size as my previous ones, but they were too loose! I’d lost weight! Woohoo! I’ve never been more happy to exchange an item of clothing.

I owe a lot to my jammers. You know, we criticize jammers for their modesty and difficulty to get on, myself included, but it helped me transition to having the confidence to wear a skintight swimsuit where others could see me. Them allowing me to reduce the blinding whiteness of my upper body also made me feel less self-conscious about taking my shirt off when I went to the beach with my housemates. They also helped me finally feel comfortable in my own skin…well, with the anonymity of the pool deck, anyway. Although, as I was about to find out, I wasn’t as alone at the pool as I’d hoped. Soon, friends started appearing left and right.

To be continued…

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 05 Part 02
The Friends

Occasionally I did run into someone I know on the pool deck, but I was sure to always have my towel in hand to shield my manhood from their line of sight. I sometimes also had the comfort of already being in the water.

One time, I met a good friend of mine as he was getting out of the pool and I was getting in. We met originally by going to the same bible study at church, so we were becoming pretty good friends by this point. Oh gosh he was good-looking. His face, to start with, was nicely structured and featured a wide, white, pleasant smile. His torso and lower body weren't especially defined, but he had a perfect swimmer’s shape - the broad shoulders and slightly rounded pecs; the slender yet muscular legs; and the almost flat, gently rolling abdominal muscles. His bottom wasn’t muscular enough to have dimples in the sides, but it still filled his speedo in all the right ways.
-------
Side note: a physical feature that I think makes a guy incredibly attractive is when the butt’s dimples are so pronounced that the suit slightly lifts away from the skin. It’s a subtle sign of true muscle definition, and I’m a big fan of subtlety!
-------
His skin was free of hair and had an even, natural golden tan, thanks to his Asian or South Asian ancestry. It wasn’t that kind of tan where you can tell they’ve been in the sun far too much. Use these two photos as reference for his appearance. Picture the smooth body and skin tone of the first guy combined with the face and muscle mass (not not definition) of the second:

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/a/(KGrHqZ,!qEE63Z2hzGeBPDP+R(d)Q~~/s-l400.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8b/af/cf/8bafcf67dbf5094168fbe20c0c97c205.jpg

Being a former high school swimmer and an ex-member of our college swim team, he still wears a speedo to swim. When I ran into him this time, he was wearing a Q Swimwear Spain classic brief (the model from before the company restyled it), and despite his Asian heritage, he was showing quite a nice bulge in the front. We only talked for a moment because he was in a rush. Unfortunately, we never got to swim together because we were both busy when the other was free. I’m sure I could have improved my form a lot with him! He was apparently a valuable asset to the team.

Another time, I ran into a friend from freshman year. I was already in the pool when he arrived, and I finished my last lap just as he noticed me and stood at the end of my lane. This friend was also a former swimmer (go figure), so he continued to swim for exercise in college. He was more conservative, though, so he wore royal blue knee-length jammers. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t attractive in them; quite the contrary. He still had a noticeable protrusion in the front of his suit, his quads and hamstrings were very lean but showing definition, and his bottom showed just enough strength to it to be respectable.

There are many reasons guys can be a fitness inspiration/object of envy for me. The guy next door in my dorm freshman year (see Becoming an Enthusiast 03) was motivation because he was like a muscular demigod walking the earth. This friend, on the other hand, was like a merman gracefully gliding through the water. His body was flat and smooth, his shoulders wide and sturdy, and his arms quick to propel him forward. We’d wanted to swim together regularly, but our class schedules didn’t line up. Case in point: on this day, I was about to leave as he was just arriving.

As we talked, him standing on the pool deck above me treading water in the pool, I revealed that I was struggling big time with my flip turns at the ends of the laps, therefore stopping my momentum at every length to turn around; and being out of shape, this meant I stopped a lot more than I should to catch my breath. I wanted to force myself to keep going. So, he jumped in my lane and gave me a demonstration. As he repeated the flip turn a few times, he had me hover underwater or a better view of how his body moves. I unfortunately had to leave but was very thankful for the short lesson. I gave him my lane and we parted ways.

