WEST COAST (USA) GYM OWNERS THROUGHOUT RECENT HISTORY !!

[tommywishbone]

Stunt- in your travels did you ever run into Steve Neece?

I knew Steve pretty well. We were certainly friends.

[urj200]

I went to school with him, Tommy. He was a very interesting person.

[stuntmovie]

Doing my best to catch up here ,,,,,

First of all … thanks to each of you contributors for this past history stuff. I’m doing my best to Google most of it and finding the ‘backstories' really interesting…. such as …

Bud Keith's Health House and what he had to do to start his health food company.

I don’t recall ever  meeting the Hamel Bros.,  but I wasn’t a Mission Beach regular. We would usually hit a different So. Cal. beach just about every weekend and end up in one of the beach bars before heading back to CP. Does anyone  recall a beach bar called 'MOM'S'?

George Eifferman … George was a good friend of mine during the last few years of his liFe. I first met George  when he owned his gym in Las Vegas . George was in a LV hospital prior to his passing and we were intending to visit him but a family member asked us not to mention the recent death of Steve Reeves because Steve and George were very close friends and that bad  news would not help his  recovery.

Long story there but I think I wrote about George and Steve on this site many years ago.

DAN-O, Thanks for the Richard Brose (Conan) info. There  must have been more than one Conan actor during the years that it was a major attraction at the theme park. We saw that show a number of times and on one occasion the apparatus that made the dragon rise up from the lower level refused to function, but ‘Conan’ and the other performers continued to fight the ‘nothing-ness’ as if the dragon was actually there.

The funny thing is that the audience had no idea about the malfunction and gave Conan some big applause after that performance without realizing that they had missed one of the best parts of the show.

I gotta add that a few friends who received honorable discharges after their tour of duty in the Corps (namely JACK TYREE) were somewhat instrumental in establishing the original Universal Theme Park. They were all early day stunt people (guys and gals) who performed many times each day at that wild west attraction where they get into a bar-room brawl and  the saloon falls down among them … and other interesting stunt stuff.

If I recall right that one one of the first attractions in the park.

URJ/TOMMY … I don’t recall ever meeting Steve Neece. If you mention how he was involved, it may refreshen my memory.

Thanks again, all!

[The Scott]

Stunt, I don't drink alcohol but I do remember (maybe that's why?) MOM'S and Tug's.  Sluggo's too. 

[stuntmovie]

SCOTT, Are those beach bars still active?

Here's my MOM'S story. But it could have been MOTHER's.

Years ago I was driving from Fountain Valley to CP with an old girlfriend (a nurse) and we stopped in MOM's (Mother's?) which was (and possibly still is) a very depressing little bar right on the beach side of the Pacific Coast Highway (101 ??).

We made a decision to  stop at each roadside bar we came to as long as it was on the beach side of US 101 ... PCH?

SO our frist stop and was MOM's and we were the only patrons as it was an early Sunday afternoon, but as we were on our first mug of beer, a group of motorcycle gents came in and started to cause a ruckus among themselves.

But my girl asked them to quiet down a bit and that caused even more of a ruckus.

SO she got up and said, "Who wants to join me in a game of pool?"

And that resulted in a lot of adverse comments among the motor cycle crew until she said, "I only play for money!"

To make a long story short .... we left Mom's wih more cash than when we entered and those bikers actually turned out to be good guys who paid their debts and even offered to buy the last couple of rounds.

But we were driving and had a few more beach bars to hit before we got where we were gett'en.

We made a few unexpected friends that day.

I do recall Sluggo's but not Tug's.

Do you recall L'il Abners within walking distance of Zuver's Gym? I think that was in Costa Mesa.

[Big Pat]

Good evening Megalodon,

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"Thanks Pat. I heard that the 1 gym in Vista had 2 different locations over time, less than a mile apart and on the same street".
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Yes, I seem to remember that too. MTI magazine I believe , had an article titled, "Should you be in the Gym Business" that showed Mr. Eiferman cleaning up beach balls after an exercise class at his Vista gym location. Somewhere in all my stuff, I either have a copy of the magazine or a copy of the article.

Be safe and strong,
Pat
 

[The Scott]

SCOTT, Are those beach bars still active?

Here's my MOM'S story. But it could have been MOTHER's.

Years ago I was driving from Fountain Valley to CP with an old girlfriend (a nurse) and we stopped in MOM's (Mother's?) which was (and possibly still is) a very depressing little bar right on the beach side of the Pacific Coast Highway (101 ??).

