by Jack Mapes
I am a gym owner — a proud one at that — and I love every second, rep, set, and exercise that I’m coaching my clients through. Oftentimes when I’m done, I go out into the alley in back, breathe fresh air, look at the sun and, while feeling good, also feel that sometimes workouts shouldn’t be relegated to the inside of a building.
In the 2012 buget plan under the Recreation, Parks, and Marine section, it reads, “Open spaces and parks define great cities.” In one sentence, one word stands out more than others — and in this case it is “open.” It is hard to imagine a more open space than the beach, for the waters before you continue until a line separtes it from the sky.
When traveling north to the shores of Venice, there is a stark contrast in physical activity and raw energy from what one would find in Long Beach. In Venice, paddle ball courts are filled, basketball games are in motion, and guys and gals are pumping iron in the sun. I truly love my city, but Venice Beach’s setup is more alluring than Long Beach — hands down.
For more than half a century, Long Beach’s breakwater has made surfing impossible due to the ocean’s current being disrupted. Granted, Long Beach does have a fantastic 3.1-mile bike / running path extending from Alamitos Avenue to 54th place that makes for a nice aerobic workout. But in retrospect, our shore is a blank canvas just waiting for more paint.
After 25 years of Santa Monica residents having the privilege of watching acrobats and stuntmen including the likes of Jack Lalanne perform at the internationally-recognized Muscle Beach, the concept as such moved south to Venice. Given the constant benefit to local Venice Beach residents, the outdoor weightroom is a great outlet for those looking to sweat in the sun while on vacation or during their time off. In fact, Los Angeles Magazine recently named Venice Beach Boardwalk as the number two tourist destination in Southern California, lagging only behind the monster machine that is Disneyland. And for those who have had the pleasure to observe, there is no denying that Muscle Beach holds one of the leading roles in the Venice Boardwalk drama.
On February 7, Long Beach made a significant stride with the introduction of the Let’s Move Long Beach health initiative, following the footsteps of First Lady Michelle Obama’s national health initiative. According to the Press-Telegram, “The legislation was written to promote exercise and wholesome food choices, and encourage the hosting of health-awareness events.” Monthly city wide events promoting health is a undeniable step forward for our community, especially in the age where 12 year olds being diagnosed with heart disease.
And while this is unquestionably a step forward, a permanent resource such as our own Muscle Beach is much more powerful.