I most commonly saw another friend from church, though. He wasn’t a swimmer - an ex-football player, actually - but he worked as a lifeguard at the rec center pool. That meant that I would often see him up on his pedestal watching over all the swimmers, and I therefore felt extra awkward about my poor skills and unbecoming body. I already mentioned that I usually choose a lane far away from the lifeguard to hide my work-in-progress form.

With this friend, not only did I want to hide my form but also the fact that I’m in a speedo/jammer. I figured that because he wasn’t a swimmer and we are both rather conservative, he might not have passively ignored seeing me in it. (In hindsight, I’m pretty sure this is nonsense. If I’m there to swim and workout, he should expect to see me in a jammer or speedo. But I was still shy about being seen in one by a close friend.) Whenever I did see him, though, I’d wave “bye” to him at the end as I enter the locker rooms across the pool from where he sits. That way, it would only be a quick glance and I’d be able to hold my towel at my side to shield his line of sight.

The Rapid Splice Jammer carried me through the next school year when I would begin swimming with a guy who would become my best friend. He would also get me closer to returning to wearing a speedo in the pool and out, but that’s for the next chapter.

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 06 Part 01
Meet Aaron

It's time to meet my first friend who is passionate about speedos himself. For my junior year of uni (and the summers before and after), I moved into a house with a bunch of other people, both guys and girls, but each sex had their own floor of the two-story house to themselves for modesty and privacy’s sake. One of the other guys in the house became one of my closest friends. I won’t say his true name, but I also won’t leave him nameless like the other people in my life thus far. He is an important enough person in my life and this path of mine to deserve at least an alias, so let’s call him Aaron.

Aaron wasn’t super built like my friend in the dorm room next to mine. But, he was just as attractive, if not more so, because of his golden tan, sun-kissed hair, and lean definition. He is self-conscious about how “skinny” he is despite the countless times I’ve assured him that I would kill to have his body; honestly, I probably would. From what I could tell just living with him, he had a nicely shaped bottom (more on that later), a defined six-pack, and good shoulders. Plus, he’s only a 30” waist, so he’s much fitter than I am. One of his most endearing traits, though, is his inexhaustible supply of energy. Picture an excitable, friendly puppy that never stops bounding around and having fun every waking second of its life.

Within a few months of moving in together, we’d gotten to know each other more and were on our way to becoming best friends. I learned that he had done the full trinity of water sports in high school and community college: swimming, diving, and water polo. At this point I didn’t know how dedicated he was to still wearing speedos when he swam. But, once we started grocery shopping and hanging out together, that’s when I learned.

--------------

Chapter 06 Part 02
The Emergency Speedo

One day we went grocery shopping together in his car. When we got back to the house, we started unloading the trunk and I noticed a very small piece of fabric just lying there next to our grocery bags. On second glance I realized it was a speedo! My heart immediately began to race. I knew Aaron had done swim, dive and polo in the past, but when I saw the speedo still in his car, I figured that he must still wear it! After all, he is a guy and his car is almost spotless inside and out, so there’s no way this speedo had been neglected since last swimming in community college the year before.

We took one big load of groceries inside so there was only one or two bags left, so I offered to get the rest and shut his car for him. When I got back to the car, I had to be quick about it because you could see it from the house. I gently picked up the speedo to get a closer look. It was an Agonswim Euro brief, I’m assuming his polo team suit, with a burgundy panel in the front and black in the back. It was reasonably well-worn but not entirely spent. What really got me going was that when I held it in my hands, the front of it formed into a cupped shape, obviously from containing and shaping to his manhood for years. I had to put it back before I got aroused; otherwise the trip into the house would get awkward. I was sure to leave it laying in such a way that he’d think it had just been rolling around the trunk of his car like usual.

When I went in the house, though, I did remark on the fact that I found an “emergency” speedo in his car. We chuckled about it, but he said he always keeps some swim gear on hand, including some board shorts that were somewhere in the trunk too. I also learned that when he swims laps, he still wears a speedo. He also revealed that he would never wear anything with sides wider than 1-1.5” (the closer to 1 inch, the better) because it resembles a diaper, and I quite agree in most cases. Anything wider than the standard Speedo models such as my Home of the Fast brief does look pretty unattractive as far as speedos go. This rule does not apply to square-cuts, obviously, as they are a different style entirely. But, square-cuts are beyond Aaron either way.

