Owen Churchill
Encyclopedia
Owen Porter Churchill (March 8, 1896 – November 22, 1985) was an American
sailor
who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics
.
In 1932 he was a crew member of the American boat Angelita which won the gold medal in the 8 metre class.
improving it from the earlier version made by Louis de Corlieu in 1935. With skin-diving's low popularity in America, he sold under a thousand pairs. He thought of the idea from seeing Tahitian boys using the same concept. They would use soft rubber and metal bands shaped like a fish tail. Churchill improved the shape and used vulcanized rubber.
The income from his then-patented and now-commonplace device let him pursue his passion of competitive sailing.
Churchill became the primary patron and team captain of the United States Olympic Yachting team at both the 1932 (Los Angeles
) and 1936 (Berlin
) Olympic Games
. Churchill was also a lifetime member of the Los Angeles Yacht Club, where memorabilia of his exploits is on display to this day. During the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, special recognition was given to Churchill by Peter Ueberroth
for his lifelong efforts to promote sailing. Churchill's Star Fleet yacht, The Angelita, was fully restored for the occasion and re-christened at the time in Los Angeles harbor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sailor
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
.
In 1932 he was a crew member of the American boat Angelita which won the gold medal in the 8 metre class.
Swim Fin
In 1940 Churchill designed and patented the swim finSwimfin
Swimfins, swim fins, fins or flippers are worn on the foot or leg and made from finlike rubber or plastic, to aid movement through the water in water sports activities such as swimming, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, kneeboarding, riverboarding, and various types of underwater diving.Scuba divers use...
improving it from the earlier version made by Louis de Corlieu in 1935. With skin-diving's low popularity in America, he sold under a thousand pairs. He thought of the idea from seeing Tahitian boys using the same concept. They would use soft rubber and metal bands shaped like a fish tail. Churchill improved the shape and used vulcanized rubber.
The income from his then-patented and now-commonplace device let him pursue his passion of competitive sailing.
Churchill became the primary patron and team captain of the United States Olympic Yachting team at both the 1932 (Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
) and 1936 (Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
) Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. Churchill was also a lifetime member of the Los Angeles Yacht Club, where memorabilia of his exploits is on display to this day. During the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, special recognition was given to Churchill by Peter Ueberroth
Peter Ueberroth
Peter Victor Ueberroth is an American executive. He served as the sixth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989. He was recently the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee; he was replaced by Larry Probst in October 2008....
for his lifelong efforts to promote sailing. Churchill's Star Fleet yacht, The Angelita, was fully restored for the occasion and re-christened at the time in Los Angeles harbor.