Remember when?

[68PK21 440.6bbl]

even i am not old enough for these gems.

source: The Dangerous Playgrounds of the Past Through Vintage Photographs, 1880s-1940s - Rare Historical Photos

my 85 year old mom can tell stories of some of these death rigs.

seriously happy some of these houses of horror got retired, before my little boy, "king of the hill" bravado kicked in.

some of you older folks may have done some of these contraptions into the '50's.

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I was born in the 50's but remember nothing like that height wise, but when I was a little older in my teenage years we figured out with the help of a friend that the canvas chain link swings at our old elementary school could be spun around over the top for quite a few turns. Daredevils we were...


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[3175375]

I’ve seen some old pictures of the stuff like you have shown plus huge wooden slides that dumped kids into a river.

I will dig them up, scan them and post.

 

[amazinblue82]

I was born in the 50's but remember nothing like that height wise, but when I was a little older in my teenage years we figured out with the help of a friend that the canvas chain link swings at our old elementary school could be spun around over the top for quite a few turns. Daredevils we were...

when i was about 10 i was finally heavy enough (or peer pressured enough) to try to "wrap a swing" around the bar. we had a set like this in our local public park.

lived to tell about obviously ... but goes back to that old saying about " babies & fools"

i went around maybe 95 degrees from BDC, and started dropping straight down, head first.

last second leg kick, or an arm jerk, that got my a*" to flip toward the ground, and miraculously missed the bar (observers say it wasnt by much), cracked like a whip at BDC, and was flung outta the swing.

after i stopped crying, so what does my dumb a** do?

promptly try again until i went around .. once .. and enjoyed my rite of passage kudos. manhood proven, we all hopped on our "stingrays" and split .

easy peasy till about age 12 ( maybe 5-6 times total, didn't have the nads to keep going around more than once, else my Dad woulda surely killed me, if i didn't kill myself) .. then "swinging" was for "girls", "little" boys, or other kids not under death threat from their folks for being so reckless.

 

[carguy300]

I was born in the 50's but remember nothing like that height wise, but when I was a little older in my teenage years we figured out with the help of a friend that the canvas chain link swings at our old elementary school could be spun around over the top for quite a few turns. Daredevils we were...


.

We used get all the way to top of the upper rail and the let go and try to make a 10 point landing without breaking a leg!! Those were the days!

 

[carguy300]

I remember the high heat friction burns on the back of legs going down the metal slide on a Hot sunny day!

 

[amazinblue82]

We used get all the way to top of the upper rail and the let go and try to make a 10 point landing without breaking a leg!! Those were the days!

the kid in black is my hero - stuck the landing.

the kid in green is looking to get hurt - late on his "dismount" and went more up than out

 

[carguy300]

Wasnt near high enough!!

 

[3175375]

I remember the high heat friction burns on the back of legs going down the metal slide on a Hot sunny day!

First degree burns. In Southern California the surface temperature of the slide surely would fry an egg.

 

[Old Mike]

My young-uns had it easy. Grew up "soft" - plastic, sand, pretty colors, railings, etc. .

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I tease my kids right back, and then remind them of me walking 20 miles each way to school. Wasn't true, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

And don’t forget, plastic is a PETROLEUM product (gasp)!! And it’s NOT biodegradable??

 

[amazinblue82]

Wasnt near high enough!!

our thing was like the "broad jump" in track & field.

the further away from the swing set you could land, if you could extend your arms out, feet forward, and stick the landing (at least land on your feet), that first spot your feet touched was your distance.

The kid in black shirt, landed on his feet, and fell forward. He gets good marks for form and distance.

THe kid in green shirt shanked it ..landed on his feet but never really left the launch pad. Again, by the stingray club standards, he was daring enough to try, but just needed practice.

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These kids below are good, but a few need work. Mostly on dismount (form). And landing. You cant land backward, even if its on your feet. We'd take you out of the "medal round"

Man, those were the days. Honestly, remember it like yesterday, though over a half-century ago for me.

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Now, this young lady could be in the "stingray flyers". She got her head above the bar on the backswing, got in a strong pull toward BDC. dismount and landing flawless. Got out there about seven feet away from the set.

she's pretty happy with herself. And barefoot no less. (sorry, gotta watch about 10 seconds of an ad before you can skip it).

https://www.weareiowa.com/embeds/video/responsive/524-276743d4-77b9-44bf-80c1-1fbf0e05205b/iframe

 

[carguy300]

Guess there are kids that play outdoors without a screen in front of them!

 

[Mid70's Chrysler Fanatic]

I tease my kids right back, and then remind them of me walking 20 miles each way to school. Wasn't true, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

My parents got to say that, not the 20 miles part, but the fact that they grew up in Winnipeg—including the winter.

They deprived me of similar stories. I don’t have kids, but do drive a school bus. “A C-body Chrysler with a potent V-8, heater, a/c, radio” just doesn’t have the same effect.

we all hopped on our "stingrays" and split .

easy peasy till about age 12 ( maybe 5-6 times total, didn't have the nads to keep going around more than once, else my Dad woulda surely killed me, if i didn't kill myself) .. then "swinging" was for "girls", "little" boys, or other kids not under death threat from their folks for being so reckless.

Without helmets, I’m sure.

Dad to me: “You’re almost at a 180-degree circle!”

Brother to Dad: “No, that’s half a circle.”

Only swing-set accident I had was attempting to crawl under a “passenger swing” (tubular steel contraption hinged at the top of the swingset A-frame, two seats for two facing each other). At age four, that whole “force = mass x acceleration” thing wasn’t exactly familiar. Part of the frame dug a miniature ditch in my scalp! I ran inside and lay on my parents bed (they were home.) The bedspread must have looked like a bloody crime scene!

And don’t forget, plastic is a PETROLEUM product (gasp)!! And it’s NOT biodegradable??

And very likely made in Foo King, China.

 

[amazinblue82]

My parents got to say that, not the 20 miles part, but the fact that they grew up in Winnipeg—including the winter.

They deprived me of similar stories. I don’t have kids, but do drive a school bus. “A C-body Chrysler with a potent V-8, heater, a/c, radio” just have the same effect.


Without helmets, I’m sure.

Dad to me: “You’re almost at a 180-degree circle!”

Brother to Dad: “No, that’s half a circle.”

Only swing-set accident I had was attempting to crawl under a “passenger swing” (tubular steel contraption hinged at the top of the swingset A-frame, two seats for two facing each other). At age four, that whole “force = mass x acceleration” thing wasn’t exactly familiar. Part of the frame dug a miniature ditch in my scalp! I ran inside and lay on my parents bed (they were home.) The bedspread must have looked like a bloody crime scene!

And very likely made in Foo King, China.

diggin' the story -- minus your mishap.

helmets? not the stingray club in the 70's.

 

[Mid70's Chrysler Fanatic]

diggin' the story -- minus your mishap.

helmets? not the stingray club in the 70's.

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Thanks! Was that photo taken in Australia? I’m basing that on the white sedan (Ford Fairlane?) to the kids’ right.

 

[amazinblue82]

Thanks! Was that photo taken in Australia? I’m basing that on the white sedan (Ford Fairlane?) to the kids’ right.

dunno location chief ... just grabbed first thing i saw online

 

[carguy300]

Again I say..... those were the days! Mine had a 12 sissy bar, I think thats what we called them, that I leaned back on to pull wheelies until my fat 10 yr old butt broke it and I landed flat on my back, goose egg on back of my head and 2 skinned elbows. Brothers laughed and my pride was to hurt to cry! Yep!, those were the days!!