To me, Aaron immediately became one of the coolest guys I know. He was an “average” (meaning non-model/superstar swimmer) good-looking guy who’s not afraid to strut his stuff in his speedos for his swim workouts. Some ex-swim team members I know no longer wear their suits to swim, though I can’t imagine why. Aaron, though, had a dedication to wearing speedos and an openness to talking about it! He doesn’t wear them to the beach, though, for the sake of modesty. Although I did notice them under his board shorts.

I got the opportunity to take a closer, prolonged look at the suit a month or two later. Aaron was a beginner-intermediate surfer too, and as I discovered one night after he’d rinsed out his things after a morning of surfing, he wears a speedo under his wetsuit. It was the same Agonswim brief as before, and this time it was left sort of on top of his beach bag to dry. Since it was night time and no one was around, I picked it up to examine again. Again, the front portion hung as if there were a guy filling it out, just as it had done at the car earlier on. I put it back and went to bed thinking about him wearing those speedos under his skintight wetsuit…

I knew we had to start swimming and working out together; yes, it was partially to see the speedo on him as he was very real motivation and the definitive swim/dive/polo athlete for me. However, it was mostly to grow our friendship, spend more time together, and motivate myself to work to look like him. Within a couple weeks, we set a date to work out together for the first time.

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 07 Part 01
Our First Swim

Our house was fortunately very close to the rec center at school, and we both wanted to do muscle training and swimming, so it worked out perfectly. Because I had done weight training in high school and gotten training from the friend in the dorm room freshman year, I would plan out the strength training, and then Aaron would plan out the swim portion due to his years of swim team, diving and polo.

The morning prior to our first workout, I knew how *ahem* hard - er, no, let’s say “difficult” - it would be to survive it without embarrassment. So, I was sure to get as much sexual tension out beforehand as possible. I was so nervous. I knew already that he was attractive, but how staggeringly hot would he be in his speedo? Would I be able to handle my feelings of desire to look like him, or keep my typically raging hormones under control? It was, after all, the first time I’d ever hung out one-on-one with a guy in such small, revealing swimwear. I was sure the inferiority, if not the arousal, would be crippling.

This wasn’t the first time a friend had worn speedos in my presence. I had sleepily watched a friend towel-change into a speedo right in front of me when we were on a trip in Europe, but he immediately put on board shorts afterwards. I might talk a little more about that trip another time in another story line or in a Guy Talk post. This time would be different. This was my fitness inspiration and best friend, one of the people I trust most in the world. And he wasn’t going to throw on board shorts afterwards. No, in just his tiny speedo, Aaron was about to skip out onto the pool deck like his usual giddy self and pirouette into the water as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Of course, for him, this was true. But for me: nope, I definitely hadn’t done this before. There were no awkward first swim team practices in my past for me to get used to the situation of suddenly being amongst friends wearing almost nothing at all.

At the gym, we found a free locker in the part of the locker room closest to the pool deck, a space unofficially reserved for the swimmers. The weightlifting portion of our workout went down without a hitch, thanks to our focus on the difficult task at hand. My form and balance were completely off after recommencing lifting after a bit of a hiatus. By the end of the particularly strenuous session, I could barely lift my arms without the muscles spasming.

We eventually reached the point where we would go swim. My heart started racing, fueled by a blend of anticipation and excitement. I knew from seeing his suit before that it would be very small indeed. Additionally, I knew that Aaron was not super skinny, especially in the legs and bottom thanks to years of treading water in polo. So, his suit would be even smaller in comparison. Oh, Lord, help me through this without any embarrassment.

Breathing becoming more and more laborious for me as we nonchalantly sauntered to the locker room and opened our shared locker. There they were, our two suits. Separated only by a shelf, they sat in our gear bags ready to be paraded out on the pool deck. We reached inside for our things and began to strip down.

