On the list of other watery hobbies we could be enjoying:
Apparently in the 60s it seemed like a good idea to dive into the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest and wrestle octopi from the watery depths.
In April 1963 the "World Octopus Wresting Championships" were held in Puget Sound, Washington. 111 divers brought up 25 giant octopus weighing in at up to 57 pounds, and had as many as 5000 spectators.
I'd like to see the trophies.
In 1965 an article about the sport in "True: The Man's Magazine" they talked about a guy called the "Father of Octopus Wrestling."
". . He knew how to outmaneuver them, to outflank them, and to outthink
them. He knew full well, many years ago, what today's octopus wrestlers
are just beginning to learn--that it is impossible for a man with two
arms to apply a full nelson on an octopus; he knew full well the
futility of trying for a crotch hold on an opponent with eight crotches."
From Time Magazine circa 1965:
"Merely to minnow about underwater is no longer enough, and such sports
as octopus wrestling are coming increasingly into vogue, particularly
in the Pacific Northwest, where the critters grow up to 90 Ibs. and can
be exceedingly tough customers. Although there are several accepted
techniques for octopus wrestling, the really sporty way requires that
the human diver go without artificial breathing apparatus"
And this awesome illustration comes from a 1949 Mechanix Illustrated, from an article called
"Octopus Wrestling is my Hobby"
According to them, this is some serious business.
"Like to wrestle an octopus? I realize it all sounds like a loathsome
sport but it’s really more fun than hunting some poor harmless
creature. When you wrestle and kill an octopus, you’re ridding the
marine world of a treacherous enemy.
And you’d better watch your step, too. For there’s no such thing as a reckless octopus hunter. You’re either careful or dead."
Found via this site, which has lots of other good stuff, most of which has nothing to do with Octopus: Futility Closet
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