|
HOME
E-mail us at mail@outsports.com
|
Related: IGLA
photo gallery
Philly Wins Pink Flamingo (see below)
Records
Fall at IGLA Meet Victoria Stagg Elliott
Special to Outsports  Swimmers at this year's International Gay and
Lesbian Aquatics Championships in Toronto broke five Canadian records, five Ontario records and 114 meet
records.
Mark Oldham of Vancouver's English Bay Swim Club set new Canadian records in the 50- and 100- meter
freestyle events. Along with his teammates--Giles Beaudin, John Bell and Tom Kemple--he set a new
record for the 400-meter freestyle relay. Ken Ranson of Quebec's Dollard des Ormeaux Masters broke the
records for the 200- and 800-meter freestyle.
US Olympic gold medalist Bruce Hayes, a member of Team New York Aquatics, took home another gold in
the 100-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke. He also took home three silver
medals in relay events.
The event, the 12th annual, was held July 5-9 and attracted more than 900
swimmers, divers and water polo players from as far away as New Zealand and Finland, making it the
largest IGLA meet to date.
"The spirit in this competition was amazing," said Mark Tewksbury, a Canadian Olympic Gold
medallist, during the closing ceremonies. "Sport is about being
your best and that's what I felt at this meet."
He was not a competitor and has not been swimming in more than seven years, but said that the event nearly
inspired him to start swimming again.
District of Columbia Aquatic Club won the first place trophy in the category for teams larger than
30. Nadadores de South Florida of Miami walked away with the trophy for teams with 11 to 29, and
Minnesota Ice Swim Team won the trophy for teams smaller than
10.
"From a coaching point of view, our team needed a payoff: to go somewhere and be among our peers,
compete, and hopefully do well," said Brian Jacobson, communications director and co-coach of
the Minnesota team. "This will help to continue to motivate those who went, and get those who didn't
more interested in going next time."
West Hollywood Aquatics took home the water polo trophy in a hotly contested final with Team New York
Aquatics. Julie Vanderchmitt, a member of Paris Aquatique and the French Olympic team, took the gold
in diving for women, and R. Scott Smith from Laguna Beach Aquatics was the top male diver with six
golds.
Fins Aquatic Club of Philadelphia took first place in the Pink Flamingo, a unique feature of gay swim
meets that blends drag with synchronized swimming (see below). The event started several years ago as a less than
serious relay passing around a plastic version of the animal, but it has become much more
sophisticated and very competitive event with teams developing elaborate, heavily costumed five-minute
numbers. No nudity or glitter allowed. All else goes.
Teams received bonus points for Canadian content, and the Fins won with their parody of the classic
cartoon Dudley Do-Right.
"It was great to win the Pink Flamingo," said Jason R. Klugman, head coach of the Fins. "But I would
have to say that I am much more proud of the fact that Philadelphia placed
third overall with just 32 swimmers."
The win was an upset because the usual winners of the event-West Hollywood, Paris and New York---
didn't even place. Ohio Splash took second, and Swimming Queers United in Denver took third.
"West Hollywood, NY and Paris are always great, as they were again this year," said Grant Wilson, Pink
Flamingo coordinator for the Ohio team. "We were honored and pleasantly surprised to have placed
secnd. But, we would have been happy no matter how we finished, because we got such a great response
from the crowd, and that is what the Pink Flamingo is all about."
The next IGLA championship will be in San Francisco in 2003. There will be no meet in 2002 because of
the Gay Games.
Full results are available at IGLA's
Web site.
Victoria Stagg Elliott is a member of the
Chicago
Smelts.
Philadelphia
`Shocked' by Flamingo Win The
Philadelphia FINS Aquatics Club
did right by itself after winning the Pink Flamingo competition at
the IGLA meet. The FINS, who presented "Dudley Do-Right in
Mountie Madness" as their entry to the comedy/drag/synchronized swimming/cabaret routine Pink Flamingo competition surprised the field
with their ligh-hearted, Canadian-infused performance featuring Canadian Mounties, dancing maple leaves, and the FINS
first synchronized swimming routine, said Jason R. Klugman, FINS
head coach. "It was a shock to have won!"
said Pink Flamingo coordinator David Topel who conceived the presentation. "We're known for either being
really tasteless or just really bad, and this year we surprised everyone
with a fun, classy, and Canadian extravaganza." "Mountie Madness" featured costumed Topel,
Merrill Hilf, Elke Hoffman, Carolyn Placke and Synchro Captain
Claudia Schippert as "maple leaves" who were blown into the water by a villainous New Jersey Devil
brandishing a leaf blower, Cindy Skinner. Jim Simmons (as Dudley
Do-Right) and his crew of Mounties including Don MacGregor, Jim
Harper, Luke Tigue, George Horan, Bruce Doele,
Rick Hausch, and Pat Lee Loy came to the rescue in a synchronized swim to
``The William Tell Overture'' that had everyone on their feet cheering. Costumes and props
(including three large maple leaves carried by Terry Fowler,
Charlie Johnson and Charlie Kennedy) were created by
Don MacGregor, while honorary FIN Bert Hubbard assisted by coaching and choreographing
the synchronized swimming. July
16, 2001
|