page 12, July 14, 1976 - North Shore News

By Guiliermo Lam

In three days time West Vancouverite Butts -

Giraud will leap nine feet inte the air and land
belly first into the Bayshore Hotel pool in a

calculated bid to uphold’ his pride,.2 p.m.
Saturday.

It isn’t a new diving technique. No indeed! The
dive, one of six will help decide if 29-year-old
Giraud will for another year rule supreme as the
World Belly-Fiop and Cannonball-Diving cham-
pion. The second annual event, referred to as an
international classic, also has been labelled “The

added.

“Take's look: “f<

Olympic Games of the Archie Bunkers,” and is

" And: don’ t “anyone: dase

7 disagree’ imaybe: ‘one-can call -

Giraud.’ tée-shigt retailer

_wha: owns Dog’ s: Bar’. in

is-<dix-foot, 246. -
Among the - 14 :
awesome competitors is John.

Gastown, . ~
pounds.*-

Meyers,. owner of a Seattle

foot-six, 275 pounds; scow!l-
2. ft , ee on eet mone Be
mg VC IINMISAl, SALOU

Sei

five, 265 pounds who will

expected to attract some 2 3000: Spectators.

hth 4 ‘organizers are aware
“of his handicap and has given:
ita ‘foke-behind their: backs}. ehim the. option” of having

ssynkers - stwn Anto his Swim-;

"ming “trunks, . “which: the ‘says-

“-willcarry‘a ‘graphic. design to

“dadale'the onlookers. ° 7

His chances. **You know
what it’s like to walk around

: Bin neen am neen Een” aE Inn AD
with 10ur puUuMUs Gi 1CaGaie at

will affect my agility.”’

BUTTS GIRAUD...‘‘The spectators will be in for a show.”

attempt to wrestle away
Giraud’s title. But Kiniski
also. must contend with
fellow rival Hugh McKenzie,
a 300 pound former pro
wrestler from Texas who
stands seven-foot-two with
his hat on.

But these giants are far
from Giraud’s mind as he
talked about his strategy
with the North Shore News in

a Gastown coffee shop a few -
_ blocks from his store.

Dressed in a bright red-st...

riped tee-shirt the former
wrestler and football player
appeared confident.

“y approach the event like
any competition. As a sports
enthusiast I don't like to lose,

and I'm going to maintain |

that level.""

It would be hard for most
to understand why Giraud is
so serious about a compcti-
tion when the top’ prize is
only a Green Bathrobe, a
three-and-a-half foot simu-
lated gold plate trophy, anda
pair of matching wrenches. ;

But Giraud said his past
involvement in football and
wrestling has cultivated in
him ‘‘a winning spirit.’’ He
paused to acknowledge a
grecting from an acquain-
tance, and continued, ‘'! like
to win whether it’s for money
or just competing.”’

All candidates must weigh
at least 250 pounds, said
Giraud, ‘I've’ lost some

weight since last year, but
I'm the reigning champ so
I'm going to be there,"’ he

said.

*

To insure his victory the
**Tee-Shirt Tycoon’’, as his
friends and customers know
him, has been working out 25
to 30 minutes every other day

at a pool near his temporary

_ quarters in downtown Van-
couver. (Until recently he has
- been living in West Vancou-
ver, but the need for having
_to commute to his store in
Gastown forced him to take
‘up temporary quarters in a
downtown apartment. ‘“‘T'll
be moving back to West Van
soon,"’ he said.

weight of water displaced, .
- attistry, degree of difficulty,

Giraud said, however, : ‘he .
won't use sinkers since they:

. might harm rather than help_
model agency, who is six-

Is 30 minutes work out
every other day sufficient?

‘lve got to save myself.
The punishment is so hard on
my body. I've got to allow
time for the stings and

bruises to heal. One time. 1

‘got a cut over my left eye.”’
He removed his tinted

glasses to show where. ‘‘But

it has: healed up now,”’ he

_A panel. of judges will

score the competitors who.
--also include Andy Guvake, a. &
". six-foot-four, 260 pounder _
‘from Fiji,.and,a 300-pourid ..
“boiler-maker from ‘Victoria.- -

oe ‘The judging will De based’ HH a _
‘on. world. class standards: -

‘estimated height. of . splash; :

personality, and color and
choice of swimming attire.’

What's the feeling like
now with the contest only a

few days away?

“It’s anticipation. Just like.

you do before any team-
sport,’’ Giraud said.

‘Being an underdog be-
cause of weight and size, I
feel a lot of pressure. I don’t

‘know what the judges would

say, but my athletic ability
will win me the event.

As far-as I’m concerned
spectators will be in for a
good show.’ .They’ll see
things they’ve never seen
before. I. recommend that
Thomas Butler (organizer of
the event) have an ambu-
lance at pool-side.

What does his mother
think about him?

“She things r m absolutely
crazy.’

In a telephone | interview
Mrs. Giraud twice burst into
laughter when the News
asked her for her reaction.
With some effort she became
serious long enough to say:
“I never thought I'd have a
son who would do such a

- thing.”’

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