My wife is pretty sure that she created the first fanny pack. She had tickets to the LA Olympics in '84 and hated lugging around her big, leather purse.

Well, she had this small, light canvas purse with a cloth strap so she cut the strap in the middle, sewed in a loop hook, and wore the purse strapped around her waist to all the events. As she put it, "Everywhere I went, women would stop and stare at my purse, and I could see they were *thinking* about it...". It was right after that that you started seeing people wearing them.

I don't remember seeing fanny packs before the Olympics, I don't really know for sure but it's still kind of a neat story.

: My wife is pretty sure that she created the
: first fanny pack. She had tickets to the LA
: Olympics in '84 and hated lugging around her
: big, leather purse.

: Well, she had this small, light canvas purse
: with a cloth strap so she cut the strap in
: the middle, sewed in a loop hook, and wore
: the purse strapped around her waist to all
: the events. As she put it, "Everywhere
: I went, women would stop and stare at my
: purse, and I could see they were *thinking*
: about it...". It was right after that
: that you started seeing people wearing them.

: I don't remember seeing fanny packs before the
: Olympics, I don't really know for sure but
: it's still kind of a neat story.

Necessity being the mother and all. Your wife can get credit for having a good idea and a good time at the events. But she might have seen something like it before, especially if she is an equine enthusiast. I rode and trained one of the horses that competed in the 84 Olympics in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Horses were a second skin to a lot of us girls back then. We rode them to friends, to stores, and even to bars (the horse always knows it's way home). A common accessory was a small leather saddle bag that could be strapped to the back of the saddle or taken off and worn around the waist. I, and others, used these fanny packs (looked and called the same, although intended for the horses fanny) as purses. Then the next year at the Del Mar fair I saw all these brightly colored nylon packs and laughed at them. I still prefer my leather pack. They still sell them at tack and feed shops. They have had these fanny packs since the old west and probably before.

: Necessity being the mother and all. Your wife
: can get credit for having a good idea and a
: good time at the events. But she might have
: seen something like it before, especially if
: she is an equine enthusiast. I rode and
: trained one of the horses that competed in
: the 84 Olympics in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.
: Horses were a second skin to a lot of us
: girls back then. We rode them to friends, to
: stores, and even to bars (the horse always
: knows it's way home). A common accessory was
: a small leather saddle bag that could be
: strapped to the back of the saddle or taken
: off and worn around the waist. I, and
: others, used these fanny packs (looked and
: called the same, although intended for the
: horses fanny) as purses. Then the next year
: at the Del Mar fair I saw all these brightly
: colored nylon packs and laughed at them. I
: still prefer my leather pack. They still
: sell them at tack and feed shops. They have
: had these fanny packs since the old west and
: probably before.

Yikes! Rancho Santa Fe, CA??? 1984??? Hmmm, I lived about three miles from there at the time (November '83-March '91). Beautiful area. Yep, all the girls at my HS in Encinitas were crazy for horses, no doubt about it. Was that where you attended HS as well??? Del Mar Fair??? Saw many concerts there back in the mid to late '80s. Going there was practically a ritual every year in late June/early July. I remember back then, it was only $5.00 to get in! Ah yes, those were the days...

: Yikes! Rancho Santa Fe, CA??? 1984??? Hmmm, I
: lived about three miles from there at the
: time (November '83-March '91). Beautiful
: area. Yep, all the girls at my HS in
: Encinitas were crazy for horses, no doubt
: about it. Was that where you attended HS as
: well??? Del Mar Fair??? Saw many concerts
: there back in the mid to late '80s. Going
: there was practically a ritual every year in
: late June/early July. I remember back then,
: it was only $5.00 to get in! Ah yes, those
: were the days...