--------------

Chapter 07 Part 02
Speedo Time

The moment was upon us. First, Aaron took off his tank top. No surprises there; I’d seen him shirtless before when we were dressing for a formal event. Nevertheless, the workout had made his muscles stand out a little more than usual. Then the shorts slipped off so only his undies remained, a pair of body-hugging Equipos like the ones Jeff Seid sometimes wears. Boy, I’d never noticed how nicely formed Aaron’s bum was. “Wouldn’t mind having one like that,” I think to myself.

And finally, speedo time had come. He did a towel change which I thought was odd considering his extensive experience on an aquatics team. I even felt so bold as to ask him about it. He said it depends on how confident he’s feeling, a factor which I more than understood myself. I felt my breathing pause as the towel dropped.

It revealed one of the most perfect body-speedo ensembles I’d ever seen. Aaron’s natural-looking abs cascaded gently down his core finishing in a highly desirable “V”. His loose suit, the same Agonswim burgundy and black brief as I’d seen before, ever so subtly lifted away just below Aaron’s obliques due to just how defined he was in his lower abdomen. It was nothing the drawstring couldn’t address.

The black and burgundy suit hugged every curve of Aaron’s waist and bum. It revealed the dimples in his cheeks, the fabric lifting away from the skin and stretching to bridge the gaps, and Aaron wasn’t even flexing! His thighs extended magnificently from the leg holes of his suit. His calves were a little less developed but still shapely.

With his many finely-tuned muscles from the variety of sports he’d done, Aaron was without a doubt the perfect specimen of a young man and a walking fitness advertisement: he had the legs of a polo player, the core of a diver, and the shoulders and arms of a swimmer. Talk about a new workout inspiration! He was so inconceivably attractive in his speedo, the jerk. Ugh I’m so jealous of his body TO THIS DAY. I wish I’d done those sports myself! Anyway, the point is: when he had stripped down to his speedo, I couldn’t think anything besides, “Wow, what a body!” I knew it would be a long day before I could take care of the unavoidable arousal.

Aaron ran his thumbs inside the waistline to make sure it rested evenly. His manhood, though not huge, was haphazardly stuffed into the front and showed well. then without giving it a second thought, he just reached right in and adjusted himself as if it were such a normal thing. I suppose it is amongst swimmers, but I wouldn’t know. I’d never seen such a clearly defined bulge as this before in all my months of swimming at the rec center! You could see where his balls hung front and center and then trace his member’s outline as it snaked to the left.

Recovering from the initial shock, I quickly towel-changed into my trusty jammer and followed Aaron out on the pool deck. Fortunately, the jammers successfully hid any signs of the semi I was now sporting out of jealousy and admiration. Aaron, like usual, bounded around like an excitable puppy. We chose two lanes next to each other and jumped in.

He began explaining the sets we’d do and then demonstrated how to correctly swim freestyle. I yet again hovered underwater and observed a friend’s swimmer body glide through the water. The workout itself was beyond difficult for me. I’m relatively well self-motivated when it comes to working out, but it still didn’t prepare me for the rigor of a true swim session. At the start, I was at least half as slow as he. By the end, I was lucky to finish the lengths at all.

That afternoon, exhausted and excited, I retreated to the comfort and safety of my room. Despite my precautions that morning, I still blew one of my largest loads ever, thinking of what I’d seen and what I could be. I couldn’t wait to train with Aaron and swim enough to look like him!

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 08 Part 01
Life as Usual

For the rest of the year, I continued to wear the jammer. Aaron and I swam together at least 2-4 times a week. Each time, it got easier to ignore him in his speedo, though an occasional glance as we passed or a well-timed goggle seal check as he approached didn’t go amiss. And, I will admit, I regularly offered to wash out his suit for him with mine, so I got to carry it just after he’d worn it.

I could feel myself starting to improve, but I felt completely inferior training with him. It was very difficult for me to perpetually be behind. I looked forward to a friend recognizing him so I could get a head start on the next set; I felt terrible making him wait for so long as I caught up. But at the same time, I knew he was a good coach for me and a motivation to improve myself. I wanted to show him the fruits of his labor and to feel proud of what I was working towards.

