Category:
Sports
Sports
Dangerous Darts
An unusual way to play darts.The woman is actress Jane Powell, and according to Getty Images the photo was taken circa 1955. But Getty offers no info other than that.
Powell is wearing that swimsuit on the poster for her 1957 movie The Girl Most Likely. However, she wore the exact same swimsuit in her 1958 movie The Female Animal (see video clip below).
So the photo must have been taken during the shooting of one of these two movies. But which one, I don't know. And was it a scene from the movie, or was this how the actors passed the time on set? Again, I don't know.
Powell died just a few months ago at the age of 92. More info from the NY Post.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 30, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Movies, Sports, 1950s
Method of executing a tennis stroke
In 1999, Kevin and George Repper were granted a patent (No. 5,993,336) for a "method of executing a tennis stroke". The method consisted of hitting a tennis ball while kneeling on the right knee — that knee being protected by a kneepad.This raises two questions. First, how did they possibly obtain a patent for this? And second, why did they bother getting a patent for this? Did they seriously expect other tennis players to license this method from them?
I don't know the answer to the first question, but I have a hypothesis about the second. Some googling reveals that George Repper was a patent attorney while his son, Kevin, was on a high-school tennis team. So my guess is that the patent was some kind of father-son bonding experience, with the father showing his son how to obtain a patent. And it seems like the son is also now a patent attorney.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 19, 2021 -
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Category: Inventions, Sports, 1990s
Peter Puck
Peter's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 29, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Sports, Cartoons, 1970s
7 Days to Better Bowling
Released in 1961 by Audio-Dynamics Corp. of Portland, Oregon. It promised better bowling through self-hypnosis. Although for right-handers only.CAUTION: This recording is for right handed bowlers only. It is unique in its field, and should not be played until you have read the instructions carefully on the reverse side of the jacket.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Listen to the record in solitude or free from distraction.
2. Listen to the record while in a relaxed, comfortable position.
3. This recording has been specifically designed to adapt to the schedule of the busy executive or career woman. Side No. 1 may be listened to at any time on any conventional 33-1/3 R.P.M. phonograph. Side No. 2 has been developed to be used on any 33-1/3 R.P.M. automatic player, and when used with a clock radio or timer, will accommodate those who do not have time for daytime listening. Listen for one hour at bedtime. Make certain your record player is set to repeat.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Listen to the record in solitude or free from distraction.
2. Listen to the record while in a relaxed, comfortable position.
3. This recording has been specifically designed to adapt to the schedule of the busy executive or career woman. Side No. 1 may be listened to at any time on any conventional 33-1/3 R.P.M. phonograph. Side No. 2 has been developed to be used on any 33-1/3 R.P.M. automatic player, and when used with a clock radio or timer, will accommodate those who do not have time for daytime listening. Listen for one hour at bedtime. Make certain your record player is set to repeat.
There was a companion album, "7 Days to Better Golf," which also specified that it was for right-handers only. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any clips from it online.
A psychological conditioning program guaranteed to improve your game through the application of auto-conditioning techniques in the areas of : Relaxation, Confidence, Concentration, Coordination.
FOR RIGHT-HANDED GOLFERS ONLY!
FOR RIGHT-HANDED GOLFERS ONLY!
image source: discogs.com
Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 23, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Hypnotism, Mesmerism and Mind Control, Self-help Schemes, Sports, 1960s
Pine Needle Skiing
Pine needle skiing was introduced in the 1930s in an attempt to make skiing a year-round activity. I don't think it survived long past the 30s. This account of the sport, written by Newton F. Tolman for The Atlantic (Feb 1957 issue), explains why:Skiers just couldn't wait for next winter to come, and some misguided fanatic had discovered pine needles were slippery. Being in the ski business, we felt obliged to go along with the idea. As I remember it, a couple of us outstripped the field, having cheated by gluing celluloid to our ski bottoms.
All known technique was useless. The only way to turn was to jump. You had to fend off the pine trees with your poles. We ended up not only bleeding and bruised, but completely black. Dives into pine needles encrusted everything but our eyeballs with dirt, pitch, and sweat. It really combined two sports - skiing and tar-and-feathering.
All known technique was useless. The only way to turn was to jump. You had to fend off the pine trees with your poles. We ended up not only bleeding and bruised, but completely black. Dives into pine needles encrusted everything but our eyeballs with dirt, pitch, and sweat. It really combined two sports - skiing and tar-and-feathering.
The video shows a pine needle ski jump in New Hampshire, 1935:
The images show people skiing at the Pine Needle Ski Slope which opened in Los Angeles in 1939:
source: LA Public Library
source: Vintage LA
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 05, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Sports, 1930s
Sylvia Ester, World-Record Swimmer
East German swimmer Sylvia Ester seems to have made one brief contribution to sports trivia before disappearing back into anonymity. Her contribution: having her world-record time disallowed due to the fact that she wasn't wearing a swimsuit.I can't find any other references to her. Nor any explanation about why she was swimming nude.
The current record for the women's 100-meter freestyle is below 52 seconds.
Hobbs Daily News-Sun - Feb 19, 1967
Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 17, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Sports, World Records
Bailey’s Comets
The Wikipedia page.
According to Mark Arnold's book, Think Pink! The Story of DePatie-Freling Productions, producing the show was a nightmare, due to the massive amount of characters. Not only did the series do extremely poorly in the ratings, it got so costly to produce it nearly broke the studio, curtailing production for that year.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 08, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Fads, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Sports, Cartoons, 1970s
People Catchers
People Catchers = Fishing lures excised from impaled anglers.Displays of them are on view at several hospitals in Wisconsin. More info: Catholic Health World
image source: reddit
Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 03, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Medicine, Sports
Beauty Knows No Pain
A species of Independence Day-style patriotism--I guess.
You will learn of this miraculous slogan around the 11-minute mark.
The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 04, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, Sports, Sex Symbols, 1970s, Attractiveness, Sexiness, Allure and Personal Magnetism
Death by golf and peacocks
Oct 1951: Edward Harrison died in a freak golf accident, by managing to stab himself in the leg with a broken club. As he lay bleeding to death, he screamed for help. "Two other golfers said they twice heard screams, but thought they were the cries of peacocks from a peacock farm."
Deseret News - Oct 9, 1951
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 25, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Sports, 1950s
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