Memories of South Bay Swim Club

The article about the South Bay Swim Club (South Bay Sports, April 17) certainly brought back memories, since I was part of the swim club from its inception until 1974, when my parents sold it. My father, Carl Jensen, started the first South Bay Swim Club in Redondo Beach in 1953, and moved to the Lomita location in about 1957. Of the three pools on the property, only the teaching pool was commercially built; he built the other two.

The club operated as my family’s business for many years, so I am curious about the comments made by Jerry Somers. We were often open to the public, up to 300 at a time, and no one had any trouble on Lomita Boulevard. Also, his estimation that the business “lost around $6,000 a month” during 1965 is totally incorrect. Between public swimming, swim team, rentals and teaching the club showed enough profit to support the family and allow my parents to build a retirement home in Hawaii.

About the main pool, it is just a fraction of an inch longer than 25 yards so that any short course records set in that pool would be official. I would be sorry to see the club close because of the memories it holds and the benefit it could be to the community, but it needs the TLC my parents, brother, husband, friends and I gave it for so many years. Without that, it can never again be the jewel of swim clubs it once was.

Carla Ann (Jensen) Turner

Redondo Beach