ÿþ<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="NYTimes-RingArticle_files/filelist.xml"> <title>On the Beach, a Subculture of Lords of the Rings</title> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="time"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="date"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Author>Dorlene Kaplan</o:Author> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:LastAuthor>Dorlene Kaplan</o:LastAuthor> <o:Revision>1</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>1</o:TotalTime> <o:Created>2003-12-21T23:54:00Z</o:Created> <o:LastSaved>2003-12-21T23:55:00Z</o:LastSaved> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>754</o:Words> <o:Characters>4776</o:Characters> <o:Company>ShawGuides</o:Company> <o:Lines>62</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>36</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>5494</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>10.4219</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:SpellingState>Clean</w:SpellingState> <w:GrammarState>Clean</w:GrammarState> <w:Compatibility> <w:ApplyBreakingRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} h1 {mso-style-next:Normal; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; page-break-after:avoid; mso-outline-level:1; font-size:14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-font-kerning:0pt; font-weight:normal;} p.HTMLBody, li.HTMLBody, div.HTMLBody {mso-style-name:"HTML Body"; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.SpellE {mso-style-name:""; mso-spl-e:yes;} span.GramE {mso-style-name:""; mso-gram-e:yes;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} .style1 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif} .style2 {font-weight: bold} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> </head> <center><table width="800"> <body lang=EN-US style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> <P align=center><IMG height=166 src="Mike.jpg" width=222><br> <font size="-1" face="arial"><div align="center"><b>Mike Teisan</b></div></font><p> <h1>On the Beach, a Subculture of Lords of the Rings</h1> <p class=HTMLBody><st1:date Year="2002" Day="9" Month="9"><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>September 9, 2002</span></st1:date><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>By NEIL STRAUSS <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Copyright (c) 2002 by The New York Times <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></center></p> <div align="left"><p class=HTMLBody><st1:place><st1:City><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>SANTA MONICA</span></st1:City><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>, </span><st1:State><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Calif.</span></st1:State></st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>, Sept. 7 - &quot;Look at this,&quot; Lawrence Kolb, known by the nickname Indian, said, slipping a finger into the loose waistband of his jeans. &quot;My waist size has gone down from 32 to 28 inches in six months.&quot; <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>&quot;And look,&quot; he said, fanning the lateral muscles of his bare back like wings. &quot;I never even worked out my upper body before this.&quot; <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Mr. Kolb was not talking about a miracle diet or celebrity trainer. He was discussing a row of metal rings that was built two years ago on the beach near the Santa Monica Pier as part of a public fitness and recreation area. The rings are 10 dangling hoops, about seven feet off the ground, and the idea is for people to swing Tarzan-style from the first ring to the last and back, a feat harder than it sounds. This is not normal playground equipment: it was built for the beach to the specifications of a similar set that used to be on the old </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Muscle</span></st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> </span><st1:PlaceType><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Beach</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> here. The rings were erected after great debate with the city's risk-management team, which feared the city would be liable for injuries. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>In a clear demonstration of the maxim &quot;If you build it they will come,&quot; the traveling rings have attracted their own subculture. &quot;We are our own society,&quot; said Mr. Kolb, a freelance director of photography for television. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>&quot;We are the Lords of the Rings. We kick it here until the sun goes down, and sometimes we come back at </span><st1:time Minute="30" Hour="15"><span style='mso-bidi-font-family: Arial'>3:30</span></st1:time><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> in the morning because no one is here.&quot; It is a scene that Brett Horner, a senior analyst for the Community and Cultural Services Department of the City of </span><st1:City><st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Santa Monica</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>, said was completely unanticipated. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Every day, a mix of latchkey teenagers, struggling actors, foreign exchange students and others can be found there. Most of these ring people previously had little athletic prowess, but after swinging from four to seven days a week, they look like professional gymnasts. &quot;We recognize each other by shaking hands,&quot; said Jessica <span class=SpellE>Cail</span>, a local graduate student, &quot;because you can feel the calluses from gripping the rings.&quot; <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Michael Teisan, 17, a high school senior, often shows his hands to tourists, revealing calluses the size of quail eggs. He is at the rings seven days a week, sometimes talking on his <span class=SpellE>cellphone</span> as he twirls and flips among them. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>&quot;I guess it's the rush of flying,&quot; Mr. Teisan said. &quot;And when you come down here, all your worries go away. You don't think about anything else but the rings.