We made a decision to  stop at each roadside bar we came to as long as it was on the beach side of US 101 ... PCH?

SO our frist stop and was MOM's and we were the only patrons as it was an early Sunday afternoon, but as we were on our first mug of beer, a group of motorcycle gents came in and started to cause a ruckus among themselves.

But my girl asked them to quiet down a bit and that caused even more of a ruckus.

SO she got up and said, "Who wants to join me in a game of pool?"

And that resulted in a lot of adverse comments among the motor cycle crew until she said, "I only play for money!"

To make a long story short .... we left Mom's wih more cash than when we entered and those bikers actually turned out to be good guys who paid their debts and even offered to buy the last couple of rounds.

But we were driving and had a few more beach bars to hit before we got where we were gett'en.

We made a few unexpected friends that day.

I do recall Sluggo's but not Tug's.

Do you recall L'il Abners within walking distance of Zuver's Gym? I think that was in Costa Mesa.

Stunt, I did a search and I think Tug's and Sluggo's are long closed.  I could be wrong.  MOM"s in PB and Mother's in OB might still be around.  I think I recall L'il Abner's as I used to go to Costa Mesa frequently in the mid 70s.  Hodad's over in OB is still around and the last time I got out there I had lunch (maybe 5 years ago?).  They had license plates from all over on the walls.  Cool.

I need a WayBack Machine. 

[urj200]

Some other Mission Beach/Pacific Beach places that you guys may remember:

World Famous at the end of Grand Avenue. Used to be owned by the Seraspi family. (Laurel Seraspi is married to a good friend's sister)

Old Town Mexican Cafe (not in MB/PB I know) Owner Bob Estrada is married to the other sister (see above)

Saska's about the middle of Mission Beach on Mission Blvd. Had incredible hamburgers.

El Indio, was at the end of PB Drive. Main place on Washington above the airport.

These posts are bringing back a LOT of great memories!

[The Scott]

Some other Mission Beach/Pacific Beach places that you guys may remember:

World Famous at the end of Grand Avenue. Used to be owned by the Seraspi family. (Laurel Seraspi is married to a good friend's sister)

Old Town Mexican Cafe (not in MB/PB I know) Owner Bob Estrada is married to the other sister (see above)

Saska's about the middle of Mission Beach on Mission Blvd. Had incredible hamburgers.

El Indio, was at the end of PB Drive. Main place on Washington above the airport.

These posts are bringing back a LOT of great memories!

Thanks!  Great places and great memories!  A quick search shows Saska's is still there!  Ill have to check more later!

[urj200]

I see World Famous is still around too!

http://www.worldfamouspb.com/

[stuntmovie]

I just finished typig a shitload of 'way-back-stuff' but somehow it got losted while attempting to up-load it.

So I'll try again...

Speaking of bars in the 'south of LA areas', do any of you guys remember the bar that was built when the John Wayne Airport opened a bit south of Anaheim/Disneyland?

The theme was built on someone's WW1 experience and made you feel like you were sitting in the trenches with the  'bad guys' on the other side taking shots at you every time you stood up.

And that bar had a large pair of real looking and real feeling tits over one of the  urinals .... and every time some unexpecting pisser squeeded those tits,  it would set off a siren in the bar area.

And Lil' Abner's (Costa Mesa) was supposedly a very crazy bar where some good looking ladies who looked like Daisey Mea would hop on the bar and swab it down with a mop while doing a sexy dance.

And I forgot to mention lanother gym that used to be situated in Nothern California's San Jose area .... now SIlicon Valley I think.

That gym was called Moonlight Health Studio and it is where John Corvello trained for one of the mid-60's Mr. Caifornia contest. He won that title beating the guy who eveyone though would be unbeatable and trained by Larry Scott .... Bill McArdle.

Both Larry and Bill are gone now.

Years later John was a big 'star' with a center spread in Playgirl magazine and became semi-famous.

A good looking kid back then and a hell of good man. He should have been a movie star.

[The Scott]

Midway Drive in San Diego.  The Chuck Wagon restaurant.  Buffet!!!!  All you could eat and very reasonable.  To the WayBack Machine, gents!

Man.  I ate there so much and they never gave me a hard time about how much I consumed.  It had a huge neon sign with a Cowboy.

[funk51]

I just finished typig a shitload of 'way-back-stuff' but somehow it got losted while attempting to up-load it.

So I'll try again...

Speaking of bars in the 'south of LA areas', do any of you guys remember the bar that was built when the John Wayne Airport opened a bit south of Anaheim/Disneyland?

