Lika Starr

I completely missed all the talk this past winter about what the U.S. and Aussie boys were going to be wearing in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Imagine my disappointment when I saw for myself.. What the fuck? speedos, yes. But not the type of speedo I’m accustomed to seeing every four years. I am devastated, I tell you. Just devastated!

That devastation doesn’t come without it’s fair share of shame either. I was ashamed of my disappointment in the new LZR Razor suits being worn by our swimmers. The suit is manufactured by Speedo and the material was developed by NASA. The shame I felt stems from my competitive nature. You see, I’m an avid sports fan. It’s not all about eye candy for me. I love competition and I love the adrenalin rush I feel when my team wins in any sport. I should like the new suits because they give the guys an advantage as opposed to its skimpy predecessor.

But this year was different. After watching our swim solos and teams a couple of times I found myself not interested in watching as much as in previous Olympic years. I was content just looking for updates to see if Michael Phelps got the gold or not. That’s a shame!

I never realized I had a speedo fetish. How could I? It’s not like I surf the internet for hot guys in speedos. Hot guys, yes! But speedos, not necessarily. If I come across one who just happens to be wearing a speedo and I think he’s hot then I’ll take a look but usually it’s not his swimsuit that I find sexy. Though I am partial to a white squarecut. But that’s not the styles previously worn in the Olympics by most of the participants.

The new LZR suits make the guys look mechanized to me. It’s just not the same! Jake and I were watching the other night and my sister walks in and asks, “is that men or women swimming?” My answer, “fuck! You can’t tell the difference?”

By the way, I’d like to send a huge congrats to Phelps and his successes this year. Way to go Michael! He is now the single athlete with the most Olympic gold medals!

I should also mention the new suits are very controversial amongst the competing teams. The material developed by Nasa resists drag and allows the body to move through the water with much less resistance. As a result, since the suit’s manufacture swimmers have been breaking records like crazy.