&quot; <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>&quot;My parents are glad I'm here instead of in the street,&quot; he added. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>In fact, the rings are responsible for his first attempt at philanthropy. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>One day, Mr. Teisan, Indian, and a Frenchman named Bruno <span class=SpellE>Angelico</span> were hanging out at the rings, talking about 9/11, when they decided to organize a benefit. They brought down performers from the Cirque de <span class=SpellE>Soleil</span> and movie stuntmen, and organized a ring demonstration day, raising $500 for the Red Cross. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>The original rings were built in the 1930's at </span><st1:City><st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family: Arial'>Santa Monica</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style='mso-bidi-font-family: Arial'> beach in an area that became known as </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Muscle</span></st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> </span><st1:PlaceType><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Beach</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>, says Judith Meister, a retired </span><st1:City><st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Santa Monica</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> beach manager who was responsible for building the recreation area several years ago. &quot;It was really the beginning of the whole physical fitness movement,&quot; Ms. Meister said, &quot;and a lot of people who worked in Hollywood</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> and did stunts came to </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Muscle</span></st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> </span><st1:PlaceType><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Beach</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>.&quot; <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>In the 1950's, she said, the city tore down much of the equipment. The traveling rings remained, but were often neglected and missing parts. In 1995, a group of </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Muscle</span></st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> </span><st1:PlaceType><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Beach</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> alumni in their 70's and 80's began working with the city to restore the area; the project was finally completed in October 2000. A miniature set of traveling rings was even erected for children. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Instead of creating a scene like that of the old </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Muscle</span></st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'> </span><st1:PlaceType><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Beach</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>, the rings became the centerpiece for a very different beach civilization. At sunrise, several of the homeless people who wash themselves in the bathroom facilities nearby make their way to the rings, which they use to play on and exercise. In the afternoon, the ring people can be found flying through the air and teaching their moves to tourists. In the evening, opportunists with metal detectors patrol the sand under the rings, looking for change and jewelry dropped from the pockets of the airborne. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>The bike and in-line skate rental stand on the boardwalk nearby has even started selling blocks of chalk for ring-swingers to rub on their hands. Sometimes, said Edwin Garcia, who manages the <span class=GramE>stand,</span> he sells 16 blocks of chalk a day. Some of the more serious ring-swingers have bought gymnast handgrips and wrist support bands - and Mr. <span class=SpellE>Angelico</span> even has hooks for his feet, so he can swing upside down. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>&quot;I came up with a move called the Flying Bob,&quot; said Robert Chapin, who performs stunts and swordplay in movies, including &quot;Hook&quot; and &quot;Army of Darkness.&quot; He demonstrated, inverting himself on one of the rings and wrapping his legs around the chain supporting it as he swung. He then demonstrated another acrobatic invention - tandem swinging - by grabbing Ms. <span class=SpellE>Cail</span> and traversing the rings with her. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=HTMLBody><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Every day, hundreds of local residents and tourists stop to watch such stunts and often find <span class=GramE>themselves</span> succumbing to the lure of the rings. &quot;It's become a serious addiction for me,&quot; said Ryan Ashford, 20, a philosophy major at the </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><span style='mso-bidi-font-family: Arial'>University</span></st1:PlaceType><span style='mso-bidi-font-family: Arial'> of </span><st1:PlaceName><span style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>Southern California</span></st1:PlaceName></st1:place><span style='mso-bidi-font-family: Arial'>. &quot;I'd never even seen them before until three months ago, and now I'm down here four times a week. I even have dreams about them - and nightmares.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> </div> <div align="center"><font size="+1" face="Arial"><span class="style1"><b><span class="style2"><a href="http://www.swingaring.com/index.html">Home</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.swingaring.com/howto.html">How to Swing</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.swingaring.com/handhealth.html">Hand Health</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.swingaring.com/techniques.html">Techniques</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> <a href="http://www.swingaring.com/news.html">Message Board</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.swingaring.com/news.html">News</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.swingaring.com/links.html">Links</a></span></span></div> </body> </html>