The theme was built on someone's WW1 experience and made you feel like you were sitting in the trenches with the  'bad guys' on the other side taking shots at you every time you stood up.

And that bar had a large pair of real looking and real feeling tits over one of the  urinals .... and every time some unexpecting pisser squeeded those tits,  it would set off a siren in the bar area.

And Lil' Abner's (Costa Mesa) was supposedly a very crazy bar where some good looking ladies who looked like Daisey Mea would hop on the bar and swab it down with a mop while doing a sexy dance.

And I forgot to mention lanother gym that used to be situated in Nothern California's San Jose area .... now SIlicon Valley I think.

That gym was called Moonlight Health Studio and it is where John Corvello trained for one of the mid-60's Mr. Caifornia contest. He won that title beating the guy who eveyone though would be unbeatable and trained by Larry Scott .... Bill McArdle.

Both Larry and Bill are gone now.

Years later John was a big 'star' with a center spread in Playgirl magazine and became semi-famous.

A good looking kid back then and a hell of good man. He should have been a movie star.

[oldgolds]

OLYMPIA, That calf squatting/shitting incident is the absolute truth.

The  cameraman was laughing so hard that the camera was shaking .... and back then those TV cameras were pretty damn huge.

SCOTT, Mission Beach, YEA! Is it possible that you or anyone else can recall that Mission Beach house with the disorganized gym and the name of the individual who owned/ran it?

Was it 'All American Gym'?......It was owned by bikers and didn't last long....
Also another gym in PB named Clarks.....Crappy little place owned by a couple of ex gymnasts, circus performers...

[stuntmovie]

OLDTIMER, I think BIG PAT ID'ed that Mission Beach house-gym as Bud Keith's Health House.

But if I understand  the story correctly Bud sold it to start up a health bar/food business so you may be correct if he sold it to a motorcycle club member.

SCOTT, Speaking of buffets ... there used to be a real Swedish Smorgasboard buffet a block or two away from Gold's Gym when Gold's was located on 3rd st (2nd street???) in Santa Monica. But it had to clode down shortly after it opened because it got too damn popular among the Gold's Gym heavy eaters who took full advantage of the "all you can eat" deal.

And I mention this earlier but there was a restaurant just a bit south of Disneyland that served huge portions of food at very reasoable prices.

Order the turkey sandwich and you got half a turkey and a loaf of bread  and a jar of mayonaise ... or damn close to it.

The place was always full of gluttons and bodybuilders.

Does anyone recall the name of that restaurant?

[Big Pat]

"Was it 'All American Gym'?......It was owned by bikers and didn't last long....
Also another gym in PB named Clarks.....Crappy little place owned by a couple of ex gymnasts, circus performers..."
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Good morning olgolds,

Never heard of the All American Gym, its possible it could have preceded the Health House gym.
 
Bob Clark is the man who started the gym equipment company called Ironco, that later became Polaris Gym Equipment.  He was the one who designed the "cam" type pulley on his weight machines. The Mr. America, Earl Clarke had a gym in the South Bay for years also.

Be safe and strong,

Pat

[urj200]

It was owned by bikers and didn't last long....
Also another gym in PB named Clarks.....Crappy little place owned by a couple of ex gymnasts, circus performers...

I respectfully disagree with your comment about Bob Clark's gym in PB. Will post more later

[oldgolds]

"Was it 'All American Gym'?......It was owned by bikers and didn't last long....
Also another gym in PB named Clarks.....Crappy little place owned by a couple of ex gymnasts, circus performers..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning olgolds,

Never heard of the All American Gym, its possible it could have preceded the Health House gym.
 
Bob Clark is the man who started the gym equipment company called Ironco, that later became Polaris Gym Equipment.  He was the one who designed the "cam" type pulley on his weight machines. The Mr. America, Earl Clarke had a gym in the South Bay for years also.

Be safe and strong,
























Don't forget the old 'Fitness and Muscle', or was it 'Muscle and Fitness'.......Opened in 83 up in Kearney Mesa..Really nice place with lots of room.

Pat

[oldgolds]

"Was it 'All American Gym'?......It was owned by bikers and didn't last long....
Also another gym in PB named Clarks.....Crappy little place owned by a couple of ex gymnasts, circus performers..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning olgolds,

Never heard of the All American Gym, its possible it could have preceded the Health House gym.
 
Bob Clark is the man who started the gym equipment company called Ironco, that later became Polaris Gym Equipment.  He was the one who designed the "cam" type pulley on his weight machines. The Mr. America, Earl Clarke had a gym in the South Bay for years also.

