1984

My love for the Olympics is obvious. It dates all the way back to 1976 and Nadia Comaneci. She was all the rage after scoring the first ever perfect 10 in gymnastics, and Janene and I had the 45 of 'Nadia's Theme' which we played on our red and white gingham print portable turntable. I don't have a specific memory of watching Nadia get the first perfect ten, but I do remember sitting in front of our black & white television with the Olympics on. Bruce Jenner was huge too. That's about all I remember from those Summer Olympics though, I was only seven after all.

Then of course we boycotted the 1980 Summer Games, which took place in the Evil Empire (that was the USSR for all you youngins), but I do remember the Miracle On Ice during the Winter Olympics of that year. Unfortunately, a victory like the Miracle On Ice isn't possible anymore because one, the Evil Empire no longer exists, and two, we send professionals to do the job now. Too bad - about sending professionals I mean. But it would be nice to have the Evil Empire around just for that rivalry in the Olympics, because it made the victories that much sweeter. But I guess we China now. They use the same system the Soviets did, of ripping children away from their families and training them 24/7 to win gold for the glory of the motherland. But I digress. Nadia Comaneci, Bruce Jenner and the Miracle On Ice are my earliest Olympic memories.

The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles was when I really fell in love though. My mother was swept up in all the excitement, and took us all over Los Angeles to events and Olympic pin exchanges. It's difficult to explain how exciting it was to have the Olympics in town. All of Southern California was abuzz with Olympic fever. I was 15, and that was also the year we housed two Austrian Olympic athletes who competed in yachting. Their names were Manfred and Rudi, and they were totally HOT (like totally - like)! Okay, so we didn't exactly 'house' them, but they did stay over night in the RV that was parked on our front lawn that belonged to some family friends that my step dad was supposed to fix. And I guess we didn't actually 'house' them during the Olympics either, but after the Games were over and they had returned from a road trip to Mexico and the Grand Canyon, but still - they did stay in our friend's RV that was on our front lawn, and they were totally HOT - and that's pretty dang exciting for a 15 year old girl!!!!!

Manfred, Me, Rudi

So, this is how it happened that two Austrian Olympic yachting athletes stayed in our friends RV that was parked on our lawn that my step-dad was supposed to fix (which he never did - it was finally junked 3 years ago), and how I got to spend an evening at the beach with them. Well my sister's very best friend was an interpreter for the Austrian athletes at the opening and closing ceremonies. She was probably involved in other stuff too, but I don't remember. Anyway, she became friendly with said Austrian yachting athletes and they came back to Hawthorne after their road trip to visit her. She and my sister were both 18 (my sister being legal by only a week or two), but I don't know how old Manfred and Rudi were. I'm guessing early twenties though. Well somehow, it was arranged that they would stay on our lawn, it might have even been for more than on night. I remember they came to our house after spending the day at the beach, and had their Speedos hanging on the antenna of the rental car to dry. Yes, they actually drove around with Speedos hanging off their car. How fun is that? My sister's friend had a party that night with some of their friends, and I was invited!!! Can you believe that?! How nice of my sister was that, to invite her 15 year old tag along bratty sister to hang with the hottie Olympic Austrians? Well they were so charming! They made all kinds of wonderful mistakes with their English that made them even more appealing and intriguing. Manfred tried to get me to practice my German with him, because I had taken it my freshman year, but I think I could only count to ten and say hello. The attention was flattering though, and I was all starry eyed for them. Actually, I had invited a boy I liked (we went back and forth liking each other a lot) who was really tall and cute, and one of my sister's friends who was 18 or 19, was infatuated with him and was taking pictures of him all night, but he didn't pay any attention to her. So all around, the evening was quite a triumphant one :) After having a little get together at my sister's friend's house for a couple hours, we went down to the beach, El Porto I believe, and sat in the dark on the beach talking and laughing for a long time. Manfred actually sent me a postcard when he got home, but I never did write him back. He wanted me to write to him in German so I could practice - I don't even like to write now :D But I still have his postcard, and every few years when I go through my old stuff, I see it :)

So, that is why the 1984 Summer Olympic Games are my favorite of all Olympics!!! And if you actually made it this far and read this entire post, you're invited over in two years for the Winter Olympics to watch ice skating!