Ops, I posted a diatribe in answer to this onto another thread (80's Book). I should P.S. it with - I have grown up (mostly), and I did graduate and was in college at 17, but I remember best; the slacking. I also forgot to rave about the Del Mar Fair. Best Fair ever!!! A yearly event for me since childhood. 4th of July, watching fireworks, picnicking at the beach next to the fair. Riding my horse down that little strip of beach with the track race horses. The roach clip feathers. The original "Shane" unicorn artwork. The original Pup on a Stick and their Fresh Squeezed Lemonade. The fried zucchini stand (way before that was popular). The rides, the lazer shows. Oh yes, and the concerts. Berlin was perhaps my favorite, and I believe, free with admission to the fair $4. I could go on and on, but I'll try not to. Bye.

P.S. How about the Flower Fest and the Reggae?

: Ops, I posted a diatribe in answer to this onto
: another thread (80's Book). I should P.S. it
: with - I have grown up (mostly), and I did
: graduate and was in college at 17, but I
: remember best; the slacking. I also forgot
: to rave about the Del Mar Fair. Best Fair
: ever!!! A yearly event for me since
: childhood. 4th of July, watching fireworks,
: picnicking at the beach next to the fair.
: Riding my horse down that little strip of
: beach with the track race horses. The roach
: clip feathers. The original
: "Shane" unicorn artwork. The
: original Pup on a Stick and their Fresh
: Squeezed Lemonade. The fried zucchini stand
: (way before that was popular). The rides,
: the lazer shows. Oh yes, and the concerts.
: Berlin was perhaps my favorite, and I
: believe, free with admission to the fair $4.
: I could go on and on, but I'll try not to.
: Bye.

: P.S. How about the Flower Fest and the Reggae?

I was a bit surprised when I first read your self-described "diatribe" on the "book" thread. Your description was quite stereotypical, IMO; heck, the HS I was referring to wasn't even called Encinitas HS (in fact, it's no longer even a HS), but based on some of the references you gave, yeah, I think we're talking about the same place. I was never part of that "surfer" crowd - you'll note I said I didn't even move into the area till late '83. (Was anything but a "slacker", either. But yeah, w/ everyone so spoiled by living near the coast just north of SD, I don't deny there was a lot of that going on.) I can say that having moved around a lot in my life (all over Cali, and currently on the east coast), I found that area to be the best - and I'm not just referring to weather or scenic beauty. Trust me, be thankful for what you have! It was great spending most of my teens and early 20s there...

As for the Del Mar Fair, I won't argue w/ you there. In the last few years, I've been to a couple of similar ones held annually here in the NE (the Meadowlands Fair in East Rutherford, NJ; the Big E in West Springfield, MA), and they don't compare! Being the "80smusicfreak" that I am, I went more for the concerts than the rides and other attractions, attending as many as 5-6 annually during a three-year stretch from 1988-90. Yes, the concerts were free w/ admission, at least up until the very early '90s (which as I noted previously, was only $5.00 up until 1990, which was the last year I attended). I'm well aware that's since changed, however.

Hmmm, Berlin, eh??? I regrettably missed them, but I did catch a wide variety of acts at the Del Mar Fair, from Steppenwolf to Kenny Loggins to Kim Carnes to Laura Branigan to Air Supply to Kool & the Gang, to yes, even Milli Vanilli (before the scandal broke), LOL! (Okay, so the two guys we watched on stage that night might not have sung the actual vocals on their album, but that didn't mean the music wasn't real, and I certainly recall having a great time w/ all of the ladies they attracted to the show! Well worth the $5.00, IMO... )

I guess this isn't about Fanny Packs anymore. So I guess I'll stop using this message board as my personal forum and give 80smusicfreak my thanx for bringing up memories. I would give you my personal web address, but I don't want to give it to the world. The computer stunted individual that I am, I only access at work and the library, and don't need inappropriate material spammed my way. Thanx.

P.S. San Dieguito High. I knew you'd know.

??Gone?? To bad, so sad.

: P.S. San Dieguito High. I knew you'd know.

Class of '86. You???

: ??Gone?? To bad, so sad.

Well, the campus is still there, it's just that it's no longer used as a HS. It's been replaced by the brand new HS that was built a few miles away in La Costa several years ago, but I assumed you already knew that. (Do you no longer live in the area???) Last April, I visited the former SDHS campus for the first time in more than nine years. Definitely brought back some memories. Checked out the new HS as well...