Be safe and strong,




























Hey Pat...Remember the 'growin Samoan' Floyd Scanlin who used to work for the Iron Co.? 300 lb bodybuilder who competed locally....

Pat

[stuntmovie]

Hey, FUNK! Thanks for posting that Corvello shot.

[Big Pat]

Hello oldgolds,

________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ___________
"Don't forget the old 'Fitness and Muscle', or was it 'Muscle and Fitness'.......Opened in 83 up in Kearney Mesa..Really nice place with lots of room".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

I can't say I remember a gym/health club by that name. It wasn't in the old George Brown place was it? I think that most went under the Lance Alworth banner after the bankruptcy of Brown's. I do remember a place called Muscle Mart that sold gym equipment in Kearney Mesa run by a powerlifter named Doug Pettit.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey Pat...Remember the 'growin Samoan' Floyd Scanlin who used to work for the Iron Co.? 300 lb bodybuilder who competed locally."
________________________ ________________________ ________________________ _____________.

Sorry to say I strike out on that one to. After I got out of the gym business in the early 80's I gave up on following any contests or lifters.

As a side note, Gene Fisher and Bob Clark were San Diego's premier builders of gym equipment. Gene told me that he would go to breakfast with Mr. Stern and Mr. Clark  and they literally stretched out designs on napkins. Gene did well selling his equipment to the Navy and Bob sold his to a larger nation wide market when he became Polaris. I do remember that when John Grimek came to Calif. he visited Mr. Stern's gym and then they went to Mr. Clark's gym to see his new cam type equipment {MTI article the year the Mr. A was sponsored by Gold's, 77/78?}.

Do you remember Lou's Gym in South Bay around that time. Lou Durante(sp) was AAU or NPC judge if I remember correctly. He was one of the first to use video cameras as a means to practice posing routines.

Be safe and strong,

Pat
  
...
 

[funk51]

Hey, FUNK! Thanks for posting that Corvello shot.

no problem here's one more cover shot and a contest shot with sergio oliva.

[oldgolds]

Hello oldgolds,

________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ___________
"Don't forget the old 'Fitness and Muscle', or was it 'Muscle and Fitness'.......Opened in 83 up in Kearney Mesa..Really nice place with lots of room".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

I can't say I remember a gym/health club by that name. It wasn't in the old George Brown place was it? I think that most went under the Lance Alworth banner after the bankruptcy of Brown's. I do remember a place called Muscle Mart that sold gym equipment in Kearney Mesa run by a powerlifter named Doug Pettit.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey Pat...Remember the 'growin Samoan' Floyd Scanlin who used to work for the Iron Co.? 300 lb bodybuilder who competed locally."
________________________ ________________________ ________________________ _____________.

Sorry to say I strike out on that one to. After I got out of the gym business in the early 80's I gave up on following any contests or lifters.

As a side note, Gene Fisher and Bob Clark were San Diego's premier builders of gym equipment. Gene told me that he would go to breakfast with Mr. Stern and Mr. Clark  and they literally stretched out designs on napkins. Gene did well selling his equipment to the Navy and Bob sold his to a larger nation wide market when he became Polaris. I do remember that when John Grimek came to Calif. he visited Mr. Stern's gym and then they went to Mr. Clark's gym to see his new cam type equipment {MTI article the year the Mr. A was sponsored by Gold's, 77/78?}.

Do you remember Lou's Gym in South Bay around that time. Lou Durante(sp) was AAU or NPC judge if I remember correctly. He was one of the first to use video cameras as a means to practice posing routines.

Be safe and strong,

Pat
  
...
 

I do remember Lou's gym although never trained there. I think he eventually moved it to main str. in the otay mesa area. I trained at Clarks and knew Bob but had no idea he started Iron Co. and designed equipment. After Bob's wife died he was never the same, ended up selling the gym and bought a shopping center? in Florida. I knew Gene Fisher and trained at his gym, he was known for his curling record, I believe it was around 220. The gym on the boardwalk S of the coaster was owned by a biker named 'crunch' Renzulli....Someone owed him money so he "confiscated" all the guys exercise equipment and started a gym.

[stuntmovie]

THANKS, YA'LL! Some interesting posts as mentioned above.

I'm sorry that I never had the opportunity to make the  Southern California beach-scene a regular activity, but I tried amost every weekend we got "released" from Pendleton.

We played a lot of war-games back then from ship to shore to the eastern limits of that base and I was usually assigned as one of the 'bad guys' who would hassass the 'good guys' when they landed and then depart over the PCH under a dense cloud of dark red smoke to continue the 'war' and make it difficult  for the good guys to accomplishment their mission.

