Borah High Dive
It’s hard to believe that it’s actually summer with it being so cold and rainy... but it is! Summer in Boise has a lot to offer, and by a lot, I mean swimming. Slip on your Speedo or thong bikini and head out to one of Boise’s fine aquatic destinations. Roaring Springs, Sandy Point, the Boise River, Quinn’s Pond, Crane Creek Country Club and a select few OG city pools that are hanging in there. No matter where you go, people watching seems to be at its finest when swimming is involved. My younger sister worked as a lifeguard at the downtown YMCA and she has seen some things...
The “Pool Pass” to the city pools was our “go-to” growing up. Fairmont was our most frequented pool, until we moved and then it was Lowell. It was before computers, so the way they managed the passes was that as you walked in, you said your last name and age. “Knopp, 8.” If you had an unfortunate friend without a pass you would have them mumble your last name really quick, with the age of one of your siblings—no eye contact—and scurry past… One of the many reasons I’ll find myself in Hell. I can still smell the locker rooms and hear the monotone “HEYYYY” over and over again from the lifeguards.
Remember the swim test to be able to use the diving board? What about the mother of all diving boards? BORAH POOL’S HIGH DIVE!!! We didn’t make it there very often, maybe once a summer. I’m sure it’s one of those things that looked much larger and impressive as a little kid. I never did it. I didn’t like doing the swim test and also I’m scared of ladders, heights and fun. Years later as a teenager, I fell into some peer pressure at the West Y and did a pretty sweet cannonball off the high dive. I hit the side of my thigh so hard on the water that the whole thing bruised. But my friends were impressed so it was worth it.
While the Lowell and South pools await their fate, your choices for public city pools are Borah, Fairmont, Natatorium and Ivy Wild. All good options, if the weather ever warms up.
Don’t forget the sunscreen.
—Heidi
