Assisted Handstand and Portable Handstand Wall

I first saw the concept of this handstand assist drill from Al Luber at Santa Monica Gymnastics Center. Also good against low beams and against the edge of springboards (lower = more challenging).


I've posted this before, but here's another look at Al's portable handstand board:




These were filmed in December of 2007


Al was an engineer and came up with all sorts of devices and training ideas.

A 29 Year Tradition Ended, that is Still Missed

Michael Sanders, Santa Monica Gymfest, September 7, 1992.
1992 would be the final year of this 29 year tradition.

Before my first year at UCLA, Russ Ideishi (my coach during my last year of high school) had me check out the annual "Beach Meet" (Santa Monica Gymfest). He trained for it about a week before the meet. I distinctly recall him on the floor at Redlands YMCA (after not tumbling since the two weeks before the previous Beach Meet) throw not only his double twist, but stylish passes in practice that I thought were a bit nuts at the time: A suicide back tuck where he did a long set and didn't pull into his tuck until gravity was pulling him back down; and a pretty full twist with arms held out to the sides like a plane.

Gymnastics is a small community. People from all over the world would come and converge on Labor Day Weekend for the Santa Monica Beach Meet. It was a place where gymnasts like Russ could see friends he hadn't seen since the previous year, like the annual family get-together on Thanksgiving or Christmas. It was a place where you also could find current collegiate and international competitors as well as up-and-comers.

Glenn Sundby began the Santa Monica Gymfest in 1963 "to have a fun competition where all could enjoy gymnastics without caring who won."

Al and Linda Luber took over the reins of running the Gymfest in 1974, with Glenn Sundby still providing sponsorship:

Al and his wife Linda took over the running of the Santa Monica Gymfest held every Labor Day weekend from 1974 to the early 1980’s. This very fun, low key competition in the sand was started by Glenn Sundby from Gymnast Magazine in the early 1960’s. It had an all-comers format and the prelims would allow novice gymnasts to participate along side Olympians.

I loved the laid back atmosphere where kids competed against old-timers and Olympians- didn't matter, your skills would speak for themselves regardless of age and experience; I seem to recall one competitor on floor chomping on a cigar; Chuck Gaylord would hold his planche and maltese on rings and then turn his head to the crowd with a grin, shades on and all.

There was no spring floor and no landing mats. You did all your dismounts onto sand. Throw and miss a release on high bar, and you could find yourself coming up, coughing up sand after hitting the ground.

Steve Butcher and Frank Endo and the coach from Glendale Y whose name escapes me, were judges I often remember seeing there. I remember once, Steve Butcher (I'm pretty sure it was him) was the judge on floor and while the competitor was going through his routine, Steve was checking out a beach babe walking by him and struck up a few words with her. I don't recall what he scored the guy on floor ex. It was that kind of care-free atmosphere.

Half-in half-out, Michael Sanders on rings, Santa Monica Gymfest 1992. Photo taken by Russ Ideishi. (I recognize Dan McCann, Art Shurlock, and Steve Hug in the background)

In 1992, after my last year of college eligibility, I competed and won rings. I also won rings in 1991, in which things seemed to be on the decline, with low turnout and failure to bring out actual competition equipment. We had to use the high bar, rings, and parallel bars that basically amounted to playground equipment. I remember us digging a grave under the steel rings to make them "higher" for dismounts.

A few people have been transferring old 8 mm films into digital format and uploading them to YouTube. Check out elfalcone2008's and ciscopimental's uploads.

You can see some of the real legends doing some really insane stunts. Examples:

First quad?



Some swinging rings:






Mark Davis' clown routine on rings (about 1:50 in):



Mark Davis' quad:



As Rick points out, Venice and Santa Monica beach have a long and rich history in acrobatics and muscle fitness that goes back, beyond the Santa Monica Gymfest; remnants of which can still be seen today, including more recent trends, like travelling rings.

The following is illegally pillaged from the pages of the October '74 issue of International Gymnast Magazine:













I had a conversation with Mike Cates at Broadway Gymnastics School at the beginning of summer, and he talked of reviving and sponsoring the Santa Monica Gymfest if he can find the right person to hire who is willing to take on the challenge of organizing and hosting and promoting....

A little history on Al Luber...who's a little older than 7

Today, Thea told me about how level 4 gymnast Miriam was making him laugh. She relayed one exchange of theirs, where Miriam asked Al how old he is. Al told her, "Older than you." Miriam replied back, "So....you're seven?"*

The following is from an email Julia forwarded to me a while ago. Thought it might be a good time to post it.

Al's old engineering buddy goes to my church small world, huh? I say Al sould wear that outfit to class sometime, hahaha

-----Original Message-----
From: Terri-Rae Elmer <>
To: Julia Wallace <>
Subject: Fw: Julia's Gymnastics coach
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:05:44 -0700

----- Original Message -----

From:

To:

Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 6:51 PM

Subject: Julia's Gymnastics coach

Hi Terri-Rae,

I thought your daughter might enjoy showing her gym coach the following photos, all of which I found on the FBI's Most Wanted list. (Maybe you can take them off this email and print them on some glossy paper for Al.)

As I mentioned to you, he has an electrical engineering degree from UCLA and he worked with us at Hughes Aircraft Company. I remember that he was always doing extra work teaching swimming and gym to youngsters at that time. One day someone mentioned that he was a UCLA jock in gymnastics. I asked him if there was anything he could show us about gymnastics, since I knew nothing at all about it. We were in a lab and he looked around and spied a desk. He was a little tentative, but he said, "Well, I guess I could show you something simple." He went over to the desk and leaned back on it as if he were going to sit on it. He put his hands down on either side of his hips an gripped the edge of the desk. He lifted his body off the desk and held his feet off the floor. Smoothly and gracefully, he slowly rotated his hips, thighs, knees, and finally his feet between his hands and u over the desk. I think he even brought himself up into a handstand. Wow, were we impressed! And he could solve Maxwell's Equations, too!

[Rest of the email truncated]

Joe Owens

*It's possible Thea might have relayed her story a bit off, since Miriam is 8 years old (so maybe Miriam asked if Al was 9?).