That red smoke caused some severe traffic problems for every driver heading between Oceanside and San Clemente and it's most likely that the local community objected so that no red smoke is used now-a-days.

Sorry ... Off track, But just a few miles further south beyond Oceanside City limits and those war games, there was a very small gym right on the beach side of 101 and it was owned by Ralph Kroger if my memory is still up to par.

That little gym stood there all by its lonesome a few feet off the highway and you could just about fall out the back door into the Pacific.

The closest other structure was on the other side of 101 ...the Del Mar Horse Race Track.

Do any of you So. Cal. lifters remember this little gym and its owner Ralph Kroger?

And then just a few years later Ralph moved to Hawaii and opened a gym in Hilo, Hawaii until someone said he became a preacher and moved back to California.

So we had Vince's Gym in L.A. up there by Universal Studios, Gold's original Gym in Venice (if I'm incorrect about that gym space in what is now called The Sand Castle Apartments), Zuver'sGym in Caasta Mesa, Pearl's in Pasadena, Ralph's Gym on 101 within the vicinity of the Del Mar Race Track, a Police Academy gym  someplace close to the San Diego Zoo where a lion roared the moent when Pat Casey got the world's 600 lb bench press record, and then Stern's Gym smack-dab in the center of San Diego's old business district.

And Jack LaLanne was just about ready to open up within a number of So. Ca. locations or already had.

There are numerous way-back stories in all these gyms!

I'm bad at recalling precise dates so feel free to correct me when I'm wrong.

And how  many of you old time lifting enthusiasts remember Wyn Paris, 'Peanuts' West, George Frenn?

There were more gyms either open or opening up, but they were outside of my reign of knowledge, but kick me in the head and I might remember.

[urj200]

Stunt, Scott, Pat, Oldgolds, Funk et al. I'd forgotten all about the Chuck Wagon. Ate many a meal there! How about The Barbeque Pit on Garnet in PB? Or Boll Weevil's and the Steerburgers?
I remember Ralph Kroger and used to see him fairly often at Clark's Gym in the late 60s. Very nice guy and he was very active in SD bodybuilding. Bob Clark knew quite a few of the "big name" guys from the golden era and was good friends with Leo Stern. I worked for Bob grinding and painting the benches that he made in his garage and that's how I paid my dues. Of course then we were talking $10/month and Bob was very generous and often overlooked the dues for a month or more. He really appreciated athletic fetes and designed machines to enhance performance. Some of you may recall the Rockets pro basketball team started in San Diego and some of them came to Bob's gym. He attached a tether ball to a weight stack and had them pull that to simulate grabbing rebounds and strengthen the rear delts. A couple of world class sprinters (Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa and Steve Williams) also trained there and he made a hamstring machine for them that was (the last time I visited the gym on Cass St) right in the center of the room near the treadmill as you walked into the gym. I am fairly certain that Bob was the first to use cams on his machines--before Arthur Jones. If it's still there, the picture above Bob's cam equipped curling machine is my La Jolla High School classmate, Bob Crouse. Some of the San Diego State guys trained there as well. George Brown, whose dad was the team doctor was one and Ron Mix of the Chargers trained there too. I knew Ron fairly well, as my aunt was Sid Gilman's secretary when he was the Charger Head Coach and Ron played with them. Ron's wife Patty was also a classmate of mine.
Bob was very close with Leo Stern and Bill Pearl. He put a lot of his equipment in Pearl's gym. Many of the things that purport to be "new" today, Bob was talking about 50 years ago. I know the Iron Man guys were getting lots of ink about X-Reps. Bob was a proponent of the non-locking style way back when, especially for things like pushdowns if your elbows were sore.
He had a son and daughter (Bruce and Linda). Linda seemed to be the one that pursued the physical culture path.
I was around when Bob created his treadmills and to me the simplicity of them is brilliant. They were monsters and after he made the first ones, it took about 8 of us to move them into the gym. Seeing the world-class sprinters run on those things was truly awe inspiring.
Those of you that have been inside that gym know about the room where the treadmills are. From there you go down a slight ramp into the main gym. Anyway, I just recalled being a young pup, new guy there and one of the older members (a pretty big guy too) would step into that area from the main gym and puff a cigarette between sets!
I will always respect Bob Clark. He was great to work for and I think he has never gotten the credit he deserves for his innovation in equipment designs.
Thank you for starting this thread, Stunt and to the other posters who have added to it. Those were some special times.