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Absence of divers in Hall is a shame
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego Union Tribune
August 17, 2003
It's time for the Bottom Scratchers to find a place of honor in the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.
I mean, for goodness sakes, we have a Bass Fishing Hall of Fame display there, don't we? Why shouldn't there be a section to honor this city's underwater heroes, the nation's first diving club and the founding fathers of diving in Southern California?
A timeline of sport diving history done for Scuba America lists such things as the invention of the self-contained underwater tank in 1878; the underwater camera, invented by Louis Boutan in 1893; and the first underwater color photographs, taken by WH Longley in 1923.
All of those things certainly were significant, but right there at the 1933 dateline is this notation: "The Bottom Scratchers of San Diego was founded by Ben Stone, Jack Prodanovich and Glenn Orr. This group became the first in an era when diving clubs were vastly popular. Across the country, many clubs followed in the years to come."
These are the men who inspired the writing of "The Compleat Goggler" in 1938 by Guy Gilpatric. Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan didn't design the Aqua-lung until 1943.
The Bottom Scratchers were pioneers, and they were San Diegans.
They believed in beach access for everyone and conservation. One of their many mottos was not to waste the ocean's resources. What they killed, they ate or fed others. They didn't participate in kill tournaments because they didn't believe in killing small fish.
They did their best to preserve the coastline's resources. Bottom Scratcher Harold Riley was instrumental in getting the city's Park and Recreation Department, the City Council and Mayor Pete Wilson to set aside 6,000 acres of inshore waters for La Jolla's Underwater Park.
So why aren't the Bottom Scratchers in the San Diego Hall of Champions?
There are several reasons, but it won't do anyone any good to hang out the dirty wet suits here. It's just sad that it hasn't been done yet. And it's well past time that folks responsible work out their differences and maybe bring in a third party to organize them, for the sake of these men, the 13 who have passed, the seven who remain.
Their incredible feats and contributions to the sport make them more than worthy. Let's give them their due while at least some of them can see it and appreciate it.
A celebration of the club's 70th anniversary was held Aug. 9 in Bay Park. It was great to see legendary Jack Prodanovich, a man who took spear guns to a new level. He was honored by the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association.
The six of the remaining seven Bottom Scratchers who gathered knew it might be the last time they'd pose as a group for pictures. It was one of those snapshots in time that captured the sadness of the twilight of an era, the end of a time that once was so bright and youthful and robust.
Unfortunately, key surviving family members of some of the deceased Bottom Scratchers chose not to attend the 70th anniversary. Estranged from the group because of their disappointment and disagreements with one man, they could provide key pieces of memorabilia that must be part of any display to make it complete.
But until a compromise is reached, the Bottom Scratchers will remain unrecognized in any formal display in the Hall of Champions.
And that's a shame.
Back in 1996, four of the Bottom Scratchers took Union-Tribune columnist Neil Morgan on a tour of their scrapbooks and memories. Prodanovich and Potts were joined by Ben Stone and Bill Johnston for an interview.
Stone, who founded the club along with Prodanovich and Orr, told Morgan: "This club started sports diving in the world. Before we're all gone, they should put the Bottom Scratchers with the other champions up there in Balboa Park."
Stone is right, and the folks who can do it need to band together now the way the Bottom Scratchers would have 70 years ago.
Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225; ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego Union Tribune
August 17, 2003
It's time for the Bottom Scratchers to find a place of honor in the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.
I mean, for goodness sakes, we have a Bass Fishing Hall of Fame display there, don't we? Why shouldn't there be a section to honor this city's underwater heroes, the nation's first diving club and the founding fathers of diving in Southern California?
A timeline of sport diving history done for Scuba America lists such things as the invention of the self-contained underwater tank in 1878; the underwater camera, invented by Louis Boutan in 1893; and the first underwater color photographs, taken by WH Longley in 1923.
All of those things certainly were significant, but right there at the 1933 dateline is this notation: "The Bottom Scratchers of San Diego was founded by Ben Stone, Jack Prodanovich and Glenn Orr. This group became the first in an era when diving clubs were vastly popular. Across the country, many clubs followed in the years to come."
These are the men who inspired the writing of "The Compleat Goggler" in 1938 by Guy Gilpatric. Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan didn't design the Aqua-lung until 1943.
The Bottom Scratchers were pioneers, and they were San Diegans.
They believed in beach access for everyone and conservation. One of their many mottos was not to waste the ocean's resources. What they killed, they ate or fed others. They didn't participate in kill tournaments because they didn't believe in killing small fish.
They did their best to preserve the coastline's resources. Bottom Scratcher Harold Riley was instrumental in getting the city's Park and Recreation Department, the City Council and Mayor Pete Wilson to set aside 6,000 acres of inshore waters for La Jolla's Underwater Park.
So why aren't the Bottom Scratchers in the San Diego Hall of Champions?
There are several reasons, but it won't do anyone any good to hang out the dirty wet suits here. It's just sad that it hasn't been done yet. And it's well past time that folks responsible work out their differences and maybe bring in a third party to organize them, for the sake of these men, the 13 who have passed, the seven who remain.
Their incredible feats and contributions to the sport make them more than worthy. Let's give them their due while at least some of them can see it and appreciate it.
A celebration of the club's 70th anniversary was held Aug. 9 in Bay Park. It was great to see legendary Jack Prodanovich, a man who took spear guns to a new level. He was honored by the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association.
The six of the remaining seven Bottom Scratchers who gathered knew it might be the last time they'd pose as a group for pictures. It was one of those snapshots in time that captured the sadness of the twilight of an era, the end of a time that once was so bright and youthful and robust.
Unfortunately, key surviving family members of some of the deceased Bottom Scratchers chose not to attend the 70th anniversary. Estranged from the group because of their disappointment and disagreements with one man, they could provide key pieces of memorabilia that must be part of any display to make it complete.
But until a compromise is reached, the Bottom Scratchers will remain unrecognized in any formal display in the Hall of Champions.
And that's a shame.
Back in 1996, four of the Bottom Scratchers took Union-Tribune columnist Neil Morgan on a tour of their scrapbooks and memories. Prodanovich and Potts were joined by Ben Stone and Bill Johnston for an interview.
Stone, who founded the club along with Prodanovich and Orr, told Morgan: "This club started sports diving in the world. Before we're all gone, they should put the Bottom Scratchers with the other champions up there in Balboa Park."
Stone is right, and the folks who can do it need to band together now the way the Bottom Scratchers would have 70 years ago.
Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225; ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com
