It continues to amuse me when I hear millennials refer to male and female athletes as Jocks, probably 50% of them unaware it was originally a protective item and not a person, at one time worn by your father and grandfather in gym class.
The gear resembles a thong.
The Bike Athletic Company invented the jockstrap for bikers (hence the name) back in 1874, the signature stripe on the 3" waistband giving the protective sportswear item "a vintage feel." Huh?
I wore my first jock in 7th grade for PE class, embarrassed to admit that my mother bought said item for me - the package with the "true classic apparel" somehow seeming illicit, as though she was handing me a box of condoms. Fortunately, she didn't ask me to demonstrate how to put it on. :)
I quickly learned to "snap" a classmates jockstrap during calisthenics, or laugh when a senior loaded some freshman's jock with analgesic, avoiding upperclassmen whenever possible so the same didn't happen to me. What's the benefit of being young if you can't be stupid?
The use of jocks went out of style in the late 70's with the addition of a lining inside my nylon running shorts, the creative all-in-one invention so cool - although they weren't without their shortcomings - typically equipment malfunctions when the "prize" fell out of the "package" during a race. How embarrassing!
Fortunately it never happened to me...although I've seen it far too often.
I can honestly say jocks were quite comfortable - the cup holding my twig and berries in place, no side to side motion like a happy dog's tail. As they say in ads "we've got you covered." :) Yet I no longer possess one, happy to leave the concept to the new generation.
Surprisingly, its been embraced by females in their teens and twenties, the beach-goers wearing a bikini bottom that is much smaller than anything I wore back in the 70's. It's cool. But if you EVER spot me at Osterman Beach in only a jockstrap, please call the police - I'm sure it breaks some obscenity law!
Comments