The Golden Age Swimmer Speedos

[Brent]

I found a playlist of 18 videos on You Tube entitled, "Swimming hot skimpy speedos Vintage." Back then before the new high tech fabrics it was thought that the smaller the suit the faster you could go. This lead to downsizing and in some cases extreme downsizing as you can see in some of the videos. I swam in the 90's and that's how I wore my speedo in competition. I am curious what you guys think.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...qDi9FJUhTOorvK

[Bede735]

The 1989 NJO West SCY mens 200 im finals is amazing. Some of the briefs on those swimmers appear to have only one inch sides.

[speedorob86]

that's crazy.

[Brent]

Yeah, if its even 1 inch. Because smaller meant faster, guys became obsessed with wearing the smallest speedo possible. When some guy on your team or the competition went to extreme downsizing you had to also. I think that is what that video shows.

[Bede735]

There's a similar swimsuit you could buy from here:

http://www.proswimwear.co.uk/diana-m...efs-black.html

If it wasn't for all the artwork on it I would be tempted.

[PSDave]

Our coach insisted on tight but they had to fit properly. There could be no exposure of the ass crack. He pointed out if there was any way for water to get in the suit it would slow us down. The same went for the front where the torso and legs come together. The suits were generally 2-2.5 inches on the sides but being stretched so tight they appeared to be smaller. "Water intrusion is the enemy" was the coaches chant on suit inspection days.

[tightjeans]

[quote=Brent]I found a playlist of 18 videos on You Tube entitled, "Swimming hot skimpy speedos Vintage." Back then before the new high tech fabrics it was thought that the smaller the suit the faster you could go. This lead to downsizing and in some cases extreme downsizing as you can see in some of the videos. I swam in the 90's and that's how I wore my speedo in competition. I am curious what you guys think.

Thanks loads for you post I have been looking for something like this for awhile and really enjoyed it. Do have anymore?

[Brent]

[quote=tightjeans]

Originally Posted by Brent

I found a playlist of 18 videos on You Tube entitled, "Swimming hot skimpy speedos Vintage." Back then before the new high tech fabrics it was thought that the smaller the suit the faster you could go. This lead to downsizing and in some cases extreme downsizing as you can see in some of the videos. I swam in the 90's and that's how I wore my speedo in competition. I am curious what you guys think.

Thanks loads for you post I have been looking for something like this for awhile and really enjoyed it. Do have anymore?

I found that list by accident just searching for speedos. If you look in the lower right column while viewing any of the videos in the playlist you'll see suggested similar videos. Those from the 80's and 90's are the ones you want. Around 2000, briefs became obsolete. Good luck.

[Bede735]

Originally Posted by PSDave

The suits were generally 2-2.5 inches on the sides but being stretched so tight they appeared to be smaller. "Water intrusion is the enemy" was the coaches chant on suit inspection days.

Did they wear a couple of sizes too small? Seems like a massive reduction.

[sebbie]

My recollection is that size-wise, this is pretty much what the guys wore in competition to the early 90s under the guise that less material made for faster times. however, i do not recall long rows of swimmers all clad in black..the suits were usually a rainbow of different colors.

In international meets it was always most interesting, as the Europeans had always been more attuned to wearing swimming briefs as skimpy as possible, so, like the French swimmers would be clad in a colorful suit that was only barely there, with every meet pushing farther the envelope in this regard. These suits were much like the little Asian suits of today.

The American guys, not wishing to be outswum by the European competition from, say Spain or France, and fearing the Europeans somehow knew more about the type of suit needed for fast times, felt they needed to try and be competitive suit style-wise as well, so, lacking the choices in the really skimpy swimwear the Europeans had, they simply downsized the suits that were available one size, two sizes or three sizes, which made the normally- designed 2" side suits look skimpier in competition and more like what the Europeans were wearing.

Maybe some of this was in the thinking that if a guy cupped his balls in a tight and skimpy enough of a brief, all the pressure would help him go faster down the lane and beat the Europeans. Swimsuit modesty did not rule as it seems to nowadays.