There’s another guy I should introduce. Again, I cannot use his real name, so I’ll refer to him as Samuel, or Sam. Sam grew up near my university just like Aaron, but they came from smaller towns in opposite directions. He too was a former water polo player, and a good one at that. He told me stories of his team dominating the competition. We became good friends over time and spent many Sunday afternoons together after church. I learned that he also only wears speedos to swim and to coach his high school’s team, but reverts to board shorts for leisure swimming or hanging out at the beach. One Saturday in the spring, he, Aaron and I decided to swim together.

I was much less nervous about seeing Sam in a speedo. It wasn’t simply because he was a little overweight; in fact, he wasn’t by much at all and I still wouldn’t mind being as fit as he is. But it was more because he’s a bit of a dork, so he’s more entertaining and/or annoying rather than cool and attractive as a guy. Also, he started dating my best friend and was completely NOT worthy of or right for her. That’s my inner brother speaking rather than jealousy, I should add. Though I definitely had a crush on her for a while, I wasn’t planning on sharing my crush for a long while yet so it wasn’t like I was in competition for her love or anything. Sam just truly was not a good match for her. Fortunately, they’ve broken up since.

My point is: when Saturday came, I didn’t, if you catch my drift.

The swim went well. They both wore their speedos while I continued to hide in the safety of my jammer. They practiced doing that eggbeater thing that polo players do to tread water while tossing a polo ball back and forth. I was busy swimming laps as usual in the next lane. The only reasons I am sharing this story are these: (1) I had the chance to wear a speedo with friends also in speedos, but I didn't and wish I had; and (2) it’s part of the reason I’m generally not a fan of Turbos. Sam loves them, but it wasn’t very flattering on him, in my opinion. Aaron would get a Turbo himself later on, but that’s for part 2. :)

With time I grew to favor freestyle, tolerate backstroke, hate breaststroke, and ignore butterfly’s existence. Breaststroke was the absolute worst. The movements are terrible! I feel like I’m moving through the water like a frog who’s had two bottles of absinthe. Backstroke is alright, except I am physically unable to swim in an absolutely straight line and end up getting entangled in the lane dividers before practically breaking my wrists on the pavement at the end. Freestyle was easy to handle, though I am still working on the breathing and flip turns to this day.

One of my favorite things was our early-morning swims before church. We’d ride in my car and park near the rec center, go to the pool at opening, and get in a full swim before driving straight to church, our wet bathing suits hidden away in the trunk. It wasn’t only a confidence boost and energy boost from exercising to get the day started. Somehow, the knowledge of having worn a jammer less than half an hour before sitting with my friends made me feel special, like I knew or accomplished or felt something they didn’t.

Everything was going well, well enough that at some point, I became brave enough to reveal to Aaron that I had a speedo myself. Naturally, he wanted to see it.

--------------

Chapter 08 Part 02
Our Speedos

I had done something I’d never, ever done before. I’d revealed to a friend that I own a speedo. After Aaron had asked to see it on, I informed him that I didn’t look very good in it, but he insisted that I should put the suit on anyway. So, I nervously went back to my room, put on the speedos, and then hesitantly cracked the door telling him to come in and see. He did, and I shut the door immediately behind him. There I was, standing in front of my best friend whose opinion I respect deeply while wearing nothing but a bright green speedo with stars all over it.

His initial reaction when I showed it to him confirmed my opinion of its ridiculousness. Nevertheless, Aaron took me by surprise. I expected him to agree, to say that I should indeed wait a while longer before wearing it to the pool. But, no, he didn’t. Aaron did something I’d never foreseen and actually encouraged me to go ahead and wear it anyway! The first time I’d been encouraged to wear a speedo! I felt so happy that he would be cool with it; I would feel like “one of the guys” or whatever, like I had my own miniature swim team for which to wear briefs. Before long, we were looking online together to find matching speedos to wear while working out. He eventually chose a Turbo brief for himself, the model with the Swedish flag on the front. I wanted to get an Italy-themed brief in connection with my coming year abroad, so I continued to look my search after Aaron had decided.

