Chick, as usual - you are right once again. It is Ernie without his head on top. If Brooks is still open, I'm gonna look for that suit and wear it to funerals, weddings and christenings
Moose, I knew Gypsy for a brief period of time in the early 60's. They held a contest on some baseball field in Palm Springs and Gypsy did some amazing feats with a football. And even back then he was a relatively old guy. I can't offer an accurate guess on how far he threw that ball but no one else there was willing to challenge him with a longer toss.
I got no idea what he did with those banannas and carrots though. I must have missed that one.
That was the year that Don Peterson won and Peter Lupus (Mission Impossible) took second. And that was the same day the sandstorm took the paint off my relatively newly painted VW while driving out of town back to the base.
Moose, I "kind of recall" a similar chainsaw accident happening to Sipes but I believe that that event happened years later and much later than the early 60's.
Regardless, it is not Chuck Sipes that I am thinking of in reference to the San Diego incident. Care to offer a second opinion?
Interesting to hear that you competed against Bob back then. I think I first me Bob when he was competing against Ernie Santiago at some West Coast event or it could have possibly been during some photo session after one of those contests.
Since, I'm back on, I'll post another photo of a good friend during the latter part of his life. He made funny things happen during those relatively young years in the BB era.
Moose, I worked on Gary's prep that year he won. And a mutual friend by the name of Steve Dussia worked on his posing which Gary claimed enabled him to win the overall Mr America title (that was the last year it was awarded). The next year we all got together for the Nationals at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas (Tim Belnap won it with the help of Jeff and Cori while I served as the Gopher Driver looking for the right foods to eat). One of the Supp Companies threw a party after the contest (the finals was held in the early afternoon so that Engelbert Humperdink or some comparable critter could go on stage for the main event). That was unquestionably the best party I've even attended (someone must have spiked my cocktail or blown MJ in my direction) with just about everyone of any importance in attendence, (Even met Rock Stonewall that afternoon.) Capped off the evening by searching for a shortcut to another casino and unexpectantly ended up in the Caesars fountain on the other side of some marble wall. That was the only time I was ever asked to leave a casino. The Security Crew claimed I was having too much fun so I was escorted to the street with other fun loving critters. Believe it or not but we hit the next casino on the Strip and somehow won a lot of money pitching quarters into some bandit contraption.
Here's the photo I briefly mentioned above. This one is EAZZZZZZZYYYYYYY