0
t began some fifty years ago.
te The story of Spring Break was
instituted by college students
who now may be your (gasp) grand-
parents! Let's revisit those five dec-
ades, stopping at times when the beach was less a
social statement, than "where the boys were"
THE THIRTIES:
In 1938, Fort Lauderdale invites students to a
"swimming forum" - in essence, the first Spring
Break. The Miller Brewing Company is already al-
most 100 years old.
FORT LAUDERDAL
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1973 marks a major milestone in the "Rites of
Spring:' Miller literally changes the shape of Amer-
ica when it introduces Lite Beer, the first great-
tasting brew that's truly less filling. As a result,
swimwear gets skimpier, and incidents of
"beached-whale spotting" grow increasingly rare.
In the news, a few jokers named Rodney, Mickey,
John and the Uke, et. al. hit the scene and anoint
themselves the "Lite Beer All-Stars" And their chi-
canery, as you well know, continues.
Spring
THE BETMANN ARCHIVE
THE FORTIES:
Back from the war, students bring thei
brand of wackiness to the proceedings. A rollicki
good time for collegians is to pack themselves i
phone booths and to ingest goldfish.
THE FIFTIES:
Rock 'n' roll is here to stay, and so is Spri
Break and convertibles. The height of chic is t;
inch, bumper-to-bumper, down AlA in your ragtop
- sitting high to attract coeds. Seems some things
never change.
THE SIXTIES:
Spring Break is immortalized in celluloid, as
Frankie and Annette hit the beach. The gals dare
out in "itsy bitsy teenie-weenie yellow polka dot
bikinis"
Record crowds, drawn by new found media at-
tention, head South as the decade progresses, and
for the first time, Breakers flock to Daytona Beach,
a spot which features the "Fountain of Beer" thus
debunking alleged claims of Ponce de Leon.
THE SEVENTIES:
Resort towns are attacked by a new breed of
undergrad - the dreaded hippie. Some call them
the "love generation"
Someone, somewhere, originates the clever com-
bination of T-shirts doused with water, while gold-
fish eating becomes pass6.
Vn
inhering
IES:
people than ever (estimates run into seven
es) are enjoying Spring Break and Miller Lite.
pring Breakers are taking on a Texas accent as
South Padre Island becomes their new place in the
sun. Guys re-discover barbers, and everyone is
healthier, leaner and bronzer, at least it would
appear.
THE FUTURE:
Now it's your turn. All you prognosticators out
there: write in and let us know what you think
Spring Break will be like in the year 2000. Will cars
(if they're still around) be banned from cruising
Daytona's shores? Will Rodney ever get respect on
the beach, or will they ever let Uecker sit in the
front row?