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donmabry |
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Fletcher/Fluke54 |
1. RE: Pier before 1962
Feb 16 2007, 4:18 PM EST
Yep....the pier was an exciting place for young and old. Guess we all remember the Fourth of July fireworks that were fired from the pier. Almost 60 years of watching fireworks later, this was the only one I've seen that ended with a burst, then Old Glory on a parachute floating down.
Underneath the pier was also exciting, but you had to be especially careful, as those piling barnacles could slice you like a razor blade. You also had to keep a wary eye on the fishermen, and keep your distance from their casts. Once we decided that sharks were probably checking out their bait, we began to swim in a safer area - or so we thought. Then after checking out our first shark tournament, and many were larger than we were, we stayed out of the ocean for a few days. I have always felt sad after a storm would wipe out the pier, and especially watching the TV news, when that 20' wave demolished the end of the last pier. It gives you a great idea of the strong force of the 30' tidal surge from Katrina, that hit our camp "Hakuna Matata" - close to the dirt levee on Grand Isle, Louisiana. After leaving the roof, walls, & pilings only - it's ironic that "Hakuna Matata" means "no worries" from The Lion King. 2 out of 2 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Posted Anonymously |
2. RE: Pier before 1962
Feb 16 2007, 5:39 PM EST
When I worked on the Boardwalk, we would see people bleeding from cuts from those barnacles even though there were warning signs.
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CarolBelcher |
3. RE: Pier before 1962
Mar 6 2008, 11:21 AM EST
Remember when the lifeguards would swim from the Atlantic Beach Pier to the Jacksonville Beach pier for their annual race? It was always held the week after the shark fishing tournament off the Jax Beach pier.I remember the roller coaster, made of rotten wood. Pieces of it would fall off all winter and they would nail more boards up before summer. None of us would ride on it. There were people who lived under it in little apartments behind the carny booths. Fred Marquis (56?) said he lived there to finish his senior year after his folks moved away. Must have been noisy. 3 out of 3 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Posted Anonymously |
4. RE: Pier before 1962
Mar 15 2008, 11:00 AM EDT
The ocean marathon went from the guard station to the Atlantic Beach pier as the current usually flows North. A few went the other way, including one that was swum during a nor'easter and was won by John Farnsworth about 1950 in a record time that I think holds even today. N. Doughtie
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Posted Anonymously |
5. RE: Pier before 1962
Mar 15 2008, 12:45 PM EDT
"The ocean marathon went from the guard station to the Atlantic Beach pier as the current usually flows North. A few went the other way, including one that was swum during a nor'easter and was won by John Farnsworth about 1950 in a record time that I think holds even today. N. Doughtie"My brother Fred Mabry '56 was in the Corps and swam in those marathons. They did go north. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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CarolBelcher |
6. RE: Pier before 1962
Mar 15 2008, 5:45 PM EDT
Okay, okay, but which way did the sharks swim?
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Posted Anonymously |
7. RE: Pier before 1962
Mar 18 2008, 6:24 PM EDT
Carol, I flew low over the swimmers one day, & saw 6' sharks between them - going east & west. Guess that as a youngster, I thought the larger sharks were in deeper water. The little sand sharks never bothered us. One day, a large porpoise broke water about 10' from me, & my first scary thought was a shark. However, I was relieved to see that it was only a porpoise. THEN....I wondered what scared the porpoise, & quickly got out of the water. Carl Sandifer & I did spend some time with our surfboards paddling out towards the shrimpboats which were close ashore. Carl made our surfboards in shop class at Fletcher.1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
Surfmaid |
8. RE: Pier before 1962
Mar 23 2008, 1:25 PM EDT
That was where I met my late husband.I was in DCT working wuth the Ferris Bryant for Govenor Campaign. Our office was downtown on 1st Street over the bakery. On Saturday's I'd take my bathing suit & go to the beach after lunch. I was playing the jukebox when he came over to help me make my selections. Do you find this valuable? |
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Fletcher/Fluke54 |
9. RE: Pier before 1962
Mar 23 2008, 4:05 PM EDT
Van Kirkpatrick, who was a nice neighbor of mine, was also a lifeguard & postal carrier. He swam in several of those marathons up into his 60's - I believe, & won at least one of them. While on his postal route one day, he saw a boy in trouble in the rough surf, ran out & pulled him ashore. He was awarded a medal for it.
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