Home >> Games & Cards >> Games

Water Games in the '50s

The 1950s saw the rise of communism, the Korean War, the expansion of industry and the emergence of rock and roll. Also birthed in the first decade of the baby boomers was a water activity called surfing. Further popularized in the 1960s, surfing was one of many water sports to emerge as both a recreational and competitive activity. In the U.S., other more established water games like water polo continued to flourish while other countries invented new ones.

Water Polo
- Water polo, invented and proliferated in the 19th century, underwent significant changes in the 1950s. In an attempt to speed up the game and make it more entertaining, a new set of rules were introduced (rules that still exist in 2011) breaking the contest into 4 periods of 5 minutes length. The modern game of water polo is played with seven players on each team in a pool or section of a pool that is at least 19 yards long and 20 feet or less in width. Goals are placed at each end of the pool and players can score with their feet, head and hands.
Octopush
- Otherwise known as underwater hockey, Octopush was invented in the early 1950s by a sub-aqua diver from England. The game is played with diving equipment, swimming fins, mask and snorkel and gloves. The puck is similar in size to the one used in ice hockey. Played in pools over 80 feet in length, Octopush involves 10 players on each side who are quickly substituted throughout the game. Known for its excellent aerobic workout, the can be played for recreation by anyone who can snorkel.
Surfing
- With the advent of lighter and more maneuverable fiberglass boards, surfing became a pop culture phenomenon in the 1950s. While it was largely a recreational activity enjoyed by anyone willing to be pounded by rolling waves, it was a competitive sport that underwent significant advancement in the decade. The amount of time riding a wave and the number and technical precision of maneuvers in comparison to the strength, size and difficulty of the wave became criteria for competition. After humble beginnings in the early part of the 20th century, surfing came to be enjoyed across the globe in the 1950s.
Water Skiing
- Started in 1922, water skiing thrived in the 1950s both as recreation and sport throughout the U.S. In 1952, the first intercollegiate competitions were organized and in 1954 Warren Witherall was the first to jump 100 feet, doing so at a competition in New Hampshire. The first barefoot water skiing competition was held in 1950 as well. Ski shows also became popular in the decade, particularly in the Midwest.

Games