16 October 2013 UNIFORM: With fall in full swing, the Speedo resurfaces from its deep hibernation through the months of winter and spring sports.
By Skylar Rains, Staff Writer
It’s that time of year again: boys’ water polo season. That means it’s time to break out the Speedos and crush the Inland Valley League competition, but why do boy water polo players wear this stereotypically shamed swimwear? Is it an issue of pride or precedent? Why do male’s swim sports pick the Speedo for their outfit of choice?
Speedos are specifically designed to help swimmers. They’re aerodynamic, slick and worn by male swimmers everywhere around the world. Their purpose is to eliminate drag in the water, hence the small amount of fabric used to create them. A lot of thought goes into the design of each Speedo, and every component is specially designed to give the swimmer a competitive edge.
The Speedo we know and love today made its debut at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games. It was sported by the Australian swimming team, and the team’s Olympic success contributed to the overall success of the Speedo brand. Ever since then, the Speedo brief has been the favorite of many professional male swimmers.
As for Poly, boys’ water polo players wear Speedos but boys’ swimmers wear Jammers: Speedos longer, spandex-like counterpart. According to Varsity player Bradley Tormey (12), the boys wear Speedos during water polo season “because [they’re] less to grab on to.” Due to the amount of physical contact under the water for the duration of the game, the Speedo is the most sensible attire. In water polo, it is inevitable to come in to physical contact while fighting over possession of the ball. If the boys were to wear jammers, a player from the opposing team could possibly grab the fabric and use it to pull a player back in order to block a pass.
In the end, I Spee-do approve of this choice of swimwear for competitive use, but I Spee-don’t approve of it for recreational use. Speedos are a severely under appreciated art form of swimwear and a strategic choice of uniform. They enhance the team’s performance, just as spandex shorts do for track and field athletes and cleats do for football players.