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Log Rolling: Then and Now

  • 2 min read
One of the things we love most about log rolling is that it’s a new activity, that’s not actually new at all! Log rolling has a 125-year-old history that today feels throughly modern.You can bring excitement to your pool or waterfront, without succumbing to “just another fitness trend.”  It is both fresh and authentic. And we have the photo evidence to prove it! 

We decided to have a little fun digging through our photo archives in search of "then and now" comparisons. For decades, people of all shapes and sizes have experienced the pure joy of log rolling. The only difference today is that Key Logs and our yellow Training Fins have made it a heck of a lot easier. Wewere surprised by how many similarities we found. Here are a few of our faves...

 

These two photos are evidence that log rolling has been and still is glamorous fun in the sun! Jeans and flannel are not required (nor recommended!) for this water sport.

 

Learning to balance and step on top of a spinning log in the water is just as captivating to kids now in the age of video games and TikTok as it was back when they had to "walk a mile uphill to school and home - both ways!" 

 Shhh...don't tell anyone, but the woman on the left is 7-time world champion and co-founder of Key Log Rolling Judy Scheer Hoeschler. What we love about these two photos together is that because of the yellow Training Fins, even a beginner (eg. red suited college student on the right) can look just as athletic and have just as much fun as a world champ! 

 

We love that log rolling has always been an all-ages, family-friendly activity. Young children can safely try a new challenge, as their parents proudly gaze on in amazement.

 

Speaking of family-friendly...these are both Sister Acts! For those of you who aren't log rolling history buffs, each of these photographs feature world champion sister duos in the proverbial "training pond." On the left, Charlotte and Virginia Hansen. And on the right Elizabeth Hoeschler Horvitz and Abby Hoeschler Delaney (yours truly.)

 

Okay this comparison is sort of a stretch, but we LOVED the vintage photo, and who doesn't love a good battle of the sexes?!

 

Log rolling is often perceived as a gritty sport. People associate it with whiskey-infused lumberjacks duking it out to determine who cleans the latrine.The reality is that log rolling requires finesse and balance (in addition to strength!), and is more often enjoyed with a friend than a foe!

So there you go. We hope we've inspired you to try something new and have yourself some good old fashioned fun!

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