A photo of the suit on SwimOutlet.com:

https://www.cdn-outlet.com/photos/31669-2.jpg

I remember the afternoon when his Turbos arrived. Again came out Aaron’s puppy-like excitement and enthusiasm as he rushed to his room to model them for me when they arrived. When he opened the door, I felt myself flush. The light blue and yellow were such an attractive contrast to his golden tan! He really had found the perfect suit for himself.

Contrary to most Turbos, these showed off his anatomy very well, almost as well as his Agonswims. (Actually, his bulge did look a little fuller than usual. Could he have been showing the same arousal that I feel myself when I wear a new suit?) It was amazing from every angle. Just watching him check himself out by looking down and using a mirror was making me somewhat hot and bothered. Aaron hadn’t shut his door like I had when modeling mine, so as another housemate passed by in the hallway, he glanced in, smiled and simply said, “Nice speedo.” You, sir, were not wrong.

At this point, I’d like to tell you that I was inspired to wear my own speedos to the pool with him. I’d also like to tell you that I bought a somewhat-matching pair and started wearing speedos to swim with my dearest friend. Furthermore, I’d like to tell you that my confidence was adequately boosted to not care about exposing so much of myself willingly. Most of all, I’d like to tell you that he helped me conquer my fears with just those few encouraging words before and then I lived happily ever after swimming and relaxing in my speedos.

Unfortunately, this tale isn’t the figment of my imagination written out purely for your reading pleasure where everything happens in an idyllic manner. This is my real story in the real world with real emotions. I couldn’t bring myself to do it by the end of the school year when he’d go off to a summer position far away and I’d stay in my college town working until I left for Europe for a year. Wearing speedos together would seemingly never happen.

Or would it?

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 09 Part 01
Last Chance

It was the last two weeks of the school year. If Aaron and I were to swim together both in speedos, it would be now or never (well, more like now or eventually; I do have to return for a year to finish my degree, after all). We set up a time midweek at midday to get together for one last swim before we would be swamped with exams and then part ways for the summer. I decided not to tell him that I’d wear my speedo for our last workout.

I couldn’t wait to finally wear my speedos! After all these years (and all these chapters), I would achieve my goal and fulfill my desire to swim in them with friends. This was far beyond thinking that speedos are sexy or that Aaron looks attractive in them; saying that would be far too shallow for the true meaning behind this swim and my desire to swim in them with a friend. Over the years, I had grown to love this skimpy, revealing garment as an extension of myself, a representation of breaking out of my socially awkward, self-conscious shell and not being afraid to show others who I am and what I like. I had developed something I had never felt before: a pride in myself and what I’d accomplished. I was still an introverted, overweight, reserved guy who could not care less about the usual sports but had an unhealthy obsession with cars, British television, and swimming. But, that didn’t matter.

All that mattered was that I had matured as a person and found one truly amazing friend and admirable role model in my buddy Aaron. He had guided me in many trials I faced in my life, both in and out of the pool. He had taken hours out of his own life to train with me and put up with my slightly pathetic lap times and regular bouts with inferiority and frustration. I had grown to have more faith in myself, my capabilities and my potential. And now, as a symbol of the confidence I’d built with Aaron at my side (or, more commonly, many many seconds ahead), I would wear my speedo with a friend who didn’t care how I looked in it and just have a blast together, one last great workout, before we had to part ways for a year.

My almost decade-long fulfillment approaching, I spent the next few days leading up to our swim brimming with excitement and optimism. My gym bag was packed far earlier than it needed to be and sat patiently waiting in my closet ready to go on our little adventure. Focusing on the schoolwork at hand was more difficult than ever. I absolutely couldn’t wait to take Aaron by surprise by producing that stupidly flamboyant, star-spangled speedo from my gym bag instead of my usual jammer! Two best buds working out in speedos on our own miniature swim team, just like I’d always wanted!

The day came.

