Here's something we did back then that you can't do now for several reasons.

Skip had a 1947 Jeep named "Sir Bounce A Lot" that he used frequently on the beach. (of course that was when there actually was beachfront) Despite the fact that we always fought (brotherly love) we managed to do some things together.

While I had my beach buggy, a 1941 Ford Station Wagon (Woodie) named "Purgatore" (because of the bright red/yellow flames painted on the front end), which had a large displacement Lincoln V-8 engine and a 4-speed "crash-box" transmission, it was a slow, lumbering beast. Skip's Jeep was fast and nimble. And lots more fun.

"Sir Bounce A Lot" was great for towing a water skier in the surf. Skip was very tall with long legs and it was a hoot to see him just outside the breakers while I was driving around 30-40 MPH on the hard-packed lower beach.

Our towline was a couple hundred feet long which let him get out beyond the surf line. He was an excellent water skier and he could pass me and get close to 100' ahead of me. But even more impressive was watching his long legs "step" over incoming waves. Rarely did he get knocked down.

When he got tired (water skiing in the surf isn't easy) we would hook up a 1947 Ford hood that I had, turn it upside down and he would tow me down the beach. It was really cool when, with a simple weight shift, I could fly into/through the surf and travel along beyond the breakers alongside the Jeep.

That kind of came to an abrupt end when the Ford hood ornament, eroded away by the hi-speed sanding, fell off exposing the 3 bolt holes for its mounting.

It wasn't too uncomfortable when being towed on the lower beach. The sand pretty much plugged the holes. Out on the water however, it was a different story. At towing speed, there were 3 jets of water hitting you right in the face.

Not wearing goggles and not being able to put your hands up for protection (letting go was not an option) your eyes filled up with hi-speed salt water. That ended that phase of fun on Nauset Beach.

Speaking of Nauset Beach

If you care at all about climate change and its effects on our coastline, you might be interested in some facts about the erosion at Nauset Beach. When I was 14, I was an assistant life guard there. I worked under the supervision of a guy name Stan Kasanovich. Stan was a huge guy, built like Johnny Weissmuller. No joke.

One of our duties everyday during the summer was to take the water temperature and mark it on a chalkboard so everyone could see it. Some days it was quite warm, other days, not so much.

One particular morning, after Stan had gone for his daily swim, we went to get the water temperature. I knew something was wrong when he handed me the thermometer.

Then picked me up and threw me in. Brrr. The water temperature that day was 47°.

I digress. Back to the erosion.

Another duty each day was to roll out the boardwalk. On hot days you couldn't walk on the sand without burning your feet. Starting by Dick Philbrick's Snack Shack (it became Liam's), the boardwalk went out 600 feet before it got close to the drop-off to the water.

I mention the 600 feet because by 2018 the beach had eroded to within 8-10 feet from the rear of the building housing the Park Department offices, the rest rooms, and the afore-mentioned chalkboard.

That's 12.5 feet every year folks.....and they say it is increasing significantly.

Brother Aesop might advise against buying waterfront property!!!