BB LEX, Thanks for posting those Casey photos. I was no further than 10 feet away when a couple of those shots were taken.
So I hope you don’t mind if I take some time and space to “remenis’. (I can’t spell ‘reminis” .... but it does mean a humble attempt to recall some good old days and good old people most of whom have long passed away ..... so I may not be as accurate at reminiscing as I use to be.)
But I did know Pat and some of his friends back then in the early 1960's when Wes was most likely a ‘twinkel in his old man’s eye’. I think that’s an old time Irish saying.
Anyway it was a sunny Saturday morning and I was stationed at Camp Pendleton with a 48 hour pass , got up early, and started the short drive down to San Diego to watch some big kid attempt to set a new 600 pound bench press record in some SD Police Academy “Gym” close to the San Diego Zoo - which becomes somewhat of intertest later on in this storty.
Some of you GetBiggers have read my shit before – so I gotta ask ya not to disclose the ending,
I was there because I happened to be a strong kid from many years of climbing very tall trees (but never Redwoods because they were ‘sacred’ among my Indian tribe friends) and lifting heavy things before, during, and after school; so I was there to see if any human being could actually bench-press 600 pounds; and possibly be an active witness to ‘Odd Lift History”.
If I recall this moment of history correctly, this big kid by the name of ‘Pat’ was going to make a 600 pound bench attempt and set a new record which would b e accepted or rejected by whomever ran the selection/rejection process in them good old days.
This 600 pound attempt was going to be ‘attempted’ in a small area that appeared to be the Police Academy locker room with one 10x10 area reserved for a wobbily bench (see photo) and an Olympic bar and numerous 45 pound plates that were more or less 45 pounds each.
The AAU wasn’t involved because they were only interested in bodybuilding if it was held in support of local Olympic Lifting contests, and the IFBB was just a fledging baby in numerous P.O. Boxes throughout the civilized and uncivilized world where some local kid would stop by and pick up a letter or two each month addressed to someone named IFBB.
And the NPC was still unborne and wasn’t even a ‘twinkle’ in anyone’s eye just yet.
So I don’t even know if this was sanctioned or if the ‘judges’ were ‘official’ but I will admit that everyone was damn serious with one particular goal in mind … getting Pat psyched up to set a record!
And I forget the details but Pat did manage to get his 600 pound bench and it looked damn good to me.
No arch in his back.
Arms fully extended.
Both feet on the floor.
Etc, Etc.
But what the hell did I know about officiating!?
I was just a kid who liked to lift heavy things and see others who could lift heavier things than I could lift. And I had to leave Pendleton and go to San Diego to see that happen because climbing trees at an early age (No Redwoods, Chief!) caused me to respect thoese few individuals who were stronger than myself … as well as those individuals who made every attempt to become just as strong.
And to this very day .... I still respect them. Natural or Supernatural ... it makes no difference to me at all.
Yada, yada, yada.
So I only realized that Pat had a last name immediately after he set that new bench press record..
And although I’ve forgotten most of the finer details of that day, I’lll always remembetr that the lion made a tremendous ROAR as soon as Pat Casey made that lift.
And most of us followed suit and roared as well because someone was able to do what back then was tought to be impossible to get done and PC let us know what could be done …… If one really wanted to “DONE IT”!
BB LEX, you are most definitely INCORRECT about your pre-steroid statement.
I don’t recall the exact dates those photos were taken but I’m gonna guess around 1962 – 63 when I could walk into any drug store and purchase a bottle of D-Bol (I think it was D-Bol) without a prescription.
And it the early 60’s in SoCal the roids were just starting to become in vogue among the very few individuals who lifted heavy things on a daily basis.
Thiose were the good old days of Bill “Peanuts” West, George Frenn, Rev Zuver, the Dungeon, Pearl, Hoffman, Mabel and Perry, Joe and Ben and so many others whom I also knew but presently cannot recall.
Each of them were major contributors to what you all seem to love or hate so venhemently today, (I can’t sell that word either.)
I could tell ya so much more but …. Then I’d have to shoot ya!
Thanks , BB LEX!
Cliff Notes are $10 each