--------------

Chapter 09 Part 02
Opportunity Missed

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

The design students at my school have to regularly submit portfolios for the university to use for the regular reviews by the powers that be. Unfortunately, the deadline was right in the middle of when Aaron and I would be swimming, and the submission took me by surprise because I’d been so busy. So, I was forced to work on my portfolio until the last possible second, missing my chance to work out one last time with my best friend.

When I was done, I was absolutely furious at myself, the school, the professor who organizes the portfolio collection, whoever invented the idea of making a portfolio in the first place, and the universe as a whole. And this wasn’t because I wouldn’t get to admire Aaron’s body or anything; no no no, my anger was much less shallow than that, and by now, seeing his speedo was almost a moot point. Because of the portfolio submission and my lack of personal organization, I couldn’t prove to my best friend what an impact he’d had on my life through our swimming sessions. I couldn’t show the confidence he’d helped me build in myself. I have had very few friends as encouraging, impactful and caring as Aaron.

I should've been a swimmer myself. I should’ve been more on top of the things I had to do. I should’ve worn my speedos earlier. I should’ve…and so forth. I was so furious, I felt like I could melt metal simply by glaring at it.

At this point, I decided, “You know what? Screw it.” Alone and with an attitude of absolute indignation, I stormed to the rec center, skipping the weight training portion and putting on my speedo and some sunscreen as quickly as possible. My momentum carried me to the door which I thrust open with the determination of a boxer entering the ring, ready to claim the pool deck, the nearest lane, and then the world as mine!

--------------

Chapter 09 Part 03
Reaction

Not even a nearby pigeon took notice of me.

Talk about anticlimactic. In my speedo, I was just another guy in the crowd ready to swim some laps. My extreme confidence and determination wavered as I sheepishly proceeded to a lane, put some equipment at the end for later use, and jumped in after adjusting my goggles. I then had one of the most normal workouts you could possibly imagine. Of course it felt special to myself, but I kept any arousal from the situation at bay and focused only on the workout.

As far as the people of the pool deck were concerned, it didn’t require a second thought. I almost wanted a cheer and a congratulation from all the other swimmers, like, “Way to go! You did it! You’re in the right attire, and you look just fine!” But, at the same time, I was happy that everyone completely ignored me as I still felt a little self-conscious even in this moment of personal triumph. At least I could reliably go to the pool in my speedo to swim laps and no one would bat an eye. I even felt confident enough to lay out in the sun for a few minutes afterwards to start ridding myself of the dreadful shorts/jammer tan line.

Then, it hit me. I had done it! I’d gone all the way! I’d worn a speedo all the way from the locker room, out onto the pool deck, and into the pool for my workout.

I still didn’t feel ready to hang out at the beach or anything in it, especially when it’s with friends with whom I don’t swim for exercise. My love of speedos is a very personal, private thing for me which no one outside of this board knows about. Outside this forum, I’m not as bold or exhibitionistic as some of the other users, so it will take a lot of personal brazening before I feel comfortable doing that. I certainly won’t be the one to try and normalize speedos amongst my friends. Maybe, as I get into better shape and rebuild the confidence I’d gained training with Aaron, I would reconsider, but we’ll have to see.

That evening, I couldn’t wait to tell Aaron what I’d accomplished. He was, of course, happy for me, and I think he wished he’d been there to share that moment with me. Oh, well. At least I’d done it before the year ended. I’d just have to wait until I come back from Italy to swim with him in our speedos. In the meantime, I could spend as much time as I’d like at the pool working out alone.

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 10
A New Normal

After a hard goodbye, Aaron left for the summer. Most of the house scattered to different summer jobs or returned home after graduating until just a few of us remained. I was still working in town, and my tuition and fees had apparently paid for my membership at the rec center for a full calendar year. So, I was able to continue going for weight training and swimming throughout the summer.

By early July, I had adjusted to wearing a speedo without any further trouble or anxiety. I started by wearing my towel around my waist until I had claimed a chaise lounge and pool lane for myself. Then, I’d only be exposed for a few seconds until I jumped in the water. Gradually, I began to simply carry my towel over my arm, holding it in front of my speedo with goggles in hand. Finally, by late July, I stopped caring completely. I even felt confident enough to go back inside the locker room without a towel, dripping wet and straight out of the pool, to use the bathroom before continuing my workout. That was the point when I REALLY felt like a true swimmer, funnily enough: wet, without a towel, simply walking around and going about my business in the locker room or on the pool deck. Wearing a speedo had finally become a normal thing, and it was so freeing. I felt more comfortable in my own skin. Most of all, I loved that post-swim feeling where your skin and muscles feel taught and your soul feels calmed after a therapeutic soak and workout.

