Esther Williams, Dangerous When Wet
How big was open water swimming in the 1940s and 1950s in America and Great Britain? Huge.Not only were the Billy Butlin’s English Channel International Races the rage during the 1950s, but also world-class swimmer Esther Williams starred in a series of films in the 1940s and early 1950s known as aquamusicals which featured elaborate performances of synchronized swimming, diving and open water swimming.
In the movie trailer shown below, Esther sets out to swim the English Channel in the musical Dangerous When Wet – where in one scene, she is aided by some of the best-dressed support crew in the history of marathon swimming.
Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Swimming
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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