Every once in a while, I’d be able to spend some time tanning after my swims to try and rid myself of the horrid farmers tan on my arms and the shorts tan on my legs. Of course, I sometimes lost track of time or even fell asleep in the comforting sunshine, so I’d go home and discover my pasty white skin had turned as pink as a breast cancer awareness ribbon. Then would follow a week of absolute agony as I had to rub myself down with aloe vera day and night!

Eventually it came time to pack for my year abroad which led to a somewhat awkward situation. I had done laundry and was packing clothes in my suitcase with my mom’s help. Suddenly, my mom moved some clothing and unearthed my Home of the Fast kelly green speedo! “…What?” is all she managed to say in her surprise.

“OH!” I laughed nervously and quickly tried to formulate a cohesive explanation as to why I had it. “Remember back when we were shopping for a new suit that didn’t have a lining? Well, I finally bought some briefs to wear underneath, and these were the only ones on sale!”

“Oh, ok, that makes more sense,” she replied, no longer worried about why her very reserved, conservative son had a super flamboyant swimsuit. I packed it away without further incident or questioning.

And with that, I moved to Italy.

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Chapter 11
The Website

More than half a year later, I found myself casually reading online. Every once in a while, I also google personal accounts/stories relating to situations involving speedos, such as a roommate trying them on or the first time wearing them or friends sharing their suits, and so on and so forth, because they are both arousing and fascinating to me as someone who has never had a “speedo experience” myself.

On this particular day, I came across a story about a boy who joins a swim team after his family moves to Connecticut. I couldn’t stop reading it; the chapters were so gripping to me as this young guy went through the same reactions as I had when he first tries on a speedo. I continued browsing through the other threads and found a story I'd read a while ago about a cowboy-like college freshman who tries on and falls in love with speedos thanks to a couple friends on the swim team.

Then I saw an account of a swim team car wash where the guys all decided to just wear their team suits. I remember reading that back in freshman year! I continued until I found a touching story about a young kid named Jimmy from a very poor family who finds a mentor in a soon-to-be high school senior from less humble origins. I found that story particularly touching because I too come from a financially troublesome background. Oh, and that wonderful true story about the guy whose German roommate forced him to wear speedos at the beach! Ah, good times. If only I’d had a friend who’d done that.

I soon realized what site it was and discovered I’d been frequenting the same forum on and off for the past couple years. I could easily recognize the site’s various shades of blue in its theme. Upon moving on to the general swim suit guy talk section regarding the briefs and found a plethora of guys going through similar experiences or sharing similar thoughts and emotions. “Look at all of these guys just like me!” I thought to myself. And then, I came to a realization: I had to join. Too many times over the past years and past hours of browsing had I found myself wanting to click ‘Reply’ on a thread and yet couldn’t because I wasn’t a member.

So, I took the plunge and signed up. After years of keeping silent, I finally started to type out my thoughts, feelings and experiences. All these things I had kept secret for years flowed out of me like water through a fountain, thinking about how reserved and yet enthusiastic I had been about speedos. I finally had a peer group who also loved speedos with whom I could talk about subjects I wouldn’t dare bring up with my friends. I began my tale: “I first saw a speedo when I was about 9 or 10….”

I think you know where it goes from there.

--------------

The End

[Alfred007]

Wow. Thank you for sharing. I totally underwtand and relate to working hard to achieve a goal. I have felt that I could not wear speedo as I was size 38. Now through hard work I am down to a 34. My wife does not approve of speedos. And for that I sadly respect her wishes, even though they would be just for our private pool or laps. But still I am excited about jy gains amd continue to work towards my goal.

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Sorry to hear that, Alfred007, but